The Emotional Pain Of Hair Loss Revolutionary Hair Regrowth, Lasers Are The Answer! Want Hair ? Beware of Phony Hair Adds ! Want Hair ? FDA Approves Laser to Treat Baldness Thick & Thin Current Management of Hormonal Hair Loss Hair-raising experiences

The Emotional Pain Of Hair Loss
Complimentary consultation using our state of the art computer. Eliminating guess work

When men lose their hair, our culture can give some degree of continued leniency and acceptance. Women are not so lucky. A woman losing her hair can often be seen as ill, aging or less feminine. Needless to say, the experience can be quite traumatic. We live in a time however when there are simply too many options for a woman to feel that her life is over simply because of hair loss. There is no reason that this event has to be so completely life changing for her. Of the many clients we see daily and treat at Hair Solutions none are more devastated by hair loss and thinning than women, both young and old.Dramatic feelings of loss of self esteem, self confidence, and sex drive are all part of the painful realization that we are losing our hair.  We are obsessed, avoiding the mirror, constantly looking in the mirror, changing hair styles, counting what comes out in our brush and lands in the shower drain.  We are consumed with worry and anxiety.  We have questions, but doctors can’t seem to answer them.  I know, I’ve been there. 

Low Level Lasers received FDA clearance in 2008, and are proving to be the solution to the age old problem of balding and thinning hair.  Cool lasers stimulate blood flow to the scalp bringing needed oxygen and nutrients to the scalp.  This increase in blood flow,(average increase 55%),  stimulate hair follicles, pushing the thin, wispy ones out and replacing them with thicker, stronger and more hairs to produce two and three hairs per follicle thus adding to the overall density.

Until recently, the FDA has approved only two other products to combat hair loss, Monoxidil and Finastride.  Low Level Lasers threat your condition from the inside up, no messy creams, no painful transplants, just 30 lasers circulating your head twice a week.

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Revolutionary Hair Regrowth, Lasers Are The Answer!
By Marilyn Wayn
President, Hair Solutions of South Bay

These photographs are before and after pictures of a client who started her treatments on 7/10/07. The dramatic results speak for themselves. When we first met Alice we are struck by her extraordinary beauty, sadly, because of the obvious hair loss we tended to talk to the hair rather then focus on her pretty face. This is a common problem for women. How did we regrow her hair in five months ? Hair solutions of South Bay is a state of the art revolutionary hair regrowth clinic. Treatments utilize clinically proven cool lesser to revitalise limp and lifeless hair and stops thinning and balding, returning your hair to its natural beauty and health. Our therapy has been successfully used in Europe for over 30 years and has been the topic of many recent TV national newscasts. This treatment has been designed to stop hair loss and stimulate new growth, and so it does. The lasers do all the work, stimulating new growth by increasing circulation in the scalp by 55% during each treatment, thus bringing nourishment, circulations and oxygen to the dying follicles. We have enhanced our treatments with the combined use of two topical treatments, 33% stronger than Monoxidil but without the side effects. This combination is only used by Hair solutions and has proven to produce miraculous results.
The therapy is painless, safe and certainly a better alternative to transplants. The Low Level Laser has been cleared by the FDA for safety, cosmetic use and recently, the Laser Hair Max was approved for medical hair regrowth with an impressive 93% success rate. We work to regrow your hair from the inside up.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Q. Is this FDA approved ?
Yes, the lesser was approved a few years ago for cosmetic use and recently, the Laser Hair Max was approved for medical use.
Q. how do i know it will work for me ?
Before we accept clients for the treatment we do a through exam of the hair and the scalp using a very sophisticated computer. The computer takes all the guess work out, as it shows us the entire dermis level, (where the follicle is). If the follicles are dead or have been allowed to atrophy we decide if there is any hope. If there is none, we tell the client.
Q. How long will i have to come for treatment ?
Generally the program lasts for 70 treatments, two times a week for 30 minutes each treatment. We reevaluate your hair and scalp after 24 treatments, compare computer printouts and then decide on the next best therapy for you.
Q. Where can I find more information on this therapy ?
Go to our website, www.sobayhairsolutions.com
Is this for you ? we won't know unless you call for a free consultation and evaluation. The only you have to lose bye waiting is more hair. 310.375.3120

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Want Hair ? Beware of Phony Hair Adds !

