Finally a Way to Predict Female Hair Loss
Since the beginning of my career I’ve noticed that men dominate the patient lists of many hair restoration practices, but in recent years women have become a larger part of the hair restoration patient base. I don’t believe that this shift demonstrates a growth in female hair loss sufferers, but rather a trend toward women actively and aggressively fighting the emotional devastation of losing their hair and empowering themselves to find a solution.
Female hair loss (known as Female Androgenetic Alopecia) is almost impossible to predict before it becomes clinically noticeable. One in every four women experiences female pattern hair loss and it can have a detrimental effect on a woman’s self esteem. In my opinion, this is because while men feel insecure about hair loss, women feel even more insecure, as the image perpetuated of the ideal woman for centuries has included a full, beautiful head of hair. But there is a new light on the horizon…
Earlier this year a simple genetic test, called HairDX, was found to play a critical role in predicting hair loss. At first only available for men, HairDX now offers a screening test for women, which detects the genetic markers that are associated with female hair loss. This new test enables women to be proactive in seeking early treatment options and prevent future hair loss-even before it may be aesthetically evident.
I’ve seen first hand how early treatment can help a woman bypass the emotional devastation of hair loss. That’s why I am so thankful for innovations like this in medical science that can help my female patients pre-empt this kind of devastation. Being able to offer them advances like those afforded by HairDX makes me proud to be a part of this specialized field of cosmetic surgery.
I am writing this blog entry from beautiful lake Como in northern Italy, where I am practicing the Italian I have been studying for the past six months. I shall be putting it to further good use when I shall be the Co-director of the ISHRS Live Surgery workshop in Rome in a few weeks. Como is a magnificent region with breathtaking views and stately villas along the coastline of the lake. Earlier I passed the most-asked-about-villa. The one belonging to one of the most eligible (and abundantly follicular) individuals in the whole world–George Clooney. To provide for further privacy from prying eyes, he recently purchased the property adjacent to his original estate and will be making it available to anyone without a camera…LOL
Ciao a tutti! -Doc