Hair Restoration in Gainesville, FL
Thinning hair evaluated by a physician, for men and women. Dr. Carolyn Indianos, MD looks for the cause first, because the cause decides what actually helps.
Consultation with Dr. Indianos, MD.
Hair loss is not one condition. It is a symptom with several very different causes, and the treatment that helps one cause will do nothing for another. That is why every hair consultation at Bespoke starts with an evaluation by Dr. Indianos rather than with a product.
The patterns we see most often
Shedding after an illness. A significant illness, including COVID, high fever, surgery, or a period of severe stress can push a large number of hairs into their resting phase at once. The shedding usually shows up two to three months after the event and is typically temporary. Knowing that it is this pattern, rather than something else, changes the plan entirely.
Shedding during rapid weight loss. Losing weight quickly, including on a GLP-1 program, is commonly reported as a trigger for this same type of temporary shedding. Nutritional intake during rapid loss matters here, which is one reason Dr. Indianos reviews it as part of the evaluation. If you are on a weight loss program with us, this is a conversation worth having early rather than after months of shedding.
Hormonal change. Thyroid function, iron and other markers, perimenopause and menopause, postpartum changes, and testosterone-related factors can all show up in the hair. This is where lab work earns its place, because the hair is often the visible part of something measurable.
Pattern hair loss. The gradual, inherited thinning that follows a recognizable pattern in both men and women. It behaves differently from the shedding types above and is assessed differently.
What the evaluation involves
A history, a look at the scalp and the pattern of loss, and lab work where it is warranted. Dr. Indianos is looking for which of the causes above is driving your case, and whether more than one is in play, which is common. Where the cause is temporary, the honest answer is often that no in-office treatment is warranted, and she will tell you that rather than sell you a course of treatment.
How PRP and light therapy actually work
PRP, platelet-rich plasma
Blood is drawn from a vein in your arm and spun in a centrifuge, which separates the components of the blood. The platelets are concentrated into the plasma, and that plasma is injected into the scalp. It is your own blood, nothing is added to it, and the same preparation is used in medicine to support healing after injury or surgery. Cleveland Clinic explains the procedure and where it is used for hair.
Low-level laser therapy, also called light therapy
Medical-grade light is directed at the scalp for a short session. The aim is to stimulate activity in the hair follicles. It is not a one-visit treatment, and several sessions are typically needed before there is anything to assess. Cleveland Clinic has a plain-language overview of light therapy.
Both are described here so you know what the appointment involves before you are sitting in the chair. Neither is a guarantee. How well either works depends on what is causing your hair loss, which is the reason the evaluation comes first.
What may be discussed
Depending on what the evaluation finds, the conversation may include regenerative options such as PRP, which is prepared from your own blood, scalp microneedling with PRP, or PDGF growth factor treatment. It may also include red light therapy, peptide therapy, revisiting something found in lab work, or revisiting a weight loss plan. Where Dr. Indianos judges it clinically appropriate, prescription medication may also be part of the plan. That is a decision she makes case by case after evaluating you, and she will go through what a medication does and does not do, including its side effects, before anything is prescribed. What is appropriate, if anything, is decided with Dr. Indianos at your evaluation. You may have read about exosome and stem cell based products for hair. At Bespoke these are used in skin regeneration, not offered as a hair treatment. Exosome products are not approved by the FDA for hair restoration or for any therapeutic use, and the FDA has issued public safety warnings about exosome products marketed for aesthetic and regenerative purposes. Dr. Indianos will tell you that directly if you ask about them.
No plan is set before the evaluation, and no one here will promise regrowth. Results vary from person to person, some causes respond better than others, and a clinic that guarantees an outcome on hair is telling you something that cannot be known in advance.
For the evidence behind the two most asked-about scalp options, read our detailed guide: does PRP work for hair loss, and where do exosomes actually stand.
Related: medical weight loss, testosterone replacement therapy, hormone therapy, and lab services.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about treatment, protocols, and Bespoke’s clinical approach.
Yes. Hair thinning in women is common and often has a different cause than it does in men, which is exactly why the evaluation comes first. Dr. Indianos sees both.
Possibly, and it is a common pattern, but it cannot be assumed. A significant illness, including COVID, can push a large share of hairs into their resting phase at once, with the shedding appearing two to three months later. This pattern is usually temporary. The evaluation is about confirming that is what is happening rather than assuming it.
Do not stop or change a prescription on your own. Rapid weight loss of any kind is commonly reported as a trigger for temporary shedding. Bring it up with Dr. Indianos and she will look at it as part of your plan.
No one can promise that, and we will not. Some causes of hair loss recover well, some are managed rather than reversed, and results vary from person to person. Dr. Indianos will tell you honestly what she thinks is realistic in your case before you commit to anything.
That is decided at your evaluation. Thyroid function, iron and other markers can sit behind hair changes and are only findable by testing, so labs are sometimes warranted and sometimes not.
It depends entirely on what the evaluation finds, since the plans differ. Dr. Indianos reviews any costs with you in person before anything begins.
Medically reviewed by Dr. Carolyn Indianos, MD, Founder and Medical Director, Bespoke Aesthetics.
BEGIN YOUR JOURNEY
Start with an evaluation, not a product
If your hair has changed and you want to know why before you spend money on it, that is the right instinct. Dr. Carolyn Indianos, MD will look at the cause first and tell you honestly what she thinks is realistic.
Dr. Carolyn Indianos, MD • Regenerative & Aesthetic Medicine • Gainesville, FL
Related in Gainesville: PRP · Medical Weight Loss · TRT · Lab Services