Hair loss can be a significant concern for both men and women. It may be frustrating trying to discern why your hair is thinning and what the best course of action may be. The team at MD Custom Rx is here to help.
Genetic Component
Who would benefit from the TrichoTest™?
- Everyone who wants to understand how their genetics affect alopecia treatment.
- Patients with a family history of alopecia.
- Men and women who have tried different treatments with few or no success.
What are the benefits of the TrichoTest™?
- Personalized treatment – A personalized report and prescription/nutritional supplement recommendation plan is developed for you by our skilled clinical pharmacist.
- Genetic factors explained – A full report with the explanation of your genetic characteristics and their relationship with alopecia treatment will be provided.
- Specialist support – Your healthcare provider(s) will now have a deeper understanding of your genetic characteristics and how they relate to alopecia.
- Once in a lifetime test – Your genetic results will not change during your life. The information contained in your TrichoTest™ will always be applicable.
How Does It Work?
- Contact MD Custom Rx to order your TrichoTest™ or ORDER HERE.
- You collect your DNA sample with a gentle cheek swab, which only takes about a minute.
- Complete the questionnaire.
- After 5-7 business days of the lab receiving your valid sample, MD Custom Rx will contact you and your healthcare prescriber with your results.
- Follow your treatment plan accordingly.
Learn more about genetic testing for hair loss.
Hormonal Component
Circulating free testosterone and testosterone’s much stronger metabolite dihydrotestosterone (DHT) can bind to the hair bulb and dermal papilla within the hair follicle, resulting in miniaturization of the follicle and/or hair loss. Therefore, elevated levels of androgen hormones such as testosterone and DHT may contribute to hair loss.
But it is not just the “male, androgen hormones” that play a role in hair loss. The anagen phase is the active growth phase of hair follicles. During this phase, a hair grows about one centimeter every 28 days. Also, during the anagen phase, the cells in the root of the hair divide rapidly, adding to the hair shaft. Estradiol and progesterone increase the amount of time that hair spends in the anagen phase. Therefore, when estradiol and progesterone levels decline, hair loss often ensues. Additionally, in the presence of low levels of estrogen and progesterone, the androgenic effects of testosterone and DHT are intensified.
Thyroid hormone also has an impact on your hair by affecting the rate at which the body uses oxygen and energy, which can affect hair growth. When hair enters the resting and shedding stage it is called the telogen phase. An under active thyroid gland, low levels of thyroid hormone, or thyroid hormone cellular resistance may result in hair staying in the telogen phase longer than normal, causing more hair to fall out as less hair grows. On the other hand, too much thyroid hormone (hyperthyroidism) can also contribute to hair loss. So, it is crucial that your thyroid levels be optimal and thyroid hormone testing be performed accurately; especially when currently supplementing with thyroid hormone.
Comprehensive Female (or Male) Hormone Profile I measures:
- Estradiol
- Progesterone
- Testosterone
- DHEAS
- 4-point Cortisol
- Thyroid Stimulating Hormone (TSH)
- Free T3
- Free T4
- Thyroid Peroxidase (TPO) antibodies
Inflammation
Inflammation is not always bad. After all, the immune system activates inflammation in the form of a defense system where the body stays protected from injury, illness, and other toxic invasions. Unfortunately, sometimes inflammation goes on for longer than intended. This “chronic inflammatory state” brings around a lot of problems; one being hair loss as the hair follicles become destroyed by inflammation/the immune system.
If you want to know if systemic inflammation is a contributing factor to your hair loss Order a High Sensitivity C-Reactive Protein (HSCRP) level.
Circulation
Poor blood circulation can affect hair health by depriving it of the necessary nutrients and oxygen. The circulatory system constitutes a transport system that living beings must transport nutrients, oxygen, hormones, and other substances vital for their proper functioning within their body. In humans, it is blood circulation that makes this transport possible. If this system does not work properly, the body’s cells will not receive the necessary blood for their normal development: that is, without enough blood, cells may die. Hair follicles also become affected, and thus hair does not grow properly.
Nitric oxide dilates blood vessels and increases healthy blood circulation throughout your body, including your scalp and hair follicles. Learn more about Nitric oxide. Nitric oxide deficiency can be detected with simple to use saliva test strips. MD Custom Rx has these test strips onsite and are available for use at NO CHARGE. Stop in today to see if you could benefit from nutritional supplementation proven to raise nitric oxide levels.
The Hair Follicle’s Microbiome
Humans are mostly microbes, as we are composed of over 100 trillion of these microscopic organisms, specifically bacteria, fungi, protozoa, and viruses. Microbes mainly live in our digestive system, but they are also found on our skin and on our hair follicles.
Studies now link changes to our gut microbiome to hair loss disorders. How can this be? The gut is located nowhere near the scalp, but the gut lining is only a single cell thick. Therefore, when there is an imbalance in the gut microbiome (a.k.a., dysbiosis), pathogenic bacteria may escape and enter tissues surrounding the hair follicles.
However, microflora does not just exist in the gut; they also exist on our skin. Therefore, disruptions to the skin biome on the scalp may also trigger an immune overreaction that may affect the hair follicle. That is where ActivatoRX Scalp & Hair Serum can help. This advanced serum utilizes the power of CBDermaPRO Complex with clinically proven phytochemicals to restore the scalp’s microbial balance. In a 12-week dermatologist reviewed clinical trial.
- 30% noticed an increase in hair density
- 75% noted hair feels healthier
- 71% noted an increase in fullness
- 68% noted less shedding
- 68% noted increased shine
- 62% indicated a reduction in scalp flaking.
Do not know where to start? Request to schedule a consultation with a clinical pharmacist.