By Marilyn Wayne, President, Hair Solutions

According to the American Academy of Dermatology, two out of three men, and over 25 million women in the United State suffer from thinning hair or balding. Approximately 80,0000 people.
Since the beginning of time there was always an "answer” from putting cow pies on the head to rubbing the scalp with Rhino horns. (And everything in between.) Unfortunately for people desperate to grow hair, they still believe modern day myths, most proven scientifically ridiculous.

Hair Solutions Low level light class III3A is THE ONLY FDA medically approved device to date that will regrew you own, natural hair. How, you ask? Circulation, nourishment and oxygen, three elements needed to support all life cells. 30 "cool" lasers circulate your head for 30 minutes increasing oxygen output by 55%. Oxygen, circulation and nourishment stimulate the follicle and bring the life back to the hair. Unlike other methods, we create life from the inside out, not from the top down. Makes sense? Sadly, Not everyone is a candidate. If you will have living follicles, in most cases we can give you back your hair. There is no guessing game as to can you grow hair or can't you. As we examine the entire scalp we use a high powered computer, and as we scope your head, you actually see what is possible.

Please call for a fee consultation The only thing you have to lose by waiting is your hair.
Payment plans are available. If you pay for the annual average number of treatments, we extent a $200 discount.

There is no pain, no discomfort, just the pleasure of anticipation!
Please call today for your free consultation (310) 375-3120
 

Want Hair ?

LA Health News, March 2008

Misleading ads based on junk science or no science at all are repeated daily on radio, TV and print. Ads regaling audiences with claims of their "Miracle" product that is "guaranteed" to regrow your hair are 100% false, pure snake oil! Let's set some records straight for the sake of the over 85 million people who suffer from hair loss. For starters, the word "miracle" is a misnomer in the world of science. Science never counts on "miracles" and science never makes claims based on "miracles." Science releases their findings based on well researched and detailed clinical trials. And you never see the word, "guaranteed." Can you imaging your doctor telling you the flu shot is guaranteed to protect you from getting the flu? You'd think he/she was a lunatic. Well, these folks who guarantee you'll have miraculous hair regrowth are just as questionable. Where are the White Papers? Where are the studies and clinical trials? Where is the FDA approval? What real proof can they offer you? The FDA does not regulate these companies that make false and misleading claims, so they can say anything, and do.

As of this writing, there are thousand of products claiming to stop hair loss and regrow healthy new hair, all "guaranteed," no risk, and your money back. DON'T BE FOOLED! The only products available and approved by the FDA to regrow hair, are Rogaine and Propecia. The only device approved by the FDA is the Low Level Cool Lasers, producing a 93% reported success rate of hair regrowth. How does it work? Laser diodes increase blood flow by 55%, bringing much needed nourishment and oxygen to the dying follicle, and stop hair loss in 93% of the trial subjects tested and approved by the FDA. At Hair Solutions of South Bay there are no guessing games. We actually examine your scalp with a high tech computer. This allows us to see the entire scalp on the screen, eliminating the "will I" or "won't I" really grow hair questions. The computer makes it very clear. If you have living follicles, we can regrow your hair. We also suggest blood work that might detect hormone imbalance, low iron, copper levels, etc. We do a thorough history, so there are no disappointments. In severe cases, we send hair samples to the leading Trichologist in the United States, Vetta Thompson. Every 24 visits we review your progress using the computer to compare your before treatments and what we see after.

Don't spend valuable time and money on Miracles, but also don't take my word for it, go to google, type in revage670+hair. This will bring you to all the newscasts, doctors' opinions and articles written about this revolutionary technology. Please check our website, www.sobayhairsolutions.com

For a complimentary consultation to see if you are a candidate, please call, 310-375-3120.

