Hair Rejuvenation

Would you like help for thinning hair?

We give you a brief run down of the hair growth cycle and point out some causes of hair loss that you may want to look at, before going into details on the effective treatments we offer at Pulsar Health. These include Hydrafacial's Keravive system, AnteAGE's hair growth program, PRP with Biotin injections, and the use of Exosomes for Hair Regrowth. We don't offer hair transplant at this time, but many people don't need to go down that route, and even if you have, these treatments support the health of the transplanted hair. We also cover tips on home hair care and medications that may help.

Book a consultation if you want help in restoring your "crowning glory"!

At Pulsar Health, we have a tiered approach to hair rejuvenation. We do not perform hair transplants at this time - cannot compete with the prices in Turkey!!! - but we do almost everything else.

The hair growth cycle...

We shed about 50 to 100 hairs / day on average (who counted this? probably some student or intern...). That is normal exogen (shedding phase), and the cycle rotates through anagen (growing phase), catagen (slowing growth) and telogen (resting) phases. About 85% to 90% of the hairs on your scalp should be in the growing phase, resulting in a hair growth rate of approximately 1/2 inch each month, slower in the winter and faster in the summer. The growing phase typically lasts several years, whilst the slowing lasts about 10 days and the resting 8 to 12 weeks before it falls out. Approximately 10 to 15% of the hair is in the resting phase at any given time, but this hair is "ready to go" so at times of stress, a whole bunch can fall out in one go.

What causes hair loss?

Causes of hair loss should be looked at before diving into treatment, as it's always important to remove as many contributing factors as you can. Most hair loss is related to genetics - male or female pattern "androgenetic alopecia" - but there are other causes such as:

• Autoimmune conditions like alopecia areata
• Hormonal imbalances such as hypothyroidism
• Nutritional deficiencies - the following nutrients are important for hair growth: protein (for keratin in the hair cortex), Vitamin D, Vitamin E, Pantothenic Acid (Vitamin B5), Vitamin B12, Folic acid (helps make keratin), Omega 3 fatty acids, Biotin, Iron, Selenium, Zinc
• Traction alopecia from tight bands / hair accessories
• Inflammatory conditions of the scalp such as psoriasis
• Medications - anticoagulants, retinoids, beta-blockers, propylthiouracil, and carbamazepine are associated with hair loss

Telogen effluvium is the medical term for abnormal hair shedding due to stressful life events, and it can be related to illness, medications, dietary or hormonal changes, heavy metal poisoning...

Med Spa interventions to help hair rejuvenation

At Pulsar Health, we have embraced topical and injectable treatments that we find are yielding great results in many patients. If hair loss is fairly mild or patchy, we start with Keravive from Hydrafacial and/or Hair Regrowth with AnteAGE. If there is more severe hair loss, we go straight to Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) with Biotin, and add hair regrowth exosomes for the maximum effect short of a hair transplant. For more information on these treatments, see below:

• Keravive from Hydrafacial is both an in-spa and at-home treatment. It is a lovely refreshing pain-free option for early hair thinning. Firstly, we thoroughly exfoliate the scalp using Hydrafacial's patented vortex technology and their Extract Serum that is rich in Salicylic Acid, a beta hydroxy acid known for unclogging pores, supplemented by willow bark extract for increased effectiveness and tasmanian pepper berry for calming and soothing. Once we have exfoliated, then we use the vortex technology to push in the Keravive complex. This is a proprietary blend of peptides that contain synthetic growth factors and skin proteins, as well as panthenol (vitamin B5) for its humectant and emollient properties, and arginine to build up keratin. The remainder of the spray is taken home to be used daily and massaged in for optimal hair regrowth. Treatments are repeated monthly.
• AnteAGE uses their amazing Bone Marrow Mesenchymal Stem Cells Cultures in a specific formulation designed for hair regrowth stimulating the Wnt-1a pathway, along with a dozen bio-identical growth factors and cytokines, each of which has been proven effective in hair follicle stimulation. The polybotanicals and cocktail of natural stimulants help create an optimal environment for hair regrowth. The home-care side of the treatment reapplies the hair solution every couple of days, lightly massaged in using the gentle massager included in the kit, with the more aggressive roller only being used once/week to further stimulate hair regrowth. In the monthly spa treatments, not only do we microneedle the AnteAGE hair serum into the scalp using the highly effective MDPen, but we can combine it with Keravive's exfoliation system to deliver the ultimate in topical hair regrowth treatment short of injectables. We have had wonderful results! 
• Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) is derived from your own blood. We use the kit from Juventix that is especially designed for hair regrowth and contains additional Biotin. We also make it even more potent by photo-activating it prior to injecting into the scalp. For comfort, we use lidocaine injections to create a scalp "block" - this part is uncomfortable, but we help you get through it, and most people are highly motivated to get their hair back. Laughing gas is available if wanted. PRP scalp injections have been clinically shown to be effective in hair regrowth, and using minoxidil at home augments the results.
• Exosomes are the latest in hair growth technology. Mesenchymal Stem Cell Extracellular Vesicles, or exosomes, are small packets of information that contain growth factors to encourage cell proliferation. They are found naturally in Wharton's Jelly, a material found in the umbilical cord of babies that contains primitive mesenchymal stem cells, similar to embryonic stem cells, and a host of growth factors. It is naturally delivered after the baby is born and then the material is harvested. Currently we are using Evolutionary Biologics Evo Gro as our exosome source, which is derived from Wharton's Jelly and concentrated for factors that influence hair growth through prolonging anagen (hair growth phase), stimulating hair follicle development, and inducing cell growth. Evolutionary Biologics freezes this, and it is transported frozen so that when defrosted, it is as close to its original state as possible. At Pulsar Health, we administer this to the scalp, usually alongside a PRP-Biotin treatment for maximum effectiveness.

