Hair Loss

If you are struggling with thinning hair, help is available! At Broadway Family Practice in Littleton, Colorado, Morgan Broadway, DNP, FNP-C, provides medications and platelet-rich plasma (PRP) treatment to encourage healthy new hair growth. Call us today at Broadway Family Practice to arrange a consultation, or book an appointment online.

What causes hair loss?

Hair loss (alopecia) occurs when new hairs don’t grow to replace the 50-100 you shed naturally every day. The most common cause is androgenic alopecia (male- and female-pattern baldness). You inherit this condition from your parents, so if they lose their hair early, chances are much higher that you will lose yours too.

Other causes of hair loss include:

• Pregnancy and childbirth
• Alopecia areata (patchy hair loss caused by immune system disorders)
• Traction alopecia from pigtails and cornrows
• Frontal fibrosing alopecia (receding hairline due to menopause)
• Ringworm and other scalp infections 
• Trichotillomania (hair-pulling disorder)
• Medication side effects
• Radiation therapy and chemotherapy
• Extreme stress or shock
• Hot-oil hair treatments

Older age, poor nutrition, and underlying medical conditions can also increase your risk of hair loss.

Male-pattern baldness tends to cause hair loss from the forehead, while female-pattern baldness typically extends from a part of the hair. Men more often experience hair loss, but it also affects many women.

How is the cause of hair loss diagnosed?

Your Broadway Family Practice provider begins by examining your hair and scalp and performing routine health checks. They look at your medical and family histories and ask about your diet, how you care for your hair, and if you have risk factors like chronic stress.

After the initial exam, you might need tests to confirm the cause of your hair loss. Blood tests detect thyroid disorders and other diseases that can cause hair loss. Your provider might also take a skin sample (biopsy) from your scalp or extract hairs with roots for lab analysis or light microscopy.

What treatments can help with hair loss?

Some forms of hair loss are temporary or reversible. Stopping hot oil treatments, not pulling your hair into tight plaits, receiving treatment for autoimmune disorders and infections like ringworm, and bioidentical hormone replacement therapy (BHRT) for hormonal imbalances should address hair loss from those causes.  

If you have a condition like male- or female-pattern baldness, your provider might prescribe topical treatments like minoxidil or oral medications such as finasteride, spironolactone, or dutasteride. Broadway Family Practice also offers platelet-rich plasma (PRP) treatments for hair loss.

PRP is a substance your provider extracts from your blood. It contains proteins and growth factors that encourage hair growth from dormant follicles.

Call Broadway Family Practice to learn more about effective hair loss treatment, or book an appointment online today.