As a man in his 50's, I am aware that some things just don't last. And I do care about how I look, no apologies about it either. Fortunately, I have been lucky enough to have a pretty good head of hair all my life. No male pattern baldness or early balding. But I have noticed over the last few years that it has thinned down a bit. I took a little bit of a relaxed attitude toward it for a while, but ultimately it got to me so I started looking into possible solutions.
I wasn't really in need of a toupee, or hair plugs. It's not that my hair was gone, just thinning down a little bit and less dense. So after reading up on some things, I decided to try Keravive. After talking things over, I became aware that they offer 4 different strategies to address my situation. In fact, they can even attend to more severe cases and pattern baldness in some cases. It turns out that there are a lot of men and women who have had these treatments or products and had great results. Here are the options I discovered:
Keravive by Hydrafacial
Keravive takes the approach of attacking thinning hair from the perspective of scalp health. Pure Medical Spa has a Hydrafacial machine (and I have had a Hydrafacial for my face, love it, more on that in another article) so I was familiar with that. The treatment provider will use this machine and the appropriate serums to exfoliate and clean my scalp. This removes dry skin, helps open up clogged follicles, helps promote circulation. At the same time they are applying a Peptide complex solution with nourishes and stimulates the scalp and hair follicles with growth factors and proteins. This promotes a healthy scalp, which should produce healthier and thicker hair. In addition, they sent me home with a bottle of the peptide spray, which I applied every night before bed. Not a big deal, just comb out the hair and expose some scalp, spray a few pumps on and massage it in.
So spoiler alert, I did have this done. And will do it again. The experience itself was very comfortable, there was no pain or discomfort during the treatment. In fact, I almost nodded off for a light nap. Tondue recommends getting three treatments, once every 30 days, for best results. I just had my second one done, and they took photos of my scalp before starting the second treatment. All I can say is wow, I will be doing these again. I can see new hair growth all over the place, and I can't wait to see what it looks like after the 3rd treatment when its longer. But within 30 days and just one treatment, I can see new growth and that is darn impressive.
As far as pricing goes, it's not exactly cheap but its not exorbitant either. And for results like this, I was impressed that I could get the treatment for $500, and there is a small discount for buying all 3 up front. If I hadn't already done this, I would usually recommend trying it once before buying the whole thing. In this case, I'm convinced. If you are going to move in this direction, my advice would be to get the package of 3 up front, even if just to make sure you really go to apt 2 and 3 and see the results.
PRP Injections
Hair Loss doesn't have to run it's own course. Direct PRP injections are a non-surgical hair restoration system at Pure Medical Spa. They use PRP to directly fertilize the hair follicles and stimulate robust hair growth. For the first part of the process, blood is drawn from the patient and placed into a machine called a centrifuge where the blood is spun rapidly to separate the blood into three layers: platelet poor plasma, platelet rich plasma, and red blood cells. That platelet rich plasma (PRP) is full of growth factors and this is then further activated to create a Fibrin Matrix which allows the platelets to last longer in the area. We then we inject these nutrients into the balding area to stimulate growth. This procedure has results that are long lasting but is very comfortable and has no social downtime. While I did not do this yet, I expect that I will. After seeing some before and after photos, it looks like the logical next step.
In a hair loss treatment article published by Allure, it was noted that "Anyone experiencing hair loss is essentially a good candidate for PRP treatments, but those with early hair loss tend to respond best. PRP is best used for patients with androgenic alopecia, which is a genetically determined type of hair thinning that typically occurs along the top of the head. In women, this might look like a widening part with normal hair thickness at the back of the head."
"For best results, consistency is key. Treatments are typically performed once a month for the first three to four months, and then every three to six months thereafter, depending on the individual patient's response and results. Following this protocol, anticipated results can first be seen within two to three months".
Regarding pricing, I learned that one treatment is $800. A little more than the Keravive treatment, but also geared towards a more aggressive treatment plan for issues that may require a little more intensive attention.
Deeply Rooted by Hush & Hush
The Nutraceutical provider Hush & Hush has some really cool products, and it turns out that Deeply Rooted is one of their most popular supplements. A 1 month supply goes for $75, which didn't really freak me out that much considering what my average GNC trip turns into.
Deeply Rooted states the following has great ratings and client testimonials, and states the following:
A COMPLETE SUPPLEMENT FOR HAIR GROWTH.
- Packed with biotin and ashwagandha to grow healthy hair
- Targets thinning hair and temporary hair loss
- Encourages hair to grow thicker, longer and stronger
- Suitable for women and men*
Yana Liquid Collagen Shots
We have all heard about collagen over the last few years, and we know that some is better than others. We also know that there is a place and time, and "results may vary". Yana has a very cool approach to wellness, insisting that it start from within and anything after that is a great addition. Yana was first sold for its benefits to skin care and wellness, but they later discovered how much it benefited hair and nails.
YANA helps to promote youthful, healthy skin from within.* It contains a concentrated blend of hydrolyzed collagen peptides, ceramides, antioxidants and vitamins. It also complements the effects of topical skincare by aiding vital skin functions like collagen synthesis, moisture retention and antioxidant defense.
First, to understand how YANA works, it’s important to recognize the role that collagen plays in youthful-looking skin. Much like architecture, collagen makes up the skin’s support structure. It also strengthens connective tissues, creating a framework that keeps skin firm and slows volume loss.
The skin loses collagen as we age, due to factors like the aging process, sun damage and exposure to pollutants. Lifestyle choices like smoking also damage collagen over time. And that’s where YANA comes in.
Like our natural collagen, the bioavailable collagen peptides found in YANA help to boost the skin’s firmness. In fact, YANA delivers essential elements that defend against collagen loss, thus decelerating one of the primary processes that cause skin aging.* It also supports the body’s natural collagen production.* And studies show that YANA reduces wrinkle depth, increases firmness and improves skin hydration in as little as one month.*
This proprietary formula is powered by Lumiplex™, a fusion of advanced technologies that work together to give the skin a youthful, radiant glow. Together with Lumiplex, an ultra-nutraceutical antioxidant complex helps to defend skin against the free radical damage that can contribute to collagen breakdown.*
Furthermore, YANA doesn’t just benefit the skin. It also contains biotin, a vitamin known to help strengthen hair and nails.* And did I mention the taste? It's actually really good, a citrus orange type flavor, and I have made a wide variety of smoothies with it so far. It now comes in small daily shot bottles, so it's super easy to grab one and down it on the way to work or at lunch. A 28 day supply sells for $99.
Talk to someone for the right game plan
At some point, any of these options would have a benefit, but I will always recommend talking to someone you trust and follow some sound advice. Don't jump in and do everything at once, it would just make things harder to tell what worked best and what didn't. With some insight on the causes and knowledge of these treatments, your provider should be able to put you on a path that gives you the results you want.