These treatments represent the best in our current technology short of hair transplantation, and we will continue to evolve as the technology does. We keep our pricing as reasonable as possible in order to serve as many clients as we can reach. Supplement Spa treatments with home care, and if needed, medication.

Easy home care trips for early hair loss include:

• Daily massage to the scalp for a few minutes feels great and improves the blood flow to the area. The old wife’s tale of a 100 brush strokes / day isn't far off. Just make sure you use a gentle brush such as a natural boar bristle brush.
• Shampoos - gentle shampoos are best. Use caution with the following ingredients: Sulfates sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) and sodium laureth sulfate (SLES) help in lather formation but can be too harsh; isopropyl alcohol and propylene glycol can strip oils / be too drying; diethanomaline (DEA) makes creamy products but with nitrites can be carcinogenic. Minoxidil containing shampoos can help (see below).
• Deep condition your hair once / week to reduce breakage, and when using regular conditioner, apply only on the ends of the hair.
• Use heat protectant whenever exposing hair follicles to heat, and limit use of hot tools.
• Hair coloring ingredients to minimize: Hydrogen Peroxide, Ammonia (but better than PPD), P-phenylenediamine (PPD), Persulfates, Resorcinol, Lead Acetate, 4-ABP (from "Fast Hair Growth for Beginners" by Sofie King).
• Supplements may help if you have deficiencies, especially those designed for hair loss. 

Medications for hair loss

Minoxidil and spironolactone are medications that can be administered by mouth or on the skin (topically). Both can be effective, but effects are dosage dependent and side effects need to be borne in mind especially for oral dosing. 

Minoxidil (trade name Rogaine) has been shown to improve hair growth, although the quality of the hair may be less than the original hair. It functions in several ways, including by stimulating the microcirculation via potassium channel activity and production of growth factors such as vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and prostaglandins. It can be purchased in various formulations and many people prefer the topical foam. It has also been shown to be even more effective in combination with other treatments such as Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) injections.

Spironolactone, both orally and topically, reduces production of male sex hormones. It binds to the androgen receptor, knocking off the native testosterone or dihydrotestosterone (DHT). It is also used to treat high blood pressure and is a diuretic, so can affect potassium levels and long-term oral usage needs to be carefully monitored.

Oral medications are sometimes indicated. Finasteride can slow hair loss in men by extending the anagen phase of hair growth. It works by blocking the enzyme 5-alpha-reductase which converts testosterone to dihydrotestosterone (DHT). It can sometimes reduce sex drive, and is commonly used to treat benign prostatic enlargement. Dutasteride works similarly to reduce the dihydrotestosterone (DHT) levels in the body. Some studies have shown dutasteride to be more effective than finasteride in male androgenetic alopecia, but it is not currently FDA approved for hair loss. 

Treatment with these medications should be done for at least 3 to 6 months, and you will likely shed hair when you stop. 

Corticosteroids can be administered to the scalp via injection or topically for psoriasis or autoimmune conditions. Anthralin is another topical medication for autoimmune patches, but can cause scalp irritation.

Of these medications, using topical (applied to the scalp) minoxidil is helpful as a baseline to use with Spa Treatments. As we are a medical office supervised by a board-certified Plastic Surgeon, we can prescribe medications as appropriate after review of your medical history.