At The Falcone Center We Take a Holistic Approach to Treating Hair Loss

Rather than throwing drugs at the problem, our first step at The Falcone Center is to understand the true underlying cause of your hair loss.

First, we may work with you as a functional medicine patient to rule out any serious medical conditions that could be contributing to hair loss. Some serious diseases present with hair loss and our first order of business is to insure you don’t have any of these.

Our holistic approach looks for nutritional deficiencies, lifestyle factors, and even hormone imbalances that may be contributing factors to your hair loss.

Through a full functional medicine consult we can help to determine any underlying circumstances which could be affecting your hair loss.

It’s Important to Start Treatment Early

If you’re losing your hair, come see us, and quickly. There are many ways we may help you with hair loss. But regardless of whether you need nutritional help or growth factor treatments, one thing is true.

Every treatment is more effective the earlier it is started. It’s easier to reverse hair loss the sooner it’s treated.

Hair Loss in Men

Male pattern baldness, also known as androgenetic alopecia, is an inherited trait. It affects more than half of men over the age of 50.

Once male-pattern baldness starts, it’s not going to stop. The rate at which it progresses differs from person to person and depends on genetics. But since the grind of hair loss is unending, it’s important to start treatment as soon as your hairline starts bothering you. It is estimated that by the time hair loss is noticeable to the human eye you have lost approximately 50% of the hair in that area.

44 Year Old Male 4 months after his second growth factor treatment.

Patient was taking Propecia (Finasteride) to prevent hair loss for over 10 years. The before photo taken in February of 2017 shows his level of thinning. With aging his hair loss progressed and he sought additional treatment with growth factor injections. He received is first treatment in February and second in May 2017.

Hair Loss in Women

Hair loss can begin as early as the late teen years for some women with a hereditary hair loss history. More commonly hair loss in women begins with a decline in estrogen around age 50.

As estrogen declines, testosterone levels become more predominant. For women with sensitivity to the effects of androgens (i.e. testosterone) on their hair follicles, the result can be a miniaturization of their hair follicles and hair loss.

Because there are so many factors influencing hair loss, it is important to first be evaluated for any other contributing factors such as:

• Anemia
• Digestive issues
• Food sensitivities
• Infections
• Nutrient deficiency
• Thyroid dysfunction

Common Patterns of Hair Loss in Women

Women can experience a variety of hair loss patterns from miniaturization of the hair follicles to thinning of a section or the entire scalp.

It is important to understand the root cause of the hair loss before embarking on a treatment protocol. Hair loss in women is can be generically categorized as genetic or reactive.

While genetic hair loss is predetermined and typically gradual, reactive hair loss can be unpredictable. This type of hair loss may be impacted by the previously mentioned factors, other common triggers include:

• Age
• Hormonal imbalances
• Stress

Ensuring you have enough protein or complex carbohydrates in your diet may help, and adding supplements to your daily routine or choosing relaxed hairstyles may help reduce hair loss.

However, some cases of hair loss in women may require further treatment. The most important thing is to start early. Preserving and nourishing the hair follicle stem cells early can slow or prevent the progression of hair loss.

We Evaluate the Cause of Your Hair Loss. We Don’t Just Treat the Symptoms.

Detailed health history

Every Functional Medicine patient begins their evaluation process by filling out and submitting their medical screening questionnaire and intake forms prior to the initial consultation. These forms help us to understand your past medical history, family history, lifestyle factors, previous medication issues, environmental toxin exposures and other previous history. This information will be reviewed prior to your first appointment.

We encourage you to also submit any relevant lab testing. Your first visit will be a clarification of all information submitted and a coordination of next steps and goals.

Lab Work
There are many imbalances that have been linked with hair loss. Through both traditional medical labs and functional medical labs, we can assess your current health status and help to discover if there is a current imbalance that could be contributing to your hair loss. Some of these imbalances include:

a. Thyroid evaluation – Patients with either hypothyroidism (underactive thyroid) or hyperthyroidism (overactive thyroid) can experience hair loss. While there are many causes to thyroid disorders, through simple blood tests, our doctors can help evaluate your thyroid function.

b. Anemia – Anemia is the medical term for not enough healthy red bloods cells. One specific type of anemia, known as Iron deficiency anemia, which can results if you are not eating enough iron-containing foods or you aren’t absorbing it correctly is a common cause for hair loss. Other symptoms of anemia include fatigue, loss of energy, dizziness and pale skin. If you experience any or a combination of these symptoms you should be evaluated by a health care professional.

c. Nutritional Evaluation – Nutritional deficiencies can impact both hair structure and hair growth. Common nutrient deficiencies that may affect hair loss include Iron, Zinc, Niacin, Selenium, Folic, Vitamin A & D, and Biotin. Through a variety of labs, our doctors can help to determine any underlying nutritional deficiencies.

d. Hormones – Throughout life our hormone levels are changing. It is known that hair loss can be caused by both genetics as well as hormonal imbalances. During your functional medicine consult we can make recommendations for comprehensive sex hormone testing that can determine imbalances in estrogen, testosterone, progesterone along with their metabolites and other pertinent hormones.

e. Gastrointestinal (GI) Imbalances – Gastrointestinal health is foundational to health. Our gastrointestinal tract houses roughly 80% of our immune system and is where we break down and absorb all the nutrients found in the foods we eat. Through a simple stool test, our doctors can evaluate your gastrointestinal tract for any imbalances and inflammation that could be contributing to your hair loss.

Life Style Factors
We will talk to you about stress and lifestyle as hair loss can occur after a crisis whether it be medical, social or psychological. We will make suggestions for stress management and determine the right time to begin hair treatment. When a patient suffers from acute hair loss related to a stressor of some kind, therapies can often awaken dormant hair follicles to accelerate regrowth.

