I had by no means paid a lot consideration to my hair till not too long ago once I observed golf-ball-sized clumps of it sitting in my drain after washing my hair. Certain, hair loss is part of life, and based on the American Academy of Dermatology, it’s regular to lose 50 to 100 strands a day, which is similar to the dimensions of 1 / 4 (clearly, I really like evaluating my misplaced strands with tangible objects). However standing there and holding globs of my hair that ought to nonetheless be on my head, I spotted that I had an actual downside on my arms.
Surveying the scenario additional within the mirror, I observed thinning at my temples and that my hair simply wasn’t as thick because it was once. With the quantity I had misplaced, it appeared like there ought to have been a life occasion or one thing in particular to trigger it. May it actually have been that I used to be merely in my 30s, my physique was altering, and this form of hair loss was all a part of it? Contemplating that round 50 percent of women expertise some degree of hair loss in some unspecified time in the future of their lives, it had lastly occurred to me. I had now turn out to be part of that statistic.
After researching my choices and visiting a dermatologist to assist map out a course of treatment for my hair loss, I knew that I used to be unwilling to do something invasive (even minimally) akin to PRP (platelet-rich plasma injections), scalp microneedling, or take something orally, akin to Minoxidil. Although it’s well-known and confirmed to regrow hair, it will probably include undesirable unintended effects, akin to quick or irregular heartbeat and the sprouting of hair elsewhere. I finally selected a more moderen, needleless, and noninvasive therapy referred to as Alma TED that match into the parameters of what I used to be on the lookout for to handle my hair loss. The one query now was if this hair restoration therapy would truly decrease any additional hair loss and even regrow a few of my misplaced hair.
Under, study extra about hair loss and what occurred once I tried Alma TED.
Consultants Featured in This Article
Gretchen Friese is a trichologist with BosleyMD.
Angie Phipps, DO, is a hair restoration skilled with BosleyMD.
Howard Sobel, MD, is a scientific attending dermatologic surgeon at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York Metropolis.
Anton Georgiev, DO FACS, is a hair transplant surgeon in New York.
Michelle Henry, MD, a board-certified dermatologist and founding father of Pores and skin & Aesthetics Surgical procedure of Manhattan.
Totally different Kinds of Hair Loss
In keeping with trichologist Gretchen Friese, the widespread causes of hair loss embody stress, postpartum, vitamin deficiencies, sicknesses akin to COVID-19, thyroid dysfunction, and medicines that may trigger “diffuse hair loss,” which is when the hair thins everywhere in the head.
Listed below are a number of the widespread forms of hair loss, based on Friese and BosleyMD hair restoration skilled Angie Phipps, DO:
- Androgenetic alopecia: The medical time period for feminine and male sample baldness, that is the commonest kind of hair loss with a famous genetic element. For girls, androgenetic alopecia presents as hair loss within the corners of the brow and on the prime of the brow. Such a hair loss “normally occurs with the hormonal modifications of menopause,” says Friese. For males, it presents as hair loss on the highest sides of the pinnacle, recessing again or on the crown.
- Alopecia areata: “Such a hair loss is an autoimmune illness the place the immune system assaults the hair follicles, leading to hair loss,” says Dr. Phipps. Alopecia areata can current as bald spots on the pinnacle, says Friese.
- Traction alopecia: Carrying sure hairstyles may end up in a type of hair loss referred to as traction alopecia. “Hairstyles that exert extended tight pulling/pressure on the hair trigger the follicles to weaken over time and may finally lead to destruction of the follicle and everlasting hair loss,” says Dr. Phipps.
- Scarring alopecia: “Such a alopecia is attributable to irritation that destroys the hair follicles, inflicting scarring and everlasting hair loss. It’s normally a results of infections, chemical compounds, burns, or autoimmune issues,” says Dr. Phipps.
- Telogen effluvium: Such a hair loss is related to COVID-19. “In telogen effluvium, there’s a systemic response to a stressor within the physique that abruptly and prematurely shifts a big share of the hair follicles which are within the development section into the telogen or resting section of the hair follicle development cycle,” Dr. Phipps says. “This leads to all of these resting hair shafts falling out on the identical time and presenting as widespread hair loss.” The excellent news, she says, is that this sort of hair loss isn’t normally everlasting, although the shedding can happen for 3 to 6 months earlier than it truly stops. “Hair will probably regain regular fullness after telogen effluvium inside six to 9 months however might take so long as one to 2 years.”
What Is Alma TED?
Alma TED (brief for TransEpidermal Supply) is an FDA-approved noninvasive hair regrowth therapy that targets thinning areas of the hair. The gadget “is an ultrasound-based system that makes use of the ability of sound waves and air strain to drive particular development elements into the hair follicles,” says dermatologist Howard Sobel, MD. In the course of the therapy, the growth factors are utilized to the areas of the scalp the place hair is thinning after which massaged into the scalp utilizing the pinnacle of the gadget. The vibrations from the gadget create microchannels to assist the serum penetrate deep into the scalp. The vibrations trigger “acoustic sound waves” that “create gaseous bubbles throughout the prime layers of the pores and skin, which expands the lipid layer, rising the absorption of the expansion elements or topical medicine,” Dr. Sobel says. The therapy takes about 20-Half-hour.
The beneficial course of therapy for Alma TED is three periods spaced one month aside. “Most of my sufferers see outcomes after the primary therapy,” says Dr. Sobel. “When all is alleged and achieved after three therapy periods, Alma TED could have helped to lower hair loss and thicken the hair follicles, producing stronger and thicker hair. I typically advocate a topical medicine [such as a mixture of minoxidil and either finasteride or progesterone] particular for women and men, in addition to a Nutrafol complement.”
How A lot Does Alma TED Price?
