Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) is an effective treatment for several types of hair loss that harnesses your own growth factors to stimulate stem cells on your hair follicles. This leads to regrowth of hair, decreased loss of hair and even increased thickness of existing hairs. Side effects are extremely uncommon. The PRP procedure is detailed here. 

Finasteride is an oral prescription medication that blocks the conversion of testosterone to dihydrotestosterone (DHT). This decreases the production of one of the androgen type hormones associated with Androgenetic Alopecia. It is usually taken as a 1 mg pill daily and can cause weakness and dizziness. It can very rarely cause erectile dysfunction, decreased sex drive, enlarged breasts (men), and depression. Finasteride is not safe for use in women who could become pregnant because it has teratogenic effects; these women should not even touch finasteride pills. 

Minoxidil topically promotes hair growth by lengthening the growth phase of hair follicles and causing more follicles to produce hair. It should be applied to a dry scalp twice a day for the first 6 months, which is about how long it may take to see results. It can then be used once daily indefinitely to maintain results. For the first 2 to 8 weeks, you may notice a temporary increase in hair loss which will resolve on its own. A common side effect of minoxidil is an irritated scalp, which may cause dryness, scaling, itching, and/or redness. Another possible side effect is to see hair growing in places other than your scalp, which you can limit by only applying it to your scalp and washing your face immediately after you apply minoxidil to your scalp. If you stop minoxidil, the hairs that grew because of minoxidil will fall out within 3 to 4 months. It should be avoided in pregnancy and breastfeeding. 

This is the main ingredient in Rogaine and is taken by mouth. Studies have shown it to be more effective than topical Minoxidil. It is a blood pressure medication which has very minimal risks at low doses. Risks of oral minoxidil include but are not limited to shortness of breath, swelling of the feet or ankles, dizziness, lightheadedness, unwanted hair growth, and allergic reactions. May cause hair shedding in the first couple of weeks.

Spironolactone is used only for women to decrease the production of hormones that contribute to AA. The doses can vary, and potential side effects include dizziness, sleepiness, breast tenderness, and elevated potassium levels in the blood. It also should not be taken during pregnancy. This is also used in the treatment of acne.

We typically recommend Votesse, Viviscal Pro, and Nutrafol. We do sell Nutrafol in our office.

This is a non-invasive, non-chemical type of hair loss treatment which generally has no associated side effects, although the results can be inconsistent.  There are several available lasers which can be purchased and used at home including Theradome, Capillus, and HairMax.

Wigs and hairpieces can be found locally or online. Hair fibers such as Toppik are also frequently used to mask areas of sparse hair growth.

The idea is to move multiple punched out grafts of hair follicles (taken from the androgen-insensitive parts of the scalp close to the neck line) and move them to the balding androgen-sensitive parts of the scalp.