Hair Loss News Archives - Miami Hair Institute

Category: Hair Loss News

January 10, 2022

Free Hair Loss Treatment For All? South Korean Presidential Candidate Tackles Baldness

Imagine it’s 2024, deep into the next campaign for President of the United States. The candidates present their opposing visions for the country’s future and different solutions to the nation’s problems. But among the standard debates about the economy, foreign policy, immigration, voting rights, and all of the other usual issues, one of the candidates decides to make another societal problem the centerpiece of his campaign: fighting baldness.

That is exactly what is currently happening in South Korea. As recently reported by CNN, Lee Jae-Myung, the South Korean Democratic Party presidential candidate, has made free hair restoration treatment a major campaign issue. Specifically, Lee has proposed allowing the country’s public healthcare insurance to cover hair loss treatment.

When making his pledge, Lee pointed out that almost 10 million people suffer from hair loss, but many of them order medicines from other countries or resort to prostate drugs as an alternative due to high treatment costs. He said that hair loss coverage is necessary from the aspect of “body completeness.” His campaign is studying its potential financial impact on the nation’s healthcare system.

In the United States, the issue of insurance coverage for hair restoration treatments hasn’t quite made it to the presidential level, or any other significant level for that matter. Except where hair loss is related to an underlying medical condition, most U.S. health insurance providers won’t cover hair transplant surgery or other treatments. But you should always check with your insurance company before presuming that your hair loss treatment isn’t covered in whole or in part.

Call the Miami Hair Institute Today For Your Personal Hair Loss Consultation

If you’re losing your hair, you don’t need a politician to tell you that it’s a problem. If you’re ready to take action, the first step is scheduling a personalized hair loss consultation with the world-renowned hair restoration physicians at the Miami Hair Institute. To receive your personalized evaluation and treatment plan, contact us online or call our office directly at 305-925-0222.

December 27, 2021

COVID-19 May Cause Hair Loss, But COVID Vaccines Do Not

As we frustratingly approach two years of living through the pandemic, it is pretty well established that temporary hair loss – telogen effluvium – is one of the more common complications associated with COVID-19. Many of the physical and psychological impacts of COVID-19, such as high fever, severe infection, illness, significant weight loss, physical trauma, and emotional stress, are precisely the kinds of disruptions that lead to telogen effluvium. Quarantines, worries about jobs and finances, juggling the responsibilities of parenting and career – these common pandemic-related stressors alone are more than enough to cause hair loss, even for those who aren’t otherwise sick.

However, one aspect of the pandemic that DOES NOT appear linked to hair loss is COVID-19 vaccines. Plainly put, scientists have found no connection between any of the widely available COVID-19 vaccines and increased hair loss.

Anytime someone goes through an infection, gets a fever, or experiences significant stress, as is the case with COVID-19, they can experience telogen effluvium. Many vaccinated people experience side effects from the shot, including fever and mild illness. But those side effects do not appear to create the conditions that cause temporary hair loss like COVID infection itself.

As reported recently in the Boston Globe, “Dr. Shira Doron, infectious disease physician at Tufts Medical Center said hair loss following coronavirus vaccination has not been detected in any surveillance.”

Nevertheless, many fully vaccinated individuals and those who have not been infected with COVID-19 can and do experience pandemic-related hair loss. This is due to the immense stress, disruption, and uncertainty that COVID-19 continues to cause for so many people. Quarantines, worries about jobs and finances, juggling the responsibilities of parenting and career – these common pandemic-related stressors alone are more than enough to cause hair loss, even for those who aren’t otherwise sick.

During this time, the physicians and staff at the Miami Hair Institute remain committed to helping our clients address their hair loss issues safely and effectively through our

To receive your personalized evaluation and treatment plan, contact us online or call our office directly at 305-925-0222.

April 19, 2021

New Study Sheds Light On Link Between Stress and Hair Loss

Scientists, researchers, and doctors have known for quite some time that chronic stress can lead to hair shedding and loss. Now, researchers from Harvard University have made a key discovery about the biological mechanics that connect stress and hair loss.