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FDA Approves Laser to Treat Baldness
WASHINGTON, Feb. 15, 2007

(AP) Drawing this special comb over a balding pate could restore some real hair according to a Florida company. The company said Thursday it's won federal approval to sell a handheld laser device to promote hair growth.Called the Hairmax Lasercomb, it increases the numbers of thick hairs on the scalp, according to 26-week clinical trials conducted by its manufacturer, Lexington International LLC.As the device's name suggests, it combines a low-level laser with a comb. When drawn through the hair, the laser strikes the scalp to promote hair growth, according to the company.The device, sold on the Web for $545, is the only drug-free product meant for home use in combating hair loss that's won the endorsement of the Food and Drug Administration, the company said.

Hair Solutions of South Bay is a distributor of the HairMax Laser Comb, and can be purchased at a discount. The Laser HairMax Comb may be used alone or with the Hair Solutions Laser Therapy, the comb has 9 laser diodes, the Hair Solutions LLLT (Low Light Laser Therapy) has 30 laser diodes that circulate around the head for 30 minutes.

For more information, or to schedule a free consultation to determine if you are a candidate for this FDA approved hair regrowth therapy, call 310-375-3120.

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Thick & Thin

Every woman with serious hair loss seems to know the exact moment when she realized she had a problem. "I was sitting in my car, parked outside a restaurant, and I noticed that there was hair everywhere - on the steering wheel, on my clothes, everywhere," says Laura, an executive assistant from :-New York City. Claire, a stay-at-home mother, was at her home outside Fresno, California. brushing her hair. "There were as many strands of hair hanging off the brush as there were bristles," she recalls. And Karen, a legal assistant, was at the Cleveland-area grocery store where her husband works when he pulled her aside. "Honey, I don't want to alarm you, but you have a bald spot," he said. In the store's bathroom mirror, she says, “I saw that there was a patch the size of a dime on the top-left-hand side of my scalp. And of course I went hysterical.”

Hair loss is distressing, confusing - and far more widespread than most women realize. Laura, Claire, and Karen all say that until they suddenly recognized that they were experiencing a problem, they - thought that only men were at risk. "It's estimated that at age 20, 20 percent of women have some degree of hair loss, 30 percent at age 30, 40 percent at 40, and so on," says Jeffrey Miller, a hair loss specialist and vice chairman of the department of dermatology at Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center. The Women's Institute for Fine and Thinning Hair (a group funded by' Pfizer, the manufacturer of Rogaine) puts the number affected at 43 million nationwide - yet nearly all of them are shocked when their drain is the one dogged with hair or their scalp is glinting visibility in the sunlight. Adding to the bewilderment is the fact that women are affected by several different types of hair loss, each with its own causes, treatments, and prognoses.

One of the most common-and alarming-conditions is excessive allover shedding (called telogen effluvium). Women with the disorder may first notice an increase in the hair in their drains or a decrease: in the thickness of their ponytails - two subjective measurements. To gauge whether a patient needs medical attention, Miller asks her to perform a brush test before three consecutive shampooing sessions: The woman combs her hair forward over a pillow or towel from the crown to the front of the head for 60 seconds using a timer and a clean brush. "People who aren't experiencing abnormal hair loss collect about 15 to 20 hairs per session,'" he says; more than 50 hairs is indicative of relogen effluvium. (A commonly quoted statistic is that the loss of 100 Strands per day is considered normal, but Miller finds this targeted test more objective since it's nearly impossible to collect each hair as it falls.)

Extreme shedding can produce upward of 70 to 80 strands at a time, but those whose brush tests yield much more than 20 to 30 should consult a dermatologist to see if this is a symptom of a more serious problem. "The cells in hair follicles are among the most metabolically active in the entire body," says Wilma F. Bergfeld, head of research in the dermatology department of the Cleveland Clinic. "The more active the cells, the more sensitive they arc to whatever else might be happening to your body - they arc the first to shut down." Doctors suspect that in response to certain stressors, changes in hormone levels, or diminished essential nutrients, the body conserves energy by powering down the follicles. Culprits include crash dieting, anemia, vitamin deficiencies, childbirth, high fevers, general anesthesia, endocrine disorders, and thyroid disease. Plus, doctors have linked many cases of excessive shedding to taking certain medications-statins, blood pressure drugs, Accutane, the antidepressants Prozac and Zoloft - as well as to stopping or switching birth control pills.

