Everything You Need to Know About Baldness & What to Do If You’re Going Bald

Oral and Topical Medications

Noticing a thinning crown or a receding hairline can be an ego blow. But while it’s not possible to reverse baldness, you’re not out of options. To help you navigate baldness and plan your next steps, we are sharing with you expert advice from Dr. Ziering, drawing insights from his interview with Elle magazine.

What Causes Baldness?

There are plenty of reasons for hair loss, from hormonal imbalances and autoimmune disorders to trauma and dietary deficiencies. However, the most common reason for baldness as androgenetic alopecia. As a hereditary condition, it means that if your mother or father displayed signs of early hair thinning or loss, you might be on a similar trajectory.

The science behind this involves the hormone dihydrotestosterone (DHT), a byproduct of testosterone. In those genetically predisposed, high DHT levels can shrink hair follicles, shortening their lifespan leading to premature hair loss. Dr. Ziering notes that “DHT accounts for 90% of early balding cases.”

Signs of Male Pattern Baldness

Before you hit the panic button, it’s important to differentiate between natural hair shedding and actual baldness. It is not uncommon to shed 50 – 100 hairs per day. The Norwood Scale is a seven-stage metric that provides a road map of typical male balding stages.

Starting from minimal recession (Stage 1) to extensive hair loss (Stage 7), the Norwood Scale paints a clear picture of potential hair loss progression. Dr. Ziering explains that the infamous ‘M’ shape or balding at the crown typically indicates advancing stages of pattern hair loss. Recognizing where you are on this scale can be the first step toward effective treatment.

The Norwood Scale

Can Baldness Be Reversed?

Here’s the conundrum – there’s no magical cure for baldness. Many of the hair loss products promising hair regrowth typically do not work. However, there are proven methods to restore hair loss at Ziering Medical. The key is starting the conversation early when you first start noticing that your hair is thinning, or your hairline is receding. Act promptly and seek professional guidance to halt balding progression, promote hair regrowth, and regain lost confidence.

There is no one-size-fits-all solution to hair loss. At Ziering Medical, every approach is tailored to your needs, preferences, baldness stage, and the quality of the available donor hair. If you’re not ready to commit to a hair transplant surgery, don’t worry, because we offer both nonsurgical and surgical hair restoration to address all aspects of hair regeneration and restoration.

What Are the Best Treatment Options to Restore Hair?

A. Nonsurgical Hair Restoration

1. Topical and Oral Medications: The Ziering Team recommends starting with prescription medication like the ZPro 1 mg/Finasteride, and topicals like Formula ZFIN, and Formula ZMIN. These treatments directly counteract the follicle-shrinking effects of DHT, either by inhibiting the conversion of testosterone to DHT or dilating the blood vessels that supply essential nutrients to the hair follicles.

2. Laser Hair Therapy: Harnessing the power of red light therapy, this in-office treatment stimulates hair follicles, reviving and extending their growth cycle. You can also enjoy the benefits of laser therapy in the comfort of your own home with the Ziering LaserCap. This portable, wearable device has been shown to slow down hair loss and even promote new hair growth in many of our patients. It is typically recommended in combination with topical and medical therapy to enhance the results.

3. KeraLase: This is a simple, pain-free treatment that combines laser therapy with the topical KeraFactor, a unique blend of keratin protein and other nourishing ingredients that promote scalp health and hair growth.

B. Surgical Hair Restoration

Surgical hair restoration is the only permanent solution for hair loss; it is the only treatment in which the hair that is programmed to last for life is moved to balding and thinning areas on the scalp.” When it comes to hair transplant surgery, you have two options:

1. Follicular Unit Excision and Extraction (FUE): FUE involves harvesting individual follicular units directly from the donor area one at a time. This technique requires the entire donor area on the back and sides of the head to be shaved short, allowing the surgeon to have a clear view of the available donor area and individual follicular units. One main advantage of this technique is that it does not leave a linear scar post-surgery. This is a popular choice, mostly for men, who prefer to wear their hair very short.

2. Microscopically Dissected Elliptical Excision (MDEE): MDEE, formerly known as Follicular Unit Transplantation (FUT), involves removing a strip of tissue from the donor area, on the back and sides of the head, dissecting the follicular units under a microscope and transplanting the harvested follicular units into recipient sites created by our Ziering Surgeon in the areas where baldness or thinning is present.

This technique does not require that the entire donor zone be shaved short, and it allows surgeons to harvest more follicular units in one surgical session than a typical FUE procedure. Women and patients who are looking to achieve a more dramatic result with one surgery session are good candidates for the MDEE hair transplant procedure.

How to Ensure the Best Results?

Dr. Ziering advises not to waste your money on products that over-promise but do not work. “FDA-approved, dermatology recommended, or restoration surgeon or specialist sanctioned products, procedures, or programs are the only way to go,” Ziering says. If you’re struggling with baldness, consider setting an appointment at Ziering Medical.

The Ziering Medical Team will develop a hair restoration treatment plan tailored to your needs and aesthetic goals. We serve patients all over the greater Tri-state area of New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut as well as the greater Southern California area from Los Angeles and Beverly Hills to Newport Beach and San Diego.