Recently published in the journal Nature, the study found that a major stress hormone in mice puts their hair follicle stem cells into an extended resting phase without regenerating the follicle or the hair. Hair follicle stem cells are what fuel that natural cycle between rest and growth. During the hair growth phase, hair follicle stem cells become activated to regenerate the follicle and hair, and hairs grow longer every day. These stem cells are dormant during the resting phase, causing hairs to shed more easily and frequently. That shedding becomes hair loss when the stem cells remain dormant without regenerating new tissue.

The Harvard researchers identified the specific cell type and molecule responsible for relaying the stress signal to the stem cells. They found that the overproduction of certain hormones triggered by stress had a negative effect on hair follicles and their growth cycle.

Corticosterone is a primary stress hormone produced by the adrenal glands in mice. The human equivalent of corticosterone is cortisol, often called the “stress hormone.” The researchers found that giving mice corticosterone reproduced the stress effect on the stem cells, suggesting that elevated stress hormones indeed negatively affect hair follicle stem cells.

Normally, time and aging slow down hair follicle regeneration over time, and the resting phase lasts longer. But when the researchers took the stress hormones out of the equation, the stem cells’ resting phase in the subject mice became significantly shorter. Their hair follicles constantly entered the growth phase and regenerated hair follicles throughout their life, even when they were much older.

The study confirms that reducing stress, thereby reducing the amount of cortisol we produce, can have a positive effect on hair loss. That is because stress keeps follicle stem cells from entering the growth phase and regenerating new hair follicles.

Of course, hair loss isn’t the only negative effect that too much stress has on our bodies. It can cause a whole host of health problems and diminish the quality of life. That is why self-care, including effective stress management, is so critical to our physical and mental health. Make sure that you identify a stress-reducing outlet that works for you, whether it is hanging out with friends, being alone with a book, walking your dog, or doing nothing at all.

No Matter Why You Are Losing Your Hair, The Miami Hair Institute Can Help

Our world-renowned hair restoration physicians at the Miami Hair Institute diagnose and treat hair loss cases no matter what the underlying cause. Through advanced hair restoration surgical techniques, technology, and alternative non-invasive treatments, we can help patients suffering from hair loss regain their hair and self-confidence.

To receive your personalized evaluation and treatment plan, contact us online or call our office directly at 305-925-0222.

March 22, 2021

Scientists Claim Extracts from Mangrove Trees Can Prevent Baldness

If you’re looking for mangrove trees in the United States, you need to look to South Florida. Almost all of these coastal trees are down here. They are key components of our ecosystem, but mangroves may also hold the key to preventing baldness, according to some promising new research out of Thailand.

Thai researchers who conducted a small study of 50 individuals with androgenetic alopecia claim that an extract from mangrove trees can both stop hair loss and promote hair growth.

Called Avicennia Marin, the extract contains the active compound Avicequinon-C, which the researchers believe can help reverse hair loss by interfering with enzymes that lead to the elevated hormone levels that can cause baldness. According to the researchers, Avicennia Marin extract also helps build proteins that can promote hair health and growth.

In the study, the participants applied Avicennia Marin to their scalps each day. They showed demonstrable improvement over the course of their treatment, with hair loss slowing and many participants seeing new hair growth.

A private company has purchased a patent for the technology in order to convert it into a commercial product. However, research on Avicennia Marin is still in its early stages, which means more studies and testing – and FDA approval – need to occur before any products containing the compound come on the market. Even if research continues to show promise and confirm the Thai study’s conclusions, a mangrove extract-based medication for hair loss could still be years away.

Schedule an Appointment for a Hair Loss Evaluation Today

While the research into mangrove extract for hair loss is encouraging, individuals suffering from hair loss currently need to look elsewhere for ways to address their hair loss issues. At the Miami Hair Institute, our world-renowned hair restoration physicians diagnose and treat hair loss using the most effective and cutting-edge approaches. We have helped tens of thousands of patients regain their hair and their confidence through advanced hair restoration surgical techniques and alternative non-invasive treatments.

To receive a personalized evaluation and treatment plan, contact us online or call our office directly at 305-925-0222.

September 14, 2020

2020-2025 Outlook: Growth in Hair Restoration

If you are considering hair transplant surgery or other hair restoration options, you are part of an ever-growing and rapidly expanding group. Approximately 133,136 Americans had a hair transplant procedure in 2017, according to the International Society of Hair Restoration Surgery. Recent reports have predicted that the hair restoration services market will continue to serve more and more patients in the United States and across the globe over the next five years.