For 33-year-old Claire, the mother from California, thyroid disease was the trigger. "When I say that hair loss may have saved my life, I'm only partly joking," she says. Claire's waist-length red hair was falling out at the distressing pace of 150 strands per day, and testing revealed that an under active thyroid had thrown her hair's natural cycle out of whack. Normally, around 90 percent of the scalp's 100,000 or so hairs are in the growth stage, which lasts for three to five years, and about 10 percent arc in a three-month resting phase, which ends when the hair falls out. "With a stress to the system, there is a shift to something lower, like 75 percent growing and 25 percent resting," Miller says. "When that 25 percent starts falling out in [he three months after the precipitating event, it's very noticeable."

The good news for women with telogen effluvium is that normal hair growth usually resumes after the trauma passes (childbirth, general anesthesia) or the underlying medical issue responds to treatment (like thyroid drugs, iron supplements, or increased protein intake). Claire saw re-growth once she took thyroid medicine, but the slow recovery has still been maddening. "My husband says, “You had an ungodly amount of hair before, it just looks normal now,'' she says. "That’s nice on a vanity level, but I look in the mirror and see what's missing-and it makes me feel a little crazy, like the kid in The Sixth Sense. Instead of dead people, I see thinning hair."

For women who notice a loss in volume, but not increased shedding, their diagnosis-and outcome-can be very different. Although it rarely results in total baldness, the disorder called female pattern hair loss can be traumatic to sufferers, who have gradual allover thinning of the hair that's especially conspicuous on the crown of the head. Because patterned hair loss is associated with men, women have an especially difficult time coping with it -"the psychological impact can be profound," Miller says. He diagnoses the disorder by parting the patient's hair and measuring the width at various points. In women with the condition, the part is generally wider on the crown of the scalp versus the back. If the diagnosis is in doubt, a scalp biopsy can assess the proportion of thick hairs to thin ones. In healthy hair, this ratio is around nine to one. With female pattern hair loss it might be more like three to one, because "the growth phase is shortened, and the hair never gets a chance to get very thick," Miller says. "It’s like a tree - the longer it stays in the ground, the thicker the trunk."

Unfortunately for the 25 percent of women believed to have some degree of female pattern loss before menopause and the up to 50 percent after, doctors still don't understand the cause. While they think that androgens, male sex hormones present in women in small amounts, are involved (the disorder is also called androgenic alopecia), most female sufferers have normal level of them in their blood. All researchers know for sure is that the follicles on the top of the head are more sensitive to whatever the trigger may be.

There is only one FDA-approved treatment for female pattern hair loss: a 2 percent concentration of topical minoxidil (Rogaine for Women is the brand-name version) that must be applied twice a day. It "stimulates the hair to stay in the growing phase longer," Miller says, and "the sooner you start, the better the results." But since the drug only promotes thicker growth, it just keeps a woman from losing more fullness rather than curing her with new hair. Some women convince their doctors to prescribe Propecia - a pill that blocks androgens from binding to receptors in the follicle - but female patients risk significant birth defects. Anecdotal evidence suggests that it is not nearly as effective in women as in men anyway.

Female pattern loss does respond well to hair transplantation. Since the follicles that aren't on the crown are often unaffected, doctors can redistribute them surgically. But for patients who are squeamish about this idea, the most promising development may be a laser from Sweden now being distributed in the United States by Apira Science. The Revage 670 laser "seems to take follicles that were dormant or on their way to dying out and wakes them up," says Barry DiBernardo, a plastic surgeon and laser expert in Montclair, New Jersey. The 25 patients in one study reported an average of 38 to 40 percent more hair after they had the treatment. DiBernardo says the growth "starts out like peach fuzz, then grows thicker." Also, trials now underway indicate that a variation of GentleWavees, a light-emitting diode device that diminishes wrinkles, can act as an effective hair-loss therapy.

Such discoveries could provide hope for patients like Laura, the 55-year old executive assistant from New York City. Like Claire, she had a thyroid disorder but her hair never grew back. Propecia didn't work, and she's afraid to try minoxidil because of the lifelong commitment to applying it twice a day. (She's also been discouraged by patients who found it disappointing.) The deterioration of her luxuriant black hair, she says, has been devastating. People have said, “Well, it's not like you have cancer. But I have to live with it every day."