The price of Alma TED remedies ranges relying upon the medical supplier, geographic location, and the variety of periods which are wanted to deal with hair loss. A single session can run you round $1,250, with packages of three periods costing upwards of $3,600.
Who Is a Good Candidate For Alma TED?
“Alma TED is appropriate for any age; the kind of hair loss is way more essential than age as a deciding issue,” says hair transplant surgeon Anton Georgiev, DO, FACS. “It’s handiest for addressing present or more moderen hair loss issues.
In keeping with Dr. Sobel, it optimally treats female and male sample baldness (often known as female and male sample alopecia), which makes up “roughly 98 % of the hair loss that’s seen by each women and men,” hormonal modifications (after childbirth, menopause), excessive weight reduction, and autoimmune ailments.
Dermatologist Michelle Henry, MD, who makes use of the gadget in her personal follow, says that she treats a variety of sufferers with Alma TED, from sufferers of their 20s to these of their late 60s.
Usually talking, good candidates for Alma TED are those that are experiencing lively hair loss. Dr. Sobel says that it’s not appropriate for individuals who are bald “with no obvious follicle.” Although, he says, if you’re already bald in sure areas however have hair in others, “one might nonetheless be a superb candidate as a result of the therapy will improve the diameter of the hair that’s nonetheless there to hide the bald areas.”
Aspect Results of Alma TED
Although there are not often any unintended effects, some folks might expertise delicate irritation or scaling of the scalp after therapy. “Alma TED is much less suited for those who might need inflammatory or scarring hair loss circumstances that aren’t nicely managed,” Dr. Henry says. Dr. Georgiev provides that the therapy might not be as efficient for autoimmune-related hair loss or lively scalp infections. “People with extra severe well being circumstances like epilepsy might discover this therapy unsuitable, though such circumstances are uncommon and might be simply recognized with the steering of a healthcare supplier.”
My Expertise With Alma TED
I visited Dr. Sobel’s workplace in New York Metropolis for my three periods of Alma TED. Nearly painless, the therapy was akin to a scalp therapeutic massage. Jasmine Rivas, a medical assistant at Sobel Pores and skin, carried out all three of my periods that had been spaced one month aside. Rivas handled my frontal scalp and crown – the areas the place my hair thinning was most noticeable. It is strongly recommended to clean your hair previous to therapy because of the development elements penetrating the scalp and I did my finest to abide by this, regardless of my hectic schedule.
The method started by prepping my therapy areas utilizing the pinnacle of the gadget to therapeutic massage the areas to permit for the absorption of the topical serum, which is a proprietary hair development method that incorporates 30 elements consisting of development elements, peptides, and vitamins. Rivas massaged the handled areas for about two minutes. The gadget produces a weirdly disagreeable buzzing sound that I later discovered was the ultrasonic power from the machine. All through the therapy, I checked out myself within the mirror intermittently and was mildly amused by the gadget, which seemed like an influence device going into my head. Alas, I knew that it was doing its job.
Following this, a topical method containing a mixture of peptides, development elements, and vitamins was massaged with the gadget into the therapy zones. The ultrasonic power emitted from the gadget helped to drive the method roughly 4 mm deep into the scalp. The expansion elements within the method include CRP (cytokine-rich plasma) and dutasteride with minoxidil and bimatoprost (a prostaglandin F analog). This course of was repeated in every therapy zone. My tailor-made therapy was targeted on two zones, however your entire technique of opening the channels, making use of the topical serum, after which massaging it into the scalp was repeated 3 times, as soon as for both sides of my frontal scalp and as soon as on my crown. “A single therapy session might embody as much as 5 therapy zones,” says Dr. Georgiev.
After every session, my hair seemed a little bit out of types, but it surely was nothing {that a} completely positioned bun on prime of my head couldn’t repair. I used to be instructed to attend till the next day to clean my hair to permit for the topical serum to do its job. I skilled zero irritation and every session was pretty nice.
Submit-Care Directions For Alma TED
“You possibly can safely wash your hair 24 hours after the therapy. Nevertheless, it’s advisable to keep away from harsh hairstyling routines, akin to bleaching, in the course of the course of the remedies,” says Dr. Georgiev.
An Sincere Evaluation of Alma TED
In truth, I didn’t discover a lot hair regrowth after the primary session, however by the second session, I observed my hair coming in by my temple space/frontal scalp and it started to appear to be it did a couple of years in the past. It was by the third session that I observed an enormous distinction in my hair – it grew again much more and appeared noticeably fuller in my frontal scalp.
It’s essential to notice that after my second session, and on the suggestion of Dr. Sobel, I began taking Nutrafol as a part of a mixed method to the therapy. Dr. Georgiev says to count on continued enchancment after your third session. “Medical evaluations point out that outcomes proceed to enhance over a interval of six months following an preliminary collection of three remedies.”
Although I’m extremely proud of my outcomes up to now, I plan on going again for upkeep. “For people experiencing extra extreme hair loss, upkeep therapy could also be as quickly as three months following their final therapy session, involving a single therapy session each three months. Conversely, these with delicate hair loss would possibly go for upkeep periods spaced out between six to 9 months,” says Dr. Georgiev.
Regardless of which therapy you select, there is no such thing as a definitive resolution to hair loss. “It’s an ongoing course of,” says Dr. Sobel. He notes that a lot of his sufferers select to proceed the Alma TED remedies as a result of it’s not painful and noninvasive. Dr. Henry says that when you discover one thing that works, akin to Alma TED (which has labored for me), you need to proceed utilizing it to keep up your outcomes.
Taryn Brooke is a magnificence author and editor born and bred in New York Metropolis who has been in digital media for over 10 years. She is a contributing magnificence author for PS, Attract, Byrdie, and Nicely+Good.
