how to fix thinning hair

February 4, 2019

Losing hair is a natural process that happens to everyone, every day. We all lose an average of 80 hair strands a day, but our hair is continually growing in cycles to replenish itself. However, if you have been noticing an unusual amount of hair loss, you might be worried you are going bald.

Many men will notice their hair thinning when they are still in their 20s or 30s. Some of the most common signs of balding include a receding hairline, more hair appearing in the sink and shower, and a sudden change in how your hair reacts to brushing.

Don't panic. Hair thinning and baldness are two different things, and both have multiple treatment options.

Is My Hair Thinning or Am I Going Bald?

But how can you tell if your hair is thinning or if you are going bald? We put together this list of questions to help you determine if your hair loss is leading to baldness or hair thinning, so you know how to properly address it.

Does it run in the family?

Look into your family's history with hair loss. Male Pattern Baldness is typically a genetic condition, so your first step in determining if you are balding is finding out if you are genetically prone to baldness.

In the event you have a family history of male pattern baldness, then there is a good chance your hair loss is not the result of stress or another factor. It may come down to genetics, and there is not much you can do about that.

At this point, you should speak with a dermatologist to go over your hair restoration options. There is a lot of information you can find online, but the internet is also filled with half-truths and myths. The only way to get good information you can trust is to go directly to a medical professional who can review your hair loss.

Where is the hair loss?

If you are noticing a receding hairline or loss specifically in the crown area, these can be signs of balding. A more random pattern or evenly spread loss of hair is usually an indicator of hair thinning.

If your hair seems to be falling out in patches, you could have alopecia, a condition that causes a person to lose patches of hair. Consult a doctor if you think this to be the case.

Could the hair loss be caused by age?

If you are climbing into your silver years, your hair is probably thinning, which is a normal part of the aging process. Also, if you are a woman approaching menopause, hair thinning is often a normal symptom.

However, if you are under the age of 35, hair loss might be a sign of balding.

Could Your Hair Loss Be Stress-Related?

Excessive levels of stress can cause hair loss in men and women. Many people do not realize that stress can have a physical impact on your body. Severe stress over the course of a few months can lead to extreme fatigue during the day and hair loss.

If you start to notice your hair thinning, eliminating stress is a great first step. You can start engaging in more activities you enjoy and try to decrease the number of extreme stressors in your life. If stress was the cause of your hair loss, then when your stress level decreases, it's likely that your hair will grow back.

Other factors of hair thinning

There are a host of factors that cause hair thinning. Consider if you have recently experienced any of these triggers:

Hormonal or Chemical Imbalance -- hair thinning can occur when your hormones are being produced in different quantities. Think: new medicine, cessation of prescription, etc.
Thyroid Problems -- if you have also noticed memory loss, depression, sudden weight gain, dry skin, or fatigue and frequent muscle aches, your hair thinning might be due to a thyroid problem.
Vitamin B or Iron Deficiency -- hair thinning can happen when you're not getting enough of certain vitamins.
Dramatic Weight Loss -- hair thinning is normal when you have dramatically lost a lot of weight.
New Hair Product -- if you are using a new hair product, it might be too harsh for your hair.

Remember, hair grows in cycles, so if you are only noticing heavy hair loss now, the catalyst might have happened up to three months prior.

If you can attribute one or more of these factors to your hair loss, your hair is probably just thinning, and you're likely not going bald.

Restore Your Hair: Restore Your Confidence

Many men wonder whether they need to pursue treatment to reverse the effects or if they can grow the hair back on their own. Although hair re-growth may be possible, you should also know when to seek professional help.

If the reason for thinning hair is genetics, it will not grow back on its own. To grow back a healthy, full head of hair, you'll need to take action, and that involves reviewing different hair loss options.

We recommend seeking out proven, FDA-approved treatments to remedy the situation, instead of looking at shortcuts. Propecia, which is a prescription medication that restores hair follicles to their former glory, is a popular option.

At the Helendale Hair Center, we offer a line of topical solutions that can regrow hair with continuous use for a less invasive approach to hair revival. We also offer treatment options such as light therapy, prescription medication, injections, and follicle transplants.

Other options include light therapy that stimulates hair thickening, platelet-rich plasma treatments that promote hair regrowth, and in advanced cases hair transplants that will restore your hair. 75 percent of men in the United States suffer from hair loss to some extent. You can reverse the effects by scheduling a consultation at The Hair Center at Helendale.

Non-Surgical Hair Loss Treatment

Depending on how much hair you've lost, you could be a candidate for non-surgical treatments for restoring hair. There are a number of topical solutions such as shampoos and moisturizing conditioners that can revitalize and thicken your hair. There are also special medications like Propecia that are designed to restore hair growth.

You can also harness the power of light to stimulate hair growth. The Neo Light Therapy System is a non-invasive option that utilizes low-level light sessions to make your hair stronger and thicker.

While such non-surgical options are often reserved for early- and mid-stage hair loss, they can also be effective for late-stage hair loss. However, there are certain cases of hair loss and balding where non-surgical options aren't the most viable choice.

Minimally-Invasive Hair Loss Treatment Options

When topical solutions, medication, and light therapy aren't enough to revive your hair, you can explore other options. Thankfully, technology has advanced so that you can actually grow your own hair back with a minimally-invasive, more heavy-duty treatment. With a follicular unit extraction (FUE) treatment, surgeons can transplant viable hair follicles and implant them in bald spots.

You don't have to worry about scarring from this procedure, and you can go back to your usual daily routine after 48 hours of recovery. Even better, the success rate for the FUE treatment is as high as 98 percent.

After your hair loss treatment, you'll probably need to start using non-surgical treatment options like those mentioned above to retain the look and feel of your new hair. We'll be sure to walk you through all of your options to better ensure optimum results.

Learn More Today

You don't have to feel self-conscious about your thinning hair or bald spots. The knowledgeable experts of The Hair Center at Helendale are here to help you understand more about hair thinning and baldness, and what you can do to get your confidence back! If you're ready to schedule a consultation, request an appointment today!