If hair loss takes the form of bald patches, not diffuse thinning, It’s easier to diagnose and treat but just as hard to live with. After her husband found her bald spot, in May 2005, Karen, 46, learned she had alopecia areata. “My doctor said, 'This can go one of two ways. You can have a little patch of hair loss, or it can be extensive.' By August, I had lost 80 percent of my hair."

While women with relogen effluvium "can lose up to half of their hair before it's noticeable to others,” says Ted Daly, a dermatologist in Garden City, New York, who specializes in women's hair loss, the bald spots of alopecia areata are hard to miss. The condition is presumed to be an immune disorder in which the body’s defenses attack the follicles, causing inflammation that prevents hair growth in affected areas until the disorder is treated or goes into remission on its own. Patients respond well to steroids, applied topically daily or via monthly injections to treat the inflammation, Daly says. "and even without any action, half of alopecia patients get their hair back after one year."

For Karen, the thought of going out in public nearly bald was almost as painful as those rounds of cortisone shots; she resorted to wearing a wig. “I sometimes wished that I were a man and could just shave my head and walk down the street feeling free instead of ashamed." It was almost a year before the treatment either took effect or her alopecia spontaneously went into remission, she still isn't sure which happened.

Though hair loss research is still in its infancy, doctors say early intervention increases the odds of success considerably. Bergfeld notes that it's critical to gauge a dermatologist's interest and expertise in hair loss when making the appointment, adding that the doctor should ideally "spend 45 minutes taking a detailed medical history."

Karen’s brown hair is now the length of a short pixie cut, but she attests that the emotional effects of losing hair can linger long after it has grown back. "When I walk down the street,” she says, "I'm saying to myself, 'Oh, there's a woman with a wide part, I wonder if she knows; that one's got a bald spot on the back of her head.’ Once you have hair loss yourself, you're always looking for it and believe me, it's everywhere"

The website of tbe American Academy of Dermatologists aad.org. Cand identify doctors with an interest in hair disorders (click on “Find a Dermatologist”).

A Stylist’s Thick Tricks

Hair loss often happens gradually - and tracking down the cause and best treatment lakes time, too. In the meantime, stylist Garren of the Garren New York salon has the following suggestions for women whose hair is just isn’t as full as it used to be:
CUT CAREFULLY Garren recommends that women with thinning hair keep it at or above shoulder level, and always go with a blunt cut - "so It stays together," he says. "The ends of thinning hair tend to get wispy; that's one place it's obvious." And those who part their hair in the center should shift gears: "A side part gives you more coverage over the top of your head. I hate to say this, but there's a reason men started doing comb-overs."

HIT THE BOTTLE… Because dye swells the hair's cuticle, it can actually make It appear fuller. Just he sure to choose the gentlest possible formula - "the finer the hair, the easier It is to break It," says Garren, who recommends single-process dyes in formulations that are free of peroxide. Highlights can also give the illusion of Volume and dimension.
…BUT AVOID EXTREMES It's also important to keep the color subtle. "Brunettes can't go too dark, or the contrast of the dark, fine hair and the white scalp underneath becomes obvious," he says. (A Iighter, warmer brown is better.) Blondes should avoid platinum and white blonde shades for the opposite reason: Those colors match the scalp too closely and bring attention to it, while golden tones provide just enough contrast.

GO TO THE ROOT “Lots of my clients who are losing hair are in such denial," Garren says, "That's what shocks me. Perms and extensions which are the worst possible option for hair that is already thin and weak are not the answer, I tell them they need to address the underlying problem with their Doctor not just their stylists.”

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Current Management of Hormonal Hair Loss:

For some time now the accepted treatment regime for female androgenetic alopecia has centred on some form of oral hormonal therapy, either as prescription anti-male hormone medication (Androcur/Aldactone) or phytohormones. Phytohormones are plant compounds that activate hormone receptors in the body, to convey mild, hormone-like effects. Whilst both are most effectively used combination with the topical solution Minoxidil, results vary considerably and tend to be somewhat "hit or miss".

