Ultrasound for Hair Loss
We see a LOT of hair loss. And one of the most difficult things that we see with hair loss is how long it takes for hair to grow back once it’s fallen out. You can do all of the right things to help reduce inflammation or improve hormone balance, but hair still takes a LONG time to grow back.
Hair growth occurs in 4 phases: anagen, catagen, telogen, and exogen. The anagen part of the cycle is the growth cycle – this cycle can last from 3 to 10 years depending on the strength of hair growth. The catagen phase is where the hair stops growing. The telogen phase is where the hair follicle “rests” in preparation for shedding. And the exogen phase is where the hair begins to shed and fall out.
Hair goes through these phases normally every month, with the average rate of growth equaling the average rate of shedding. But problems can occur when the rate of shedding outpaces the rate of growth, which can lead to concerns about hair loss.
Causes of Hair Loss
There are many reasons why people have hair loss. Some of the most common reasons include changes to hormones (androgenic alopecia), changes to nutrient status like low thyroid hormone or iron, and changes to inflammation (alopecia areata).
These forms of hair loss occur in different patterns. Androgenic alopecia will have hair loss in areas around the hair line or top of the head. Low thyroid hormone or iron levels will cause diffuse thinning throughout the scalp. Menopausal changes will also cause diffuse thinning of the hair. Autoimmune and inflammatory hair loss can causes patches of hair to be missing, or can cause the hair to fall out from the whole scalp.
Improving Hair Loss & Growth
Identifying why the hair is falling out is the most important part of improving hair loss. Correcting hormonal imbalances, helping with nutrient status and reducing inflammation are all ways to help improve hair growth. But even if you do all of those things, it may take an extremely long time for hair to grow back or for you to notice improvement.
The average hair grows at a pace of about 0.5 inches per month. That means that once the hair breaks the surface of the scalp, it will take about 2 months to grow an inch. And that is if the hair is healthy and strong when it comes out of the scalp.
If there is any damage to the hair follicle, or the hair does not have enough nutrients or can’t stay anchored to the scalp, it will fall out easier, or will grow out thin and weak. This is where the challenge comes in improving hair growth to get better results
Treatments for Hair Loss
There are many treatments out there for hair growth and loss. Many treatments focus on helping improve blood flow (Minoxidil/Rogaine) or help improve nutrients of the hair (biotin, copper peptides). The challenge though, lies with getting these substances deep enough into the scalp to help with strengthening the hair as it grows out of the follicle. Traditional Chinese medicine has used treatments for years to help do both of those things through microneedling the scalp. PRP (proton rich plasma) therapies are also emerging as top treatments for hair loss as they help bring blood flow to the area and improve nutrient status in the follicle.
But one of the most fascinating and promising treatments emerging at this time is therapeutic ultrasound treatments to the scalp.
Therapeutic ultrasound has been used for decades as a non-invasive treatment using sound waves to generate heat and vibration in the skin and tissues. This promotes blood flow and helps relax muscles. But recently, it has been shown to help improve absorption of pharmaceuticals and topicals for certain hard to treat conditions like alopecia.
Ultrasound for Hair Growth
This new therapy, called trans-epidermal delivery, uses sound waves from a therapeutic ultrasound to help improve absorption of topicals into the scalp for hair loss. The frequency from the ultrasound machine helps to not only improve blood flow to the area, but also helps to open up the epidermal tissue in the scalp to allow for nutrients to reach the hair follicles easier. This allows for the growth of stronger hair, as well as improves anchoring of the hair to the follicle – reducing shedding.
Ultrasound is a gentle and non-invasive treatment. The treatments usually last anywhere from 10 to 60 min (depending on the area that is treated) and only need to be done 2x a month. Results from ultrasound treatment are seen within the first month of treatment.
When combined with topicals like Minoxidil, ultrasound can increase the rate of growth by 67% compared to using Minoxidil alone. Combining ultrasound with finasteride topically can increase up the anagen/telogen ratio by 5x in comparison to using topical finasteride alone in androgenic alopecia. After 3 months of treatment, the rate of growth can continue as well, pending additional systemic treatments to help sustain the results.
While this is a new and emerging therapy and shows promise for hair loss, it may not work for everyone. Those with scarring or fibrosing alopecia’s may not benefit from the treatment, but it could be a good way to identify which portions of the hair follicles are scarred without biopsy. You should talk with your doctor about whether or not this treatment would be beneficial for you.
At Aria Integrative Medicine, we will be offering ultrasound hair restoration therapies starting in January 2023. Treatments can be done on new and return patients, and 3 months of treatments (6 sessions) is recommended. If you are interested in receiving this treatment, you can schedule an appointment with Dr. Anastasia Stocker online, or call our office to schedule.
