How many times have you looked at the drain after a shower and been shocked at the amount of hair you’ve shed? Shedding is normal — indeed, most people shed between 50 and 100 strands a day, which appears like a lot especially for women with long hair — but when shedding starts to increase, it can be cause for alarm, and sometimes a sign of an underlying health concern.
Enter Medi Tresse, a medical practice specializing in female hair rejuvenation, which opened its Westchester County location in Scarsdale 14 months ago. During a recent visit, I had the opportunity to sit down with Mark DiStefano, MD, medical director of the Scarsdale office, to learn more about the causes of female hair loss as well as the cutting-edge treatments Medi Tresse offers its patients in the tristate area.
DiStefano, a hair transplant surgeon and leading specialist in hair rejuvenation, has treated more than 15,000 patients throughout his career, and, more specifically, around 2,500 women for hair loss. DiStefano — a member of the American Board of Hair Restoration Surgery, the International Board of Hair Restoration Surgery and the European Society of Hair Restoration — said that some 20 years ago, surgery was the main treatment option for hair restoration. Now, with a number of new tools and treatments, many women experiencing hair loss can get the results they’re looking for without going under the knife.
“We’re here to help people who aren’t comfortable with it,” he said, noting that hair loss can be a sensitive topic. “It’s a very embarrassing, emotional thing for women.
“Females don’t want to sit in a waiting room with a bunch of bald men.” Medi Tresse was created with women in mind, tailoring the treatment process to each patient.
What sets Medi Tresse apart from a med spa is that a nurse practitioner or physician diagnoses the client’s condition and carries out treatment. A med spa will not necessarily be able to identify alopecia, female pattern hair loss or an immunodeficiency disorder, but DiStefano can. He noted that it is important to schedule a consultation as soon as you begin to notice thinning of the hair. Often times we don’t notice the thinning until more than 50% of the hair is lost and, the sooner you begin treatment, the better results you may see.
Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP) treatment has recently become widely known for its effectiveness in treating a variety of issues ranging from tendon problems such as tennis elbow to hair loss, and the injections are now even being used in facials (more commonly known to some as the “vampire” facial). PRP has also become one of the most popular and most successful hair-loss therapy treatments offered at Medi Tresse.
Over the past year, Medi Tresse has developed a new variation on the PRP treatment called OPC, or Optimum Platelet Concentration. OPC generates more platelets than traditional PRP and, when injected back into the body, helps to promote angiogenesis, which is the process in which new blood vessels form from preexisting vessels. Due to this optimal number of platelets, the OPC method has shown successful results in promoting hair growth in patients.
The laser cap is the other most commonly used treatment at Medi Tresse. Patients are fitted with caps that use low-laser light therapy, which they wear for a half-hour a day to promote hair growth. The cap has shown striking results, especially when used in conjunction with PRP treatment.
Added DiStefano, “Our treatment protocol is the most up-to-date out of anybody.”
Just because one treatment doesn’t work for you doesn’t mean the other won’t, or that they will not be successful when used simultaneously. DiStefano and the staff at Medi Tresse are committed to leading you through the process and getting you back to your most healthy, confident self, with many patients seeing results within three to six months.
For more, visit meditresse.com or call (914) 704-3070.
