Hair Loss Restoration
Personalized options to regrow hair
Hair Loss Treatment
If you are living with hair loss, the experts at Lahey Clinic provide a diagnosis and treatment plan just for you.
At the Hair Loss Center of Excellence, we understand how devastating hair loss can be. Our team includes world-renowned dermatologists specially trained in medical hair loss (alopecia). We care for patients of all ages and treat all causes of hair loss.
What Is Alopecia?
Alopecia is the medical term for hair loss. It describes a range of conditions that lead to thinning hair, patchy or full body hair loss, or baldness.
Causes of alopecia:
- Certain hairstyles and hair-styling practices
- Hereditary factors
- Hormonal imbalances, including thyroid disease
- Infections
- Iron deficiency
- Physical or emotional stress
- Poor diet
- Short- or long-term illness
Hair loss can show up in different ways:
- Patchy or widespread hair loss across the scalp or face (eyebrows, eyelashes, beard) from inflammation or an auto-immune attack on hair follicles
- Patterned hair loss in men and women, such as thinning hair on the top of the scalp (women) or the crown and hairline (men)
- Telogen effluvium, a type of hair loss that involves hair shedding all over the scalp
Some types of hair loss are temporary so your hair may regrow. Other forms may be permanent if untreated. Our specialists find the right care option for you.
Our Founder
Founder and director of Lahey's Hair Loss Center of Excellence, Dr. Maryanne Makredes Senna is a board-certified dermatologist. She brings comprehensive, evidence-based care to our hair loss patients.
Treatments We Offer
It’s important to know the cause of your hair loss to ensure you get the right care.
At Lahey, we use a comprehensive approach. We offer evidence-based and safe treatment to manage your specific type of hair loss. Your doctor will talk with you about your treatment options.
We offer many hair loss restoration options. The goal of treatment is to stimulate your hair follicles to regrow hair. Treatments include:
- Antifungal medicine to treat infections
- Prescription medicine
- Platelet rich plasma (PRP)
- Steroid injections
- Topical therapy
More About Hair Loss Restoration
We treat all hair loss conditions. If you have a diagnosis for a hair loss condition that requires prompt attention, let us know. We will work to schedule an appointment right away.
We offer expedited visits for these conditions:
- Chemotherapy or cancer therapy (endocrine therapy) induced alopecia
- Central centrifugal cicatricial alopecia
- Discoid lupus erythematosus
- Dissecting cellulitis of the scalp
- Folliculitis decalvans
- Frontal fibrosing alopecia
- Lichen planopilaris
- Moderate to severe alopecia areata, affecting 30% or more of the scalp
- Scarring alopecia or scarring hair loss
To request an expedited appointment, contact our office. Fax 617-303-8151 or provide one of the following:
- A biopsy report (pathology report) confirming your diagnosis
- A signed dermatology provider attestation
Before your visit, please complete the patient intake form about your history of hair loss. The information you share helps your doctor understand your hair loss condition.
If you need a copy of the form, please call us at 781-744-8444.
Wash your hair the night before your appointment. Do not wash your hair on the day of the appointment. This can affect the results of some tests we may perform.
Be sure your hair is washed, dry and free of hair products.
Bring the following items to your appointment:
- Blood work report
- Completed patient intake form
- List of hair loss treatments you tried and for how long
- List of medicines and when you started taking them
- Scalp biopsy report
At your office visit, your dermatologist will review your forms and test results. They will also ask you some follow-up questions.
Your doctor will:
- Examine your scalp and hair.
- Order more blood work or a scalp biopsy if needed.
- Take baseline photographs of your scalp.
The pictures are added to your medical record. We use the images to measure the progress of treatment.
After your exam and medical records review, your doctor will recommend treatment options and answer your questions. Your personalized care plan is based on your:
- Signs and symptoms of disease.
- Overall health and lifestyle.
- Results of skin biopsy and blood analysis.
Hair loss restoration takes time to work. You will need to keep using your treatments for the long-term to maintain hair regrowth.
Get answers to frequently asked questions about hair loss treatments.
How long will it take for me to see results?
It takes time to stimulate the follicles to regrow hair. Once hair starts to come back, it grows at a rate of about 1 centimeter a month. Like watching grass grow, changes to hair are gradual. Don’t expect to see any improvement in the first month or two. Be consistent with your treatment for at least 6 months.
How long do I have to be on my treatment once I’ve started?
Treatments for hair loss are for the long-term. If you had a medical condition like high cholesterol you wouldn’t expect to take a medication for two months and have perfect cholesterol for the rest of your life. The same is true for hair. If you discontinue a hair loss treatment, your body will reset to whatever it was doing before. This means that any hair you held onto because of treatment and any hair you grew will be shed.
This is important to know when considering the best treatment for you. Sometimes, starting one or two treatments is better than doing every possible treatment all at once. If you start multiple treatments, you won’t know which one works. You’ll be stuck using all of them for the long-term.
There are many products that promise to grow hair fast and reverse hair loss immediately. Should I try these?
Most of these products do not have scientific research to back up their claims. Talk with your dermatologist before spending money on an unproven treatment.
Is it safe to color my hair?
Perming, coloring and heat styling can damage your hair. This may impact your ability to regrow hair. Depending on your type of hair loss, your dermatologist can provide specific advice.
Do laser light devices help hair grow?
Laser light devices can help with some forms of hair loss. They do not work for everyone. The correct type of laser device must be selected for each patient to ensure light reaches the scalp. There are many other less expensive treatment options. Before spending money on laser treatments, talk to your doctor.
Do biotin or other supplements work to regrow hair?
No. Despite all the misinformation on the internet about how supplements and biotin can regrow hair, there is no evidence that supports these claims. The use of biotin has never been proven to treat hair loss. Biotin can also falsely elevate thyroid blood tests and falsely decrease some cardiac blood tests. Biotin and other supplements may only work in patients with a deficiency in iron or other vitamins and minerals. Your doctor will talk with you about supplements during your visit.
Meet the Team
Lahey's hair loss experts treat all causes of hair loss.