Hormonal profiling is the specific way to assess whether or not a woman's hormones are in balance. This is most accurately achieved through either saliva or blood testing. However, because premenopausal hormone levels often vary from day to day, it's vital that "patterns" of symptoms over time are assessed, and assessed in conjunction with the woman's "total picture" of diet, stress levels, lifestyle, medical history, and blood test results. Only then can the appropriate Natural Hormone Replacement (NHR) be prescribed to achieve the optimum results.

Minoxidil remains the only topical lotion medically approved to stimulate follicle hair growth. Under various brand names, Minoxidil is available 'over the counter' in 2% and 5% strengths. However these commercial preparations are known to be poorly absorbed, and the propylene glycol additive is the predominant cause of the itching/flaking scalp side effects.

In recent times, research was undertaken to develop a Minoxidil-based lotion and combine it with specific additives that directly block androgen influences on the hair follicle. Because this occurs within the local area of the scalp, its action is more specifically targeted, and unwanted side effects are minimised.

This Minoxidil solution used in combination with the NHR is now considered the specific treatment regime for women's hair loss of hormonal origin.

If you are concerned about hair loss it is important you consult a qualified person with the appropriate skills, experience, and treatment options. Never hesitate to enquire as to the consultant's qualifications and experience. Be very cautious of individuals seeking large sums of money "up front" as deposits/part payments.

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Hair-raising experiences
Miracle hair loss cures abound... but FDA says laser therapy just might work.
By Melissa Heckscher,
STAFF WRITER

The back flaps of men's magazines have been touting miracle hair loss "cures" for decades:

"End Baldness now!"

"Grow your hair ... fast!"

"Thinning hair? Try this!"

The newest antidote in the battle against baldness uses lasers -- pulses of concentrated light -- to regrow and thicken lost or thinning hair. But unlike the snake oils of years gone by, this treatment may actually work.

"Feel good about your hair again!" proclaims the Web site for the HairMax LaserComb, a relatively simple at-home device purported to stimulate hair growth.

"Thicker, fuller, healthier hair is possible."

It might be. In February, the Food and Drug Administration approved the LaserComb as an effective treatment for hair loss, making it the first nondrug hair loss treatment approved by the FDA. Until now, Propecia and Rogaine had been the only approved solutions.

The news comes as no surprise to hair loss clinics across the country, many of which have been using in-office laser therapy for years.

"The fact that the theory has received FDA approval ... that is the beginning of legitimacy in this industry," said Marilyn Wayne, owner of the Hair Solutions hair-loss clinic in Torrance, who said she has seen laser therapy give full heads of hair to men and women who had been previously thinning.

"Throughout history, there have been an awful lot of people who have touted everything [to treat hair loss] from cow manure on the head to God knows what."

The evidence for the LaserComb is compelling. According to clinical trials, 93 percent of participants using the comb saw an increase in the number of thick hairs, and none reported any serious adverse reactions.

Even without FDA approval, hair restoration clinics have used laser machines for more than a decade. In-office treatments use laser "hoods" or "domes," under which patients sit for 30 minutes three times a week. The in-office treatment costs about $3,000 per year.

And even though the LaserComb, which costs $545, is the only FDA-approved device, the hoods used in physicians' offices use the same technology.

According to Randy Veliky, chief operating officer of HairMax, laser therapy works by stimulating the scalp, thereby increasing circulation to the hair follicles. It also triggers the hair follicles to produce ATP (adenosine triphosphate), the cells' primary source of energy.

"The laser energy is being converted into ATP just like a plant converts sunlight into energy," Veliky said.

The result, he said, is that weakened hair follicles start growing new hair, and existing hair gets thicker.

It's not exactly a miracle cure, he noted. Laser therapy won't grow a mop of hair on a completely bald head.

"If the scalp gets shiny because it's been dried up, constricted, shrunk, you've gone too far," he said. "If we can catch a hair follicle that has been dormant for a year or two, then we can save it."

But saving hair is a big commitment, and laser treatment -- as is the case with Propecia and Rogaine -- must be continued indefinitely.

