New Ways to Deal With Hair Loss

Hi friend,

Fashion journalist Amy Odell sat down with former Barneys CEO Gene Pressman recently, on the occasion of his new book, They All Came to Barneys (Amazon, Bookshop).

Never one to mince words, Pressman was critical of a new phase of retailing that has sacrificed individual taste, eccentricity, and discovery. “The biggest difference today is the accountants are running the businesses, not the creatives,” he says. “Every industry, whether it's motion pictures or television or film or publishing — it's owned by three people…Everything is so generic. Sort of like the word influencer.”

Partially because Barneys was a family business, Pressman was able to take risks. As he says, “Never give your customer what they want, because they don't know what they want.” One example of this is Armani; Barneys bought the label for years before the customer caught up.

Shopping at specialty, high-end retail like Barneys also often meant dealing with unrepentant snobbery. And we recall the Barneys Warehouse Sale as a ruthless, gladiatorial experience. But it’s hard to take off the rose-colored glasses when you read about one of retail’s biggest present-day success stories: Roblox.

As malls have either been abandoned or been turned into mixed-use spaces with rules about how and when kids can linger unaccompanied, the mall has gone online and been gamified. “What Roblox most resembles is a mall — if a mall could be limitless, free of the confines of brick and mortar,” says Intelligencer writer Sam Biddle. “The kids in this mall are ostensibly doing normal mall things, the stuff you may remember doing when you were that age: gossiping, listening to music, goofing around, shopping, trying on outfits — and being asked at every turn to pay for, say, plants for their garden.”

There is, depending on who you ask, either a moral panic over or a nationwide health imperative to get these millions of kids off their screens and into the IRL world. Ironically, this strain of anxiety was partially the reason malls were invented in the first place. Victor Gruen, a Jewish architect and socialist who fled Vienna for America to escape the Nazis, was so disturbed by the isolating sprawl of American suburbs (like strip malls, which were “the greatest collection of vulgarity” mankind had ever created) that he envisioned a utopic center where people of all stripes could gather together, similar to the town squares of Europe. And look how that turned out.

It’s easy to be alarmed and disgusted with Roblox, but if history is any reference, in a few decades we’ll be on to some new thing that will seem much worse. And we’ll be nostalgic for this weird, cluttered, garbaged-up kids’ game just like we’re nostalgic for the temples of consumerism we hung out at in our youth.

Speaking of new things: This week, we explore the new word of hair-loss treatments, from off-label meds to red-light helmets to lasers and more. Read on for that, plus a few recommendations for your weekend.

Bye,
Your friends at Gloria

Suddenly, it seems like everyone is talking about hair loss in women. This is, in part, due to a shift in the conversation around perimenopause and the side effects of plummeting estrogen – but it’s also because of a host of new treatments that go beyond tried-and-true solutions like Minoxidil (aka Rogaine). 

In recent years, three types of treatments have emerged in mainstream hair-loss restoration: PRP/PRF injections, red-light therapy, and hair-growth supplements. As the hair-restoration market surges, more remedies are on the way. But are these existing methods viable, or are they just a way to drain your wallet?

When a patient comes to Dr. Somi Javaid, board certified OB/GYN and cofounder of HerMD, with hair loss, she walks them through all available treatments, even those she doesn’t believe are going to be helpful. “I want to explain it to them and empower them: Laser therapy theoretically stimulates follicles, but there have been modest results in data and it can be expensive. PRP is used in a lot of different avenues and medicines, but it's costly and it can be painful.” 

Dr. Javaid does not recommend the above as first-line solutions, and instead suggests starting with supplements. “Nutrafol is one of the only companies that has done a clinical study for hormonal hair loss, and I do recommend them if someone wants to start with a non-prescription supplement because of that study,” she says. “But there were case reports of liver toxicity, so people have to be careful. If anyone has liver disease or is nervous, they should always ask their doctor about supplements.”