Advancements In Technology and Technique Driving More People To Seek Hair Restoration Treatment

This growth reflects three primary truths about hair restoration. One, a variety of societal factors, such as celebrity and media influencers, rising incomes, and increased awareness of the importance of one’s appearance, are driving more people to take action to address their hair loss issues. Two, advancements in technology and technique have made hair transplant surgery more accessible and produced better results over the past decade. Three, effective non-surgical options are now widely available, attracting more people to the market for hair restoration.

At the Miami Hair Institute, we have been at the forefront of hair restoration advancements for decades. Our surgeons are recognized leaders and innovators who have played instrumental roles in the development of new approaches to hair transplant surgery as well as the refinement of non-surgical treatments.

The recent reports about the growth of the hair restoration market come as no surprise to us. We have seen it at our clinic, where men and women of all races, ages, and backgrounds have sought our help to address their hair loss problems. We expect to serve an increasing number of patients in the coming years, and welcome you to become one of them.

In addition to hair transplant surgery, here are just some of the effective, safe, and proven hair restoration treatments available at the Miami Hair & Skin Institute:

Low-Level Laser Therapy (LLLT)

Low-level laser therapy (LLLT) is a non-invasive treatment involving the use of specialized combs and caps, such as the Capillus laser cap, a device approved by the FDA for the treatment of androgenetic alopecia.

LLLT nourishes hair follicles by directing pulses of energy into inactive follicles. These pulses stimulate the hairs back into a phase of regrowth by promoting increased circulation and cellular respiration.

The Capillus 272 caps we offer contain 272 professional-strength lasers that make it the most powerful at-home device for treating hair loss in men. Discreet and appearing like any other baseball cap, you can wear it throughout the day, going on with your life while your hat takes care of the business of strengthening your hair follicles.

Hair Restoration Drugs

Hair loss medications such as Rogaine® (Minoxidil) and Propecia are popular and proven ways to treat male pattern hair loss without surgery. Both drugs, for the right patients, can stop or slow down hair loss and stimulate new hair growth in many men.

Call the Miami Hair Institute Today For Your Personalized Hair Loss Evaluation

If you are ready to join the growing number of Americans seeking to address their hair loss, we welcome the opportunity to help you get the full head of hair you want. Schedule an appointment with the Miami Hair Institute today by calling 305.925.0222.

August 10, 2020

Male Pattern Baldness Linked to Increased COVID-19 Risks

Are men who suffer from male pattern baldness more at risk for severe COVID-19 symptoms and more likely to die from the virus? Unlikely as it may seem for there to be a connection between the two conditions, researchers recently noticed a higher incidence of coronavirus-related deaths in bald men than those who do not experience hair loss.

As reported in London’s The Telegraph, scientists suspect that the link between COVID-19 fatalities and hair loss is found in androgens, male sex hormones that are cousins of other similar hormones such as testosterone. Androgens trigger follicle miniaturization and make hair more likely to fall out. But androgens may also increase the ability of the virus to attack cells in the body, increasing the likelihood that symptoms will be severe.

“We really think that baldness is a perfect predictor of severity,” said Carlos Wambier, a Brown University professor who had conducted studies on the subject, as quoted in the Telegraph article.

Wambier conducted a small study in Spain that found that bald men accounted for 79% of all males with coronavirus admitted to three Madrid hospitals. Another study involving prostate cancer in Italy found that patients who received androgen-deprivation therapy were only a quarter as likely to contract COVID-19 as men receiving other cancer treatments.

Statistics since the dawn of the pandemic show that men generally are 2.5 times more likely to die from COVID-19 than women. Pattern baldness may be a big reason behind the disparity.

This has lead researchers to consider the enticing possibility that anti-baldness treatments that focus on lowering androgen levels could also be helpful in slowing down the virus in men who become infected, giving their bodies more time to fight and recover. Studies are already underway to explore the potential efficacy of these treatments, though they are in their earliest stages.