"If you stop using it, your hair will return to the state that it was in before you started using it," Veliky said. "It's a commitment. ... like brushing your teeth."

To some people, especially women who have fewer options when it comes to hair loss therapies, keeping the hair on their head is worth the lifetime ritual of either once-a-week laser therapy (treatment is three times a week for the first year; once a week thereafter) or twice-daily Rogaine.

Propecia, generally considered the most effective treatment for men (besides transplants) is not approved for women; in addition, women aren't always good candidates for hair transplant surgery since their hair tends to thin all over the scalp, leaving no viable pieces to transplant.

"Women do not deal well with losing their hair," said Wayne, adding that about 60 percent of her clients are female. "It's a constant source of embarrassment."

According to the American Hair Loss Association, at least half of women in the United States will experience some form of hair loss by the time they are 50.

Many doctors, including Paul Straub of the Straub Medical Center Hair Restoration Clinic in Torrance, wanted FDA approval before incorporating the laser treatment into their programs.

"I've seen a vast number of lotions and potions and nonapproved things come and go," said Straub, who has been treating hair loss since 1972 using surgical procedures and drug therapies. "I personally did not trust [the laser] without testing."

Straub said laser therapy isn't as effective as Propecia or hair transplant surgery -- it's about as effective as Rogaine, he said, which studies show works well in about 20 percent to 40 percent of users. But now that it's approved, he plans on selling the LaserComb as a supplement to other treatments.

"We have to use every available thing we have to help grow the hair," Straub said. "It's not going to be one absolute magic formula."

Hair-loss treatments

MINOXIDIL (ROGAINE)

Availability: Nonprescription.

Application: Apply topically twice a day to area of scalp requiring treatment.

How it works: While doctors aren't exactly sure how it works, it is thought to increase circulation and thereby stimulate hair growth.

Works best on: Patients with newly thinning hair.

Results: Takes several months to stimulate hair growth, if at all.

Drawbacks: Application can be messy. Results last only as long as the product is used (hair will return to pretreatment condition if application is stopped).

Possible side effects: Itching, redness and irritation.

Cost: About $300 a year.

LASER THERAPY (IN-OFFICE OR LASERCOMB)

Availability: Nonprescription.

Application: Use three times a week for first year; once a week thereafter. (In-office "dome" treatment is 30 minutes; comb is 15-20 minutes.)

How it works: Laser stimulates scalp to promote hair growth.

Results: Takes up to six months to see results.

Drawbacks: Hair growth stops when treatment stops. Can be tedious.

Possible side effects: No known side effects.

Cost: LaserComb, $545; in-office treatment, about $3,000 a year.

FINASTERIDE (PROPECIA)

Availability: Sold by prescription.

Application: Pill taken daily.

How it works: Blocks enzymes that inhibit the growth of hair follicles.

Results: Takes at least three months to see results.

Drawbacks: New hair will be lost within one year after medication is stopped. Not for use on women (may cause serious birth defects in male fetuses).

Possible side effects: Decreased libido, decreased ejaculate, dizziness, diarrhea, abdominal pain and back pain.

Cost: $500-$1,000 a year.

HAIR TRANSPLANT SURGERY

Availability: Surgical procedure.

Application: Outpatient procedure.

How it works: Doctor takes tiny plugs of skin, each containing one to several hairs, from the back or side of the scalp and implants them into bald sections.

Results: Generally noticeable within six months to a year.

Drawbacks: Several transplant sessions may be needed as hair loss progresses. Expensive. Can be painful. Women aren't always good candidates for this therapy (patient must have thick hairs to transplant and women with thinning hair generally have thin hair all over scalp).

Possible side effects: Temporary numbness at transplant site. Infection.

Cost: About $4,000 and up depending on amount of hair transplanted.

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* Reference ranges may vary.
About the Author: Tony Pearce RN is a specialist trichologist and a registered nurse. He is a past chairperson for the International Association of Trichologists. He has published numerous articles on trichology issues and provides a website and online consultation service for people seeking accurate information, diagnosis and treatment. In Sydney Australia Tony has clinical practices in Sutherland, Wollongong and Beecroft.