Could I Have Hair Loss Too? Shinsha Dermatology Self-Diagnosis Method for Hair Loss

From your teens to middle age, you can’t assume you’re safe from hair loss just because you’re young!

Hair loss used to be something commonly seen in middle-aged men. Recently, however, the number of young people in their teens and 20s, as well as women, experiencing hair loss has been increasing.

There are many causes of hair loss. Genetic factors are the most common, but it can also occur due to excessive stress from things like college entrance exams or employment, lack of sleep, or environmental factors. In particular, if the scalp is repeatedly irritated by frequent dyeing, hair loss can progress more quickly, so caution is needed.

According to data from the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service, the number of hair loss patients has steadily increased over the past five years. As of 2019, people in their 20s and 30s accounted for 44% of all hair loss patients, so the number is by no means small. As a result, efforts to care for the scalp early and prevent hair loss in advance are increasing.

Self-diagnosing hair loss

How can you check for yourself whether you have hair loss or not? Im Isak Theme Dermatology recommends diagnosing hair loss using the five methods below.

1. An itchy scalp with dandruff

You can suspect hair loss if dandruff appears on your head. Having a lot of dandruff on the scalp means there is a lot of heat in the scalp. Since scalp heat can cause hair loss, if dandruff is often visible when you shake your hair or scratch your scalp, it is a good idea to consult a specialist.

2. Faint hair casts

Hair casts are groups of cells in the root sheath that surround the hair root inside the follicle, and they are white in color. If the hair cast is faint, it means the scalp and hair have become weak. For hair to receive nutrition, the hair cast needs to be a clear white color. Pull out a small amount of hair and check it!

3. Hair that falls out with only a light pull

If you feel that you are losing more hair than usual, it is best to suspect hair loss first. Generally, a person has about 100,000 hairs, and losing 50 to 100 hairs a day is normal. If you only lightly grasp and pull your hair, but more than five hairs come out at once, hair loss may already be well advanced, so it is necessary to visit a hospital.

4. Thin and weakened bangs

This is the easiest and most convenient way to check whether you have hair loss. It involves pulling out one strand of your bangs and comparing it with the hair at the back of your head. Since hair loss usually starts from the front, if it has already begun, the texture of the two hairs will feel different. If your bangs are thinner and less strong, it is highly likely that hair loss is progressing.

5. A gradually widening forehead

If your forehead cannot be completely covered by four fingers excluding the thumb, you may suspect hair loss. Also, if the shape of your forehead appears unnaturally receded to the naked eye, you should check whether you have an M-shaped hairline. If you feel that your forehead line has become higher than before, do not take it lightly; getting a consultation at a clinic is a way to help prevent hair loss.

Hair loss treatment methods at Im Isak Dermatology

Human hair is made up of about 84% anagen hairs, 2% catagen hairs, and 14% telogen hairs across the scalp. Hair loss occurs when this balance is disrupted and the anagen phase becomes shorter or the telogen phase becomes longer. If you are losing far more than the normal level of fewer than 100 hairs, the exact cause must be identified and treated.

Non-surgical hair loss treatment

1. Reactiva hair procedure

At Im Isak Dermatology, Reactiva is performed as a non-surgical hair loss treatment. Using a small punch, the roots and follicles from the back of the head are collected and ground with a special grinder to extract stem cells. The extracted cells are then injected into the hair loss area to help stimulate hair growth.

The Reactiva procedure helps make hair thicker and encourages fine hairs to grow. In addition, it supplies nutrition to the hair roots, which can help promote hair growth.

2. 3E PRP hair procedure

The 3E PRP hair procedure draws blood, extracts highly concentrated platelets through one centrifugation, and injects them into areas where hair loss is progressing to promote hair growth.

3E stands for Easy, Effective, and Efficient. Because platelets can be extracted with just one centrifugation, the process is very easy. It is effective because visible, highly concentrated platelets can be extracted, and it is efficient because the growth factors are extracted from the patient’s own blood, shortening recovery time.

Hair transplant surgery

When hair loss has progressed significantly, or when the hairline has become irregular or sparse, hair transplant surgery is considered. Hair transplantation is a highly precise and delicate procedure, and because it takes longer than other surgeries, consultation with a specialist must come first.

The most important thing in hair transplantation is not damaging the hair follicles. Also, to achieve a high graft survival rate, the follicles must be quickly transplanted to the scalp before the hair is damaged.

Hair transplantation uses follicles from the side and back of the head, which are not affected by hair loss, so one advantage is that they do not fall out for life. Also, because the surgery is performed using your own hair, it looks natural, and the hair grows the same as your original hair with almost no side effects. Since it is a surgical treatment, remember that it must be performed by a specialist with extensive experience!

At Im Isak Dermatology, treatment is carried out according to each patient’s condition based on the various causes and progression of hair loss. In the case of hair transplantation and hairline correction, the procedures are delicate surgeries, and in principle, only one person is operated on per day to ensure precise results. In addition to hair transplantation, scalp care programs tailored to the condition of the scalp are also provided, and personalized one-to-one treatment is carried out to create a healthy scalp and healthy hair.