We offer a comprehensive evaluation and treatment planning process to address your hair loss and health concerns.

Dr Falcone Has Many Effective Tools to Deal With Hair Loss

Nutritional Therapy
Nutritional deficiencies can impact both hair structure and hair growth. Common nutrient deficiencies that may affect hair loss include Iron, Zinc, Niacin, Selenium, Folic, Vitamin A & D, and Biotin.

A 2017 study found that several participants experiencing hair loss had low protein and amino acid intakes. If our lab tests identify you as having a nutritional deficiency Dr. Falcone will create a customized nutrition plan to address it. This may include changes in eating habits or supplements or both.

Dr. Falcone uses clinically proven hair growth supplement Viviscal as one of her many tools in a multi-faceted approach to the treatment of hair loss. Patients who used Viviscal saw:

• 32% increase in number of hairs+
• 39% decrease in hair shedding+
• 92% of participants saw an increase in hair thickness◊◊

Specific results are not guaranteed and results may vary.
Based on Nielsen AOC L52 wks ending 12/30/17 †Existing hair growth
+Ablon, G.; Dermatol Res Pract., 2015 ◊◊Self-assessment results; Bloch, L; J Dermat Cosmetol, 2017

Growth Factor
Growth factor can help stimulate the growth of hair follicles, reduce miniaturization (shrinking of hair follicles), and more—whether you’re a man or a woman.

Growth factor is extracted from your own blood using a centrifuge. The process separates plasma from red blood cells. Inside the plasma are small structures known as platelets. It is within these platelets that your body makes growth factor which is key to your body’s wound healing process.

Two different substances are added in the process: thrombin and calcium chloride. These further increase the level of growth factor in the plasma. This growth factor is then injected into key areas of your scalp. Don’t worry, we will use a numbing cream and also injectable lidocaine to make the process as comfortable as possible.

At the Falcone Center we use only the highest quality device for processing your growth factors. We even order special tiny needles from Germany that ensure the growth factors are injected at the right depth in your scalp increasing the precision of the treatment.

ACell can be added to Growth Factors to boost your results
ACell is a biodegradable Extra Cellular Matrix (ECM) derived from porcine bladder endothelial cells. Extra Cellular Matrix is a collection of molecules that are released from cells providing structural and biochemical support to surrounding cells. When this protein matrix is injected into the scalp, the body’s own growth factors and healing proteins are recruited to the hair follicles to stimulate their functioning.

Because ACell is porcine-derived (from pigs) patients should consider their therapeutic choices based on personal and religious preferences.

ACell is an FDA approved protein matrix used extensively in wound care to repair and remodel damaged tissues. Use of ACell for hair restoration is considered off-label as the company that makes ACell has not filed for the FDA indication to use ACell specifically for the treatment of hair loss. What has been found clinically is that the combination of ACell and Growth Factor injected the same day can improve the quality of hair by activating dormant hair follicle stem cells for more than a year.

Current use of Growth Factor and ACell for hair loss treatment is based on clinical best practices and standards of care.

Prescription FDA-Cleared LaserCap Technology for Hair Regrowth
The prescription-strength FDA-cleared LaserCap is available at the Falcone center as a supplemental enhancement to increase the effectiveness of our other treatments.

We offer a significant discount to our hair restoration patients to use along with PPR treatment, and it has many of our patients raving about the results.

The LaserCap re-energizes inactive hair follicles using Low-Level-Laser Therapy (LLLT), a safe, all-natural treatment, scientifically proven to promote hair regrowth in both men and women.

The full-strength FDA-cleared LaserCap is only available from physicians. Now you can treat your hair loss with prescription-strength laser therapy while you watch TV or run errands. The LaserCap is battery powered and you can take it anywhere.

It enhances the results you get from our other treatments like Growth factor, Nutritional Therapy, and medication.

Rogaine, Minoxidil, and Propecia
Traditional pharmaceutical treatments like Rogaine, Minoxidil, and Propecia may be combined with our other treatments to increase their effectiveness. These pharmaceutical treatments have been shown to make the suboptimal and shrunken follicles common in hair loss larger and more robust. They are often used to treat both androgenetic alopecia and alopecia areata,

Covid-19 Coronavirus Related Hair Loss

COVID-19 causes many different symptoms in the body. Recently it has come to light that hair loss is among those symptoms.

A study that took place in Wuhan, China, found that almost 30% of COVID-19 survivors had hair loss that started during the infection or soon afterward, according to a report this year in Clinical Microbiology and Infection. Most of those experiencing hair loss were female.

Actress Alyssa Milano took to Twitter in August of 2020 to discuss her hair loss after she had COVID-19 in March and April. In the video, she ran a brush through her hair and held up clumps of hair that came out while brushing.

Our hair follicles are always in one of three phrases: growing, resting or shedding. The majority of hair follicles are in the growth phase at any given time. Normal hair loss is about 100 strands of hair from the scalp in one day. When too many hair follicles are in the resting or shedding phases, excess hair loss occurs.

While the exact cause of hair loss for COVID-19 survivors is unknown, it is believed to be the result of stress to the body rather than the infection itself. Stress is known to trigger a condition called telogen effluvium where people shed many more hairs than the typical 100 per day. Telogen effluvium usually begins about three to six months after the stressor has happened.

Call Us Today for a Consultation

If you’re tired of struggling with hair loss pick up the phone and book a consultation today.

Our comprehensive approach is designed to increase your likelihood of success.

Why continue to feel bad about something you can change? Dr. Falcone can get you started on the path to feeling better about your hair. We will discuss your concerns and develop a treatment plan that is right for your unique situation.