Rx for thinning hair
Invest in your hair. It is the crown you never take off.” I saw this sign in a Beauty Salon window. To this day, I have not forgotten those words.
I always make an effort to take care of my hair by using healthy hair products and having hair treatments. When friends tell me I have a nice haircut, I feel like I can rule the world.
I have been going to Regine’s Beauty Salon at the Link Building for many years. A month ago, I went for a blow dry and the lady who washes my hair all the time warned me that I had falling hair. My hairstylist for years also commented that the front part of my hair was getting thin. I went into panic mode as I have always taken pride in my thick hair. I didn’t take notice that age, chemicals, constant blow dry, putting highlights, lowlights and all kinds of haircolor are disastrous to hair health and factored in my hair loss.
I did some research on how to restore hair growth without having to do a hair transplant, which I was told is actually the best and most permanent option.
During one ladies’ lunch, I voiced out my concern about thinning hair and my good friend beautypreneur Nikki Tang, who owns DMark. Beauty Corp., recommended the Rausch Ginseng Caffeine Line, which consists of a shampoo and tincture. She explained that ginseng root has been used in Asian medicine for 7,000 years. The shampoo and tincture, which contains burdock root and essential oils, used in tandem help to restore hair to its healthy state and stop hair loss by stimulating the scalp’s blood circulation thus, increasing oxygen saturation. The shampoo should be used three times a week, while the tincture should be used daily.
New hair growth is visibly noticeable after six weeks of daily usage. It is a slow but natural way to restore hair health.
Rausch Ginseng Caffeine line has no paraben and silicon and is made in Switzerland. I have been using it for three weeks now and so far, I noticed that my hairbrush has fewer hair strands in it. My hair is getting restored back to health so I will continue using it until further options.
Coincidentally, I met Dr. Rafael Fortus who is an expert in hair restoration.
He said that most people are embarrassed to seek professional help for hair loss and instead resort to buying off-the-shelf products, which are only for men. Dr. Fortus says the only way to reverse hair loss is transplant, where hair strands from the back of the head are taken painlessly through local anaesthetic then planted anywhere on the hairline and other bald spots. Hair at the back of the head never falls. Notice that most bald men have hair at the back of their heads. This modern technique of hair transplant is called DHI (Direct Hair Implantation).
Dr. Fortus says that he uses a one mm tip to painlessly extract the donor hair then implant them using their patented pen device, which allows the surgeon to control the angle, density and direction with microscopic precision. This technique offers the highest graft survival rate in the industry. This procedure is usually done in the clinic and only one session is required for permanent results. Downtime is five to seven days after which the patient can return to usual activities. The hair will grow naturally dense after three months and will be checked by the surgeon.
Hair transplants can also be done to the eyebrows and the beard, which he says, is popular among Filipino men.
Another option is the Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP). The doctor harnesses the growth factors found in your own blood (platelets) and by injecting them all over the scalp promotes thicker, shiny hair and a healthy scalp.
PRP can be done as a preventive measure for thin or brittle hair and should be done three times — once every three months — for optimal results. My friend who introduced me to Dr. Fortus is doing it and with very good results. Her hair is noticeably thicker and shinier.
“Most clinics offer painful injections for PRP but at our clinic, DHI, we offer painless application using our patented mesotherapy device from Paris,” enthused Dr. Fortus.
I am still deliberating whether to do the more permanent DHI or the PRP. Thinning hair is my present dilemma, which I will address soon to preserve my crowning glory.
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For inquiries on hair transplant and PRP, call DHI Clinic at 893-6175 or email at r.fortus@dhi-philippines.com.
Rausch products are available at Watson’s.