DESCRIPTION
Factor 4 Hair Loss Treatment - Adelaide
Factor 4 is an autologous treatment derived from your own blood and is used to accelerate healing in various parts of the body. It has been used successfully in skin rejuvenation to promote new collagen and elastin production. The skin and the hair are intimately connected, so it is not so surprising to know that Factor 4 has also been very successful at restoring hair loss.
The goal of Factor 4 is to stimulate your existing hair follicles to continue to be healthy and productive in growing hair. For advanced hair loss where there are no follicles remaining, Factor 4 would not be recommended. By maintaining your existing hair follicles you can enjoy a full head of hair for longer, delaying the possible need for hair transplant in the future.
Factor 4 is not a cure for hair loss. It is for this reason that maintenance Factor 4 treatments are required every six months to maintain hair growth results.
The Benefits
1. The Factor 4 hair loss treatment utilises your body’s cells and growth factors to stimulate hair growth and regenerate and repair damaged hair follicles where hair loss occurs.
2. Patients also see a reduction in the rate of hair loss, as the growth factors derived from your blood will start to work immediately on hair follicles that have deteriorated. The earlier your hair loss treatment begins, the better the growth factors will respond.
3. Collagen production is stimulated through our Factor 4 hair loss treatment, which has been shown to improve your scalp’s health and condition, especially for individuals who have psoriasis and other skin conditions on the scalp.
4. Your quality of life will be restored as the treatment significantly boosts your self-esteem and confidence along with your hair. This alone is a huge benefit for patients.
5. The treatment is non-invasive with minimal downtime, meaning the treatment can be done discreetly.
How it works
What is Androgenic Alopecia?
Factor 4 hair loss treatment is used in the treatment of Androgenic Alopecia, so it is helpful to understand a little about this condition. Your doctor will need to diagnose you with Androgenic Alopecia as there may be other significant reasons for your hair loss.
Men lose their hair when three main factors interact; age, genetics and hormones.
Androgenic Alopecia (also known as male pattern baldness) occurs due to changing hormones levels over time.
The hair on your head goes through a growth cycle that lasts from 2 to six years. At the end of that cycle, the hair goes into a resting phase before finally falling out. The follicle then produces another hair and the cycle begins again.
It is believed that high levels of androgens and Dihydrotestosterone (DHT) play a role in shrinking hair follicles and shortening the growth cycle. It is also thought that DHT causes hair follicles to take longer to produce new hairs once the old one falls out. Hair will grow progressively shorter and finer until eventually, no new hairs grow at all.
What is Factor 4 Hair Loss Treatment?
Factor 4 is an autologous treatment derived from your own blood and is used to accelerate healing in various parts of the body. It has been used successfully in skin rejuvenation to promote new collagen and elastin production. The skin and the hair are intimately connected, so it is not so surprising to know that Factor 4 has also been very successful at restoring hair loss.
The goal of Factor 4 is to stimulate your existing hair follicles to continue to be healthy and productive in growing hair. For advanced hair loss where there are no follicles remaining, this type of treatment would not be recommended. By maintaining your existing hair follicles you can enjoy a full head of hair for longer, delaying the possible need for hair transplant in the future.
How Does Factor 4 Work?
Factor 4 makes use of the bodies own healing mechanisms to accelerate healing. When an injury occurs in the body, it is the platelets that release growth factors that stimulate the fibroblasts to produce collagen and elastin to repair the injury.
An excellent reference for those interested in the science is;
Factor 4 is very similar to PRP (Platelet Rich Plasma). The main difference is that the patient blood sample has been incubated for a period of time to allow the platelets time to produce growth factors and proteins that speed up tissue repair. It is suggested that this treatment has 4 times the amount of growth factors present, compared to traditional PRP preparations.
The exact mechanisms are not well known, however, it is believed that the growth factors in Factor 4 are able to help regrow your existing hair follicles by reversing the process that occurs in androgenic alopecia.
How is The Factor 4 Serum Produced?
- Approximately 50ml of blood will be taken
- Your blood will then be incubated
- The blood will then be placed in a centrifuge. The centrifuge will separate out the blood components.
- The plasma which is now high in growth factors will be drawn off and refrigerated to below -18 degrees C.
- Your Factor 4 serum will be defrosted prior to your appointment.
What is Involved in Factor 4 Hair Loss Treatment
Before your first treatment, you will need to come to have your blood taken. Approximately 50ml of blood will be collected from your arm. It is important that you are well hydrated before giving blood as this will help provide a higher yield of Factor 4 serum. We recommend drinking 2-4 L of water in the 24 hours before your blood taking appointment.
Ideally, the hair should be short for this treatment to be administered. The treatment area will be cleaned and a topical anaesthetic applied. This will be left on for 30 minutes before being wiped off. The treatment area is then cleaned with Chlorhexidine. The Factor 4 solution is then drizzled onto the area to be treated. The Factor 4 serum will then enter the scalp using a skin needling device. The needling device will introduce micro-injuries to the skin which will activate a healing response in combination with the factor 4 solution.
After the treatment, you may return to your normal activities. Do not wash your hair for twelve hours after your treatment. The treatment should be repeated monthly for six treatment for best results. Maintenance treatments conducted every six months are recommended.
Before & After
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After
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The Doctor
Dr Rahma Targett
Dr Rahma Targett is a General Practitioner(FRACGP), with a specialty in Cosmetic Medicine. She founded Advanced Cosmetic Medicine in 2016 and has since become well known as a trusted and in demand Cosmetic Physician in Adelaide. She has a Diploma in Dermoscopy and a Diploma in Aesthetic Medicine with the American Academy of Aesthetic Medicine. Dr Targett is a leader in her field and regularly attends Cosmetic conferences to keep up to date with modern aesthetic techniques. At advanced Cosmetic Medicine you can always be reassured that you will be welcomed and treated personally by Dr Rahma Targett.
In 2015 a study was conducted to determine the efficacy of Autologous plasma treatment. The study concluded that after a series of six treatments over a six month period that the patients involved has improved hair count, hair thickness and hair root strength.
It is important to note that individual results do vary and results cannot be guaranteed. Many of the patients at Advanced Cosmetic Medicine that have undergone this treatment for Androgenic Alopecia are extremely pleased with the results and keep returning for top-up treatments.
Factor 4 is not a cure for hair loss. It is for this reason that maintenance treatments are required every six months to maintain hair growth results.
Factor 4 treatments are completely autologous compared to PRP treatments which infuse your blood with liquid proteins and vitamins to create a chemical serum for added benefits.
This treatment only requires one session to extract blood, creating multiple personalised serums that can be used for maintenance and follow-up treatments. Your Factor 4 serums can be stored and frozen for several months at our clinic. PRP, on the hand, requires blood to be drawn at every session.
There are other technical differences between both treatment methods that can potentially influence the results. Studies have shown that the Factor 4 technique can create more growth factors and stimulate more collagen than PRP. Patients also find Factor 4 treatments significantly more comfortable than PRP, known for its somewhat painful treatment method.
Because Factor 4 treatments are entirely autologous, using an all-natural serum made from your blood, there are very minimal complications or risks associated with Factor 4 hair loss treatments. This makes them especially attractive to patients as other hair loss treatments carry more complications. Patients can experience bruising, swelling, redness, and infection post-treatment, but these are often minor side effects and are to be expected.
