Notice a teenager ever. How they spend countless hours admiring themselves in the mirror? Fretting over every small acne outbreak and loving the feel of running their hands through their hair. Trying new haircuts and styling. O’ having the time of their lives adorning themselves and others.

Little are they aware of the times to come and that too, shortly. As soon as they enter their 20s, it’s time to face the crude reality of the world. Their lack of mental preparedness raises their stress levels, increasing their cortisol levels.

The increase in cortisol levels can have many effects on a person, including hair loss, explains Dr. Archit Agarwal, one of the best dermatologist in Faridabad. He is also a trichologist and specializes in Hair transplants and other hair loss treatments, PRP treatment being one of them.

Dr. Archit explains the hair growth cycle, how cortisol levels lead to hair loss, and what you can do to regain your hair growth.

So, let’s get started.

The Hair Growth Cycle:

The structure of our hair contains the root and the shaft. The root of the hair sits in the hair follicle, which is connected by the connective tissue to the sebaceous gland. Many nerves are connected to the hair follicle as well.

The hair root widens at the base forming a bulb that contains the papilla (blood supply). New hair cells are being made continuously, close to this papilla.

These cells continue to bind and harden enough to push through the shaft through the skin. This is how the new hair is formed and grows at the rate of 1 cm/month on the scalp.

This growth phase is called the anagen phase. And 90% of the hair is in this phase.

If you don’t cut your hair, it can grow up to a meter long or more in some cases.

When the Anagen Phase or the growth phase ends, the hair roots detach from the papilla. This is the catagen phase which lasts about 4 weeks or less.

Once the papilla is completely detached, the blood supply to the hair stops. This is the resting phase, also known as the telogen phase. The hair progressively comes out of the scalp and falls. It is not an instant matter. This phase lasts quite a few months.

And the growth cycle begins again.

The pattern of Hair Loss:

We lose about 70 to 100 hair every day, and since the growth cycle is continuously making new hair cells, we overlook the hair fall.

When the roots are damaged, the hair growth progression is slow, or sometimes too much hair enters the resting phase. This is when baldness starts becoming prominent.

It could be a temporary or a permanent phase.

If you think you are passing through this phase and need advice, please ask a question on the clinicspots portal, where the best dermatologists and hair transplant specialists will clear your doubts.

What causes too much hair to go into the resting phase?

Hair loss could be a result of the following factors:

Environmental factors such as surgery, injury, blood loss, etc.

Hormonal Factors such as sudden changes in hormone levels can trigger the resting phase. Stress is a factor that changes hormone levels too.

Medications: antidepressants, hypertension medication, and OCPs can cause hair loss.

Diet: A lack of essential nutrients such as iron, zinc, vitamin b-12, and vitamin B-6 can also cause hair loss.

Autoimmune disorder: Sudden hair loss could be a sign of autoimmune disease. Please get yourself tested.

Allergic Contact dermatitis: allergic reaction to a product that your scalp has come in contact with, like hair color or shampoo, can also send the hair into the resting phase.

How Does PRP Help in Hair Loss Treatment?

Platelets contain growth factors that are mainly responsible for healing and new cell growth. When the platelet content in the plasma is rich and injected into the scalp before the procedure of hair transplant or just PRP treatment itself if you are in the early stages of hair loss can be beneficial to hair growth.

PRP is obtained by drawing your own blood and running it in the centrifuge machine. When the blood is running through the centrifuge machine, the blood components begin to separate. When the segregation is completed, the technician fills quite a few syringes with this plasma and platelet. Red blood cells are left out.

These syringes are then used to inject your scalp with PRP. The entire procedure takes a maximum of 30 minutes or so per sitting.

It may be painful for some time, but if the doctor has administered an analgesic, then it will be less painful.

For lasting effects, your doctor will advise 1 sitting every 3 months, and once there is a remarkable regrowth of your hair, it is once in 6 months.

The advantage of PRP is that it has no side effects since there is no use of chemicals. Almost there will be some pain and swelling for a day or so after the procedure.

You will be able to resume work the next day.

Dr. Archit advised that for 24 hrs, hair cannot be washed, and avoid strenuous activities for 48 hrs.

After that, you can resume life like pre-PRP.

Who is a good candidate for PRP?

You are a good candidate for PRP if you are in your late 20s or mid-thirties and hair loss has just begun. PRP will keep you ahead of the hair loss situation, and you will be able to prolong the onset of balding.

How does PRP help in skin rejuvenation?

Dr. Archit is often called the best dermatologist in Faridabad; explains that the platelets have growth factors and healing or coagulants. The growth factors enhance collagen production, which helps rebuild new cells, which is what we need for the facial skin to look young and have suppleness and elasticity in it for the skin’s firmness.

So, it is conclusive that PRP is a boon to humankind in healing most ailments that a person is suffering from, including sports injuries, dental treatments, cancer treatments, etc.