Alopecia (Hair loss)

Conveniently located to serve Omaha, NE

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Overview

Hair loss and thinning hair can affect anyone at almost any age. Sometimes, it comes on suddenly and goes away quickly. Other times, it occurs slowly and lasts for years. No matter your situation, our board-certified dermatologists at Schlessinger MD are experts at diagnosing and treating hair loss and offer a variety of cutting-edge treatments.

What is alopecia?

Alopecia is the general medical term for hair loss. Phrases like alopecia areata and traction alopecia refer to different forms of hair loss, each with their own causes and associations. A few of the most common forms of hair loss include androgenetic alopecia (male- or female-pattern baldness), alopecia areata (auto-immune driven hair loss), traction alopecia (hair loss from pulling or certain hairstyle practices) and telogen effluvium (hair loss). Telogen effluvium is also associated with COVID-19, a high fever or a pregnancy).

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Dr. Joel Schlessinger, board-certified dermatologist and cosmetic surgeon says, “Hair loss is becoming more prevalent recently due to ongoing issues after COVID. Even significant weight loss, such as we see with Ozempic or Mounjaro treatments, can cause a shedding of the hair. Additionally, there are many unknown reasons that contribute to hair loss we often determine when evaluating patients. Our approach is to be thorough, but not cookbook in nature. Everyone is different and the causes can often be found out via an interview and examination with tailored lab work depending on our initial information.”

If you’re ready to manage your hair loss, you can meet with one of our doctors or physician assistants. They will examine your hair and scalp and ask relevant questions about your medical history to determine what could be causing the issue. Once they discover the cause, they’ll recommend the best treatments and help you build a path forward.

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“Dr. Schlessinger and his staff are very thorough and caring. I would highly recommend them for their expertise, dermatology care.”

– Maria J., patient since 2009

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Q&A with Dr. Schlessinger

Your commonly asked questions answered.

According to Dr. Daniel Schlessinger, a board-certified dermatologist as well as Mohs surgeon and cosmetic surgeon, “Although hair loss is increasingly presented to the public as one shared medical condition, it is actually many different conditions, some of which are caused by genetics, hormonal changes, environmental exposures, autoimmune diseases or other causes we sometimes cannot identify.”

The sheer variety in causes is why it’s so important to visit a board-certified dermatologist for help. Instead of wading through dozens of diets, shampoos, conditioners, products or lifestyle changes that may not even be relevant to your type of hair loss, our experts can guide you to the best options for you.

Drs. Joel and Daniel Schlessinger have not only studied hair loss extensively, but they’ve expanded the bounds of our current understanding. Recently, Dr. Daniel Schlessinger published an article showing that fibrosing alopecia, where middle-aged women lose hair on the frontal hairline and eyebrows, may be linked to a sensitivity to anti-frizz chemicals found in many conditioners and hair care products. Dr. Joel Schlessinger and his clinic are on the forefront of research for alopecia areata and other types of hair loss.

Hair loss treatment begins with diagnosing the correct form of hair loss. This happens via an in-depth history and examination in consultation with Dr. Joel Schlessinger, Dr. Daniel Schlessinger or one of their highly-trained physician assistants. Depending on what type of hair loss you have, there are a variety of medical or procedural treatments that could benefit you. From there, they will work together with you to determine the treatment regimen that makes the most sense for you. This may include medication, procedures, supplements or in-office injectable treatments.

One in-office treatment we sometimes use for hair loss is a form of personalized medicine called platelet rich plasma (PRP). This relies on maximizing your own body’s natural reserves of growth factors found in your blood, concentrating them, and then re-injecting them into the area of hair loss. A small amount of your blood is first collected by a nurse. The platelets in that blood sample are then separated from the other components and concentrated with a centrifuge. That concentration is then injected into the area of concern to increase the number of growth factors present and boost hair growth.

Each PRP treatment only takes a few minutes. Typically, we recommend three initial treatments spaced two to six months apart followed by every six months to yearly maintenance.

Even if you have a generally healthy diet, it’s difficult to get all the nutrients you need for your healthiest hair. Oral supplements like Viviscal Professional fill the gap. Viviscal Professional reduces hair shedding and increases hair thickness with the AminoMar® marine complex.

Created by board-certified dermatologist Dr. Candice Spann, the hair care system ReTress supports scalp health and nourishes hair follicles with a patented biotin tripeptide complex. It can reduce shedding, improve hair density and give you a visibly thicker head of hair in about four months.

Topical minoxidil is often recommended for androgenetic alopecia, also called male- or female-pattern baldness. Typically available as a serum or foam, it is applied once or twice daily and will most often provide results after four months.

At-home laser therapy is another option. Devices like HairMax LaserBand use low level light energy to boost the growth cycle and reverse thinning. Depending on the device, these treatments can require anywhere from eleven minutes to ninety seconds of use three times a week.

Lastly, there are a variety of prescription oral medications that may be prescribed by your dermatologist for certain forms of hair loss. It is important to be evaluated by a board-certified dermatologist before starting one of these medications to monitor for side effects and track your progress.

“Hair loss is becoming more prevalent due to ongoing issues after COVID-19, from significant weight loss when taking medications like Ozempic or from unknown reasons. Our approach is to be thorough, but not cookbook in nature. Every patient is different and the causes can often be uncovered via an interview and examination with tailored lab work.”
Dr. Joel Schlessinger
Although hair loss is increasingly presented to the public as one shared medical condition, it is actually many different conditions, some of which are caused by genetics, others by hormonal changes, others by environmental exposures, other by autoimmune diseases, and yet others by causes which we cannot identify. For example, I recently published an article showing that one form of hair loss called frontal fibrosing alopecia, in which middle-aged women lose hair on the frontal hairline and eyebrows, may be linked to sensitivity to anti-frizz chemicals found in many conditioners and hair care products.
Dr. Daniel Schlessinger

You may be eligible to participate in a clinical trial to test new treatments for Alopecia.

If none of the above treatments are right for you, you may also be able to participate in some of our cutting-edge clinical trials for hair loss treatments and medications. By participating, you may receive complimentary treatments as well as compensation. The Schlessinger MD Skin Research Center has conducted more than 300 research studies on skin conditions and cosmetic procedures.

If you’re interested in learning more about our clinical research trials, contact our study coordinators. Button: View current studies

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Contact us to learn more about our dermatology services.

At Schlessinger MD our skin experts specialize in various treatments because we believe that everyone can have healthy skin. Joel Schlessinger, MD is a highly skilled and experienced board-certified dermatologist, recognized as the Best Dermatologist and Cosmetic Surgeon in Omaha since 2000. Our team is dedicated to providing you with the best results and experience possible. Contact Schlessinger MD today or book your acne appointment online now using our booking tool.

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