She’d also recommend Minoxidil to extend the growth cycle of your hair. “Minoxidil is FDA approved, cost effective, safe for long-term use, and effective for many,” she says. “But Minoxidil is not without side effects, whether topical or oral. It can cause irritation, redness, itching, dryness, scaling, flaking of the scalp, sometimes excessive hair growth, initial hair shedding when you first start, headache, dizziness, GI changes like nausea and vomiting – less so when it's applied topically than if you take it orally, because you bypass going through the liver.”

Whatever treatment is being considered, Dr. Javaid recommends starting with blood tests, a hormone level check, and a physical exam to rule out any deficiencies. “It sounds like a lot, but it can be done pretty quickly,” she says. “Sometimes it's a B12 or folic acid deficiency. Sometimes anemia and acute illness can cause women to lose hair. Those are all different triggers and may present differently.”

“Managing expectations is important,” says board-certified plastic surgeon Dr. John Paul Tutela, who offers PRP injections, low-level laser therapy, and surgical hair restoration at his New Jersey practice, T Spa by Tutela Plastic Surgery.

When patients come in with hair loss, Dr. Tutela likes to start them on PRP injections. “It's great for the early stages of hair loss and thinning, when you still have follicles that are active and you are boosting them to thicken,” he says.  

PRP stands for platelet-rich plasma, which is extracted from a patient’s own blood and spun in a centrifuge until red blood cells are separated from platelets. What used to be known as the vampire facial is now a far less controversial treatment option for all kinds of ailments. “PRP is filled with growth factors and cytokines that stimulate healing and regeneration,” says Dr. Tutela.

PRP injections stimulate active hair follicles. “It improves blood supply,” says Dr. Tutela. “That healthier environment supports stronger, thicker hair growth. It also extends the growth phase of the hair, and that's very important.” PRP is also known to reduce inflammation, which can be the cause of some hair loss. “It tackles so many different things and helps improve the local environment to encourage hair viability and vitality,” says Dr. Tutela. “I think it does a really great job.”

Red-light therapy, a form of low-level laser therapy, is another frequently promoted treatment – especially on social media, where $1,000 helmets are pitched as at-home solutions. “Red-light therapy improves mitochondrial activity,” says Dr. Tutela. “A sub-unit within cells is mitochondria, and by increasing that activity, it promotes growth and slows loss. It is one of those things where, if you're going to get any effect (and it's very mild at best), you absolutely need to be consistent. It's worth trying.”

TO WATCH Great news for those who enjoy retreating to the comforting, well-executed period dramas of Julian Fellowes. The very last Downton Abbey movie, Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale, is in theaters now.

TO DO If you’re feeling confused, ashamed, or fearful about money, you’re not alone — and you’re not the problem. Finances for Feminists offers personal finance coaching for individuals and couples who’ve felt left out of the traditional money conversation. And let’s be real: that’s most of us. Finances for Feminists can help you change your relationship with money and take charge of your financial future — in a judgment-free space with guidance, accountability, and support. Book a free consultation, and mention GLORIA for 10 percent off! #partner

TO MAKE We made a version of this classic bolognese sauce last Sunday, and it was warming and satisfying. It is supposed to simmer for a long time, but the actual prep is simple and the end result is worth it.

TO TRY We’ve all rolled straight from bed to laptop, but our bodies deserve more. Enter Chair Yoga, a 10-minute program that blends gentle yoga with mobility training — all you need is a chair. It’s low-impact, surprisingly effective, and perfect if you’re easing back into movement and want to lose weight. Simple (the app behind it) is offering 50 percent off right now — start with their quick quiz to get a personalized plan. #partner

TO LISTEN Suzanne Vega, of “Luka” and “Tom’s Diner” fame, has a new album out. We enjoyed her soothing podcast interview with designer Debbie Millman; she’s very introspective and cool.

If you care about the fact that workout leggings are “out,” here is one fashion editor grappling with the loose alternatives. • When you realize you are AARP’s target audience now. • Cool, another thing for parents to deal with. • A small new study shows that exercise can suppress the growth of breast cancer cells. • Wow, this is a crazy story about neighbors committing crimes against trees in Maine…

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