The Miami Hair Institute Remains Committed To Helping Our Patients Through These Difficult Times

These are challenging and unprecedented times for all of us. At the Miami Hair Institute, we know how difficult and stressful things can be as we cope with the uncertainties and disruptions caused by COVID-19. If you are experiencing hair loss, that can make matters even more stressful. During this time, we remain committed to helping our clients address their hair loss issues safely and effectively through our advanced hair restoration surgical techniques, technology, and alternative non-invasive treatments. To receive your personalized evaluation and treatment plan, contact us online or call our office directly at 305-925-0222.

December 30, 2019

Hair Loss Treatments in 2020

No one likes to break promises. But every year, as the calendar turns from December to January, all of us make promises to ourselves – New Year’s resolutions – that we tend to break in a matter of weeks or months (or days!)

If you are and have been experiencing hair loss, you may have had one or more New Year’s Days where you woke up and said: “This is the year I’m going to do something about it!” If that’s you, and you still haven’t done anything about your hair loss, make 2020 different. By making one phone call to the Miami Hair & Skin Institute today, you can put yourself on track for a fuller, more youthful head of hair and increased self-confidence this year.

We offer several surgical and non-surgical treatment options for men and women living with every type and degree of hair loss issues. Our world-renowned hair restoration experts have the experience and insights to choose the treatment option best suited to your goals.

Here are just a few of the effective, safe, and proven 2020 hair restoration treatments we offer at the Miami Hair & Skin Institute:

Low-Level Laser Therapy (LLLT)

A popular non-invasive hair loss treatment, low-level laser therapy (LLLT) involves the use of specialized caps and combs which direct pulses of energy into inactive hair follicles. These pulses stimulate the follicles back into a phase of regrowth by promoting increased circulation and cellular respiration.

Among the LLLT options we offer is the Capillus272 laser cap. This FDA-approved device contains 272 professional-strength lasers that make it the most powerful at-home tool for treating hair loss. The cap is indistinguishable from any other baseball cap, so you can go about your life while simultaneously strengthening your hair follicles and turning the tide against hair loss.

Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP)

An increasing body of research has shown the effectiveness (and safety) of an approach to hair restoration that utilizes the body’s own natural growth and healing factors to stimulate the regrowth of hair. Platelet-rich plasma therapy takes the body’s natural processes and turbocharges them. In this therapy, we take a blood sample from the patient and place it in a centrifuge where the platelets are separated from other elements of the blood. We then inject the PRP into the treatment area, stimulating the repair and healing that the body is already working on.

At the 2019 Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Dermatology, the author of a comprehensive study about the use of PRP wrote that “With consensus forming around treatment protocols, studies are indicating that PRP is a safe, effective hair loss treatment that has the potential to greatly improve the quality of life of millions of people.” We agree.

Stem Cell Therapy

Full heads of hair are the result of hair follicles which are continually regenerating, due in part to the presence of stem cells. But when those stem cells shrink and deteriorate as we age, hair stops renewing and ultimately falls out. That’s why reintroducing an individual’s own stem cells back to the follicles has the potential to create a nourishing environment which may foster regrowth and fight the battle against hair loss

Using a liposuction tool, we take fat cells from the belly, flanks, or love handles and extract the stem cells that can foster hair growth. We then inject this concentrated stem cell sample onto the scalp. The procedure is fast and minimally invasive.

Hair Restoration Drugs

Hair loss medications such as Rogaine® (Minoxidil) and Propecia are popular and proven ways to treat pattern hair loss without surgery. Both drugs, for the right patients, can stop or slow down hair loss and stimulate new hair growth in many patioent.

Hair Transplant Surgery

Of course, the Miami Hair & Skin Institute is a world leader in advanced hair transplant surgery. Our surgeons have been instrumental in the development of the most effective and widely used techniques, and have used their skills, experience, and artistry to perform successful procedures on thousands of men.

Call the Miami Hair & Skin Institute Today For Your Personalized Hair Loss Evaluation

If 2020 is the year you’re going to keep your promise to yourself to take care of your hair loss issues once and for all, we welcome the opportunity to help. Schedule an appointment with the Miami Hair & Skin Institute today by calling 305.925.0222.

