It's hair to stay

MANILA, Philippines - It’s common knowledge that men are prone to hair loss, but it’s a little-publicized fact that older women sometimes experience thinning and shedding of the hair as well.

Most people just grin and bear it. Others use extensions to cover up thinning spots. Then there are those who use topical ointments or take pills, which stops the hair loss, but only as long as the medication is applied or taken.

Now, Svenson International has brought in technology that will make a lifetime of pill popping or ointment applying a thing of the past. Revage is a treatment that uses a “cold” laser to stimulate blood cells and encourage hair growth. Dr. David P. Melamed, an LA-based cosmetic surgeon and laser expert, is excited to be bringing this technology to the Filipino people for the very first time.

Revitalizing

One of the most common reasons for hair loss is a change in hormone levels, specifically testosterone, which produces a chemical called dihydrotestosterone (DHT), the culprit for thinning of the hair and male pattern hair loss. “The goal with any type of hair reversal or hair growth is to block the effect of DHT on blood flow and to stimulate the hair to grow,” Dr. Melamed explains. Most topical medications cause small blood vessels to get bigger, while pills typically inhibit the production of DHT. “Neither one of those two can cause you to have new blood vessel formation or to cause hair to grow. Revage actually causes neo-vascularization, or the formation of new blood cells. The laser also causes new cell formation, which is something that none of the medications do. So the combination of the topicals, oral medication and the laser together symbiotically creates a solution.”

Revage has been around for 14 years now, used in the US, Canada, Europe, Singapore, Taiwan, China and Malaysia. The “cold” laser uses low energy that penetrates only until the hair follicle. Users feel no heat. There is no risk of burning or skin injury.

What happens is that a topical medicine is applied on the patient’s scalp. The medicine is cool and tingly, and is supposed to stimulate blood vessels and decrease dandruff. The patient is then put under the laser, a contraption similar to the machines you see in the parlor, for about 20 minutes.

Restoring

Instead of side effects, Revage has side benefits. For one, it actually causes hair color to last longer. It also causes new growths to be darker. This is good for people whose natural hair color has lightened due to excessive color treatments. “And it makes the hair thicker, too,” Dr. Melamed adds.

This is a treatment that you want to do early, preferably within five years of noticing hair loss. “It’s really a matter of trying to catch this early while you still have the hair. It’s a matter of revitalizing them,” Dr. Melamed says.

Treatments run the course of under a year, with the patient coming in twice a week first and the visits tapering off to about once a month, depending on one’s personalized needs. “Approximately 80 percent of the patients are going to see a benefit,” Dr. Melamed says. Hair loss will decrease, the shedding will stop. “80 percent of the patients experience 50 percent hair regrowth. After one year of finishing the treatments, most patients do not need any follow-up. However, since we are continuously getting older, some patients will need to come back and receive (a smaller regimen of) treatments.”

He adds, “It’s a commitment, but it’s very convenient. Some of my patients work on their laptops and read magazines. You put it in your schedule the same way you go exercise or meet friends.”

Now you can proudly say, hair today, more hair tomorrow.