Maria Armenteros – Master Stylist

Do you read Ocean Magazine? If you do you may have noticed that I am featured in the FW 2009/10 #16 edition in the Rendezvous Style Guide: Love section . Here is the cover and my feature:

For more information about Ocean Magazine please visit their official website.

Hair loss is a common problem for both men and women. It is estimated that 25% of all men begin to experience hair loss by age 30 and two thirds by the age of 60. For women, 50% will experience some form of hair loss by age 50.

What Causes Hair Loss?

It’s normal for people to lose an average of 100 to 125 hairs per day! Just like our furry animal friends we shed hair which is then replaced by younger hairs. When we experience abnormal hair loss, the hair sheds faster then it can be replaced, or it is replaced by thinner and weaker hair. In each subsequent cycle it tends to become thinner and thinner and may eventually not come back at all.

There are many reasons why people experience hair loss. Stress, diet, general health and aging are all cause for abnormal or excessive loss of hair. However, 95% of all cases are due to “Androgenetic Alopecia,” more commonly know as “Male or Female Pattern Hair Loss.” This is a genetic condition that affects up to 40 million men and 20 million women in the United States.

The Power of Light

Light is energy. Since the dawn of time, the sun has been the source of all life on earth. All forms of life, no matter how primitive or how advanced, derive sustenance from life-giving light.

Scientists have long known that light has an effect on cell function. Light has the power to heal, but the lack of light can also cause serious illness. Remove a plant from sunlight and it will wither and die. Place an infant born prematurely with jaundice under a simple blue light and the symptoms are reversed.

During the summer months when we are exposed to more hours of natural sunlight we find that our hair grows faster and thicker. It is the red spectrum of sunlight that stimulates the blood supply to our scalp and causes this biological phenomenon.

Discovery of Laser Therapy

While conducting research on mice in 1964, Dr. Andre Mester of Budapest Hungary, used a low reactive laser to heal wounds that would not respond to other treatment. Using the laser, he was able to hyper-stimulate skin cell growth in the effected area, thus healing the wounds. He noticed a surprising side effect – the laser also stimulated hair growth in the treated area where longer, thicker hair appeared. In subsequent testing, both results were duplicated involving diabetic patients with wounds that would not heal.

How Does It Work?

Unlike high powered lasers that use heat to cut through tissue, low level laser therapy uses red and near-infrared light on the cool end of the light spectrum. This “cool laser” is able to penetrate deep into tissues of the scalp, stimulating micro-circulation of blood supply, cell metabolism and protein synthesis through the process of photo bio-stimulation.

Laser Hair Therapy (LHT) is a new, non-surgical, scientific approach in the treatment of hair loss, thinning hair and scalp problems. LHT has been medically tested and is FDA approved for safety and effectiveness.

Hair restoration clinics around the world have been documenting the success of the Laser Hair Therapy as an important tool to stop the progression of hair loss and stimulate hair growth. Clinical studies have shown that many benefits of Laser Hair Therapy:

• Cessation of hair loss
• Increase in hair volume
• Stimulation of the hair follicle
• Promotion of thicker, stronger and healthier hair
• Strengthening and nourishing of weak hair

Laser hair therapy has proved to be a viable option for both men and women who are in the early stages of hair loss and general thinning.

If you experience sudden and excessive hair loss you should first see your family doctor or dermatologist to check on the possible cause of individual hair loss. Correct diagnosis is critical in the prevention of possible permanent scarring in the affected areas of the scalp.

Photo: Hair Loss Control Clinic