December 2, 2019

Latest Research in Stem Cell Treatments for Baldness

The word “breakthrough” is thrown around a lot when scientific or medical research makes a significant advancement. It implies a sudden and dramatic game-changer, a cure for an illness or other health problems. But the road from a “breakthrough” to an actual treatment is a long one, and it doesn’t always result in a safe and effective solution. That said, recent research is adding more support for the already promising use of stem cells to treat baldness and hair loss.

As reported in Healthline, the 2019 annual meeting of the International Society for Stem Cell Research included the presentation of research that appeared to grow life-like hair in mice that were hairless because of genetic problems. The researchers combined different skin and hair cells from mice and humans and used the same material as dissolvable stitches to create a “scaffold” to control the direction the hair grew into the skin. The result was hair growth in mice that were genetically programmed to be bald.

The human cells used in the research were human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), specifically dermal papilla cells, which are found inside hair follicles and control hair growth, thickness, and length.

This is just the latest development in an ongoing effort to leverage the power of stem cells to treat a range of conditions, including hair loss. Stem cells are the multi-talented repairmen of our bodies, maintaining and restoring healthy functioning everywhere, fixing the body by dividing and replacing damaged tissues.

Now new stem cell research, like the 2019 study, and more refined techniques are showing that reintroducing an individual’s own stem cell back into hair follicles can create a nourishing environment that may foster regrowth and fight the battle against hair loss.

Research has found that stem cell hair transplants may be an effective way of treating hair loss conditions such as:

male androgenetic alopecia
androgenetic alopecia
cicatricial alopecia

At the Miami Hair & Skin Institute, lead surgeons Drs. Rose and Nusbaum have developed a minimally invasive, safe, and comprehensive method of performing stem cell therapy for hair loss. Many patients are excited to learn our stem cell therapy treatments can be utilized in conjunction with hair transplant surgery, platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injections, topical treatments (like Rogaine®), and laser hair therapy to maximize results.

To consult with Dr. Bernard Nusbaum and Dr. Paul Rose about whether Miami stem cell hair therapies may be a good option for your hair loss issues, please call our office at 305-925-0222 or contact us online to book your evaluation and consultation.

November 25, 2019

Hair Loss Breakthrough with 3D Printing Technology

One of the limitations inherent in current hair transplant surgery is the need for sufficient donor hairs. Many individuals wanting to address their hair loss through a transplant simply don’t have the needed amount of healthy hair follicles available to be extracted and moved to thinning or bald areas of their scalp. But scientists at Columbia University may have found a solution to that problem.

As recently reported in the Daily Beast, 3-D printing technology may make it possible in the not-too-distant future to grow donor hair follicles in a dish that doctors can then transplant into a patient. As Dr. Angela Christiano, the lead researcher at Columbia, put it, “We can basically create a hair farm.”

Using a 3-D printer, Christiano’s team created a mold filled with extremely tiny wells and put neonatal skin cells into those wells. They then seeded hair follicles donated by volunteers into the microwells, along with growth factors to stimulate hair growth.

Three weeks later, the mold contained small yet robust hair follicles – grown entirely outside of human skin.

While no testing has been done on humans, and no hairs grown in a mold have been transplanted into a patient, the implications of this development are potentially huge. Using current transplant methods, a patient may need up to 2,000 follicles on the back of their head to have a sufficient amount for transplantation elsewhere. Using Christiano’s innovation, it may be possible to grow an adequate amount of new hair follicles in a 3-D printed mold using just a small amount of donor hair from the patient’s scalp.

As Christiano notes, if further testing and refinement of the technology confirm the safety and effectiveness of hair transplants using externally grown follicles, “Hair restoration surgery would no longer be limited by the number of donor hairs.”

The Miami Hair & Skin Institute: At the Forefront of Hair Restoration Advancements

At the moment, however, hair transplant surgery does require a patient to have enough hair for transplantation. At the Miami Hair & Skin Institute, we are leaders in the development and use of game-changing hair restoration methods and pride ourselves in steadfast commitment to ensuring that the procedures we perform and technology we use are safe, proven, and effective. We will continue to monitor hair restoration innovations like 3-D printing and report on any new advancements that may benefit our patients.

To schedule your personalized hair loss consultation with our world-renowned hair restoration experts, contact our Institute online or call us directly at 877-443-9070.