Could Hair Restoration be relevant to you?
Connect with our clinical team to discuss your concern, goals, and whether this treatment belongs in your plan.
Body, Hair & Scalp
Hair Restoration
A physician-led approach to hair thinning that pairs scalp and hair assessment with regenerative or energy-assisted treatments intended to aid hair density.
Non-surgical hair restoration in Vancouver
Understanding Hair Restoration.
Most people notice hair thinning long before anyone else does — a wider part, more hair in the drain, a scalp that shows through under bright light.
The most useful thing you can do at that stage is find out why. Thinning can come from inherited pattern hair loss, but it can also come from thyroid problems, low iron, illness, medication, pregnancy or a stressful stretch of life. Those need different answers.
Our treatments aim to support the follicles you still have. That is why timing matters: the earlier a follicle is helped, the more there is to work with.
Concerns & Goals
Concern guides connected to this treatment.
Female-Pattern Hair Loss
Gradual thinning and reduced density across the top of the scalp, often with a widening part.
Male-Pattern Hair Loss
Progressive thinning at the hairline, temples or crown driven by inherited sensitivity to androgens.
Hair Thinning
Reduced hair density, increased shedding or more visible scalp resulting from thinning hair.
Reduced Hair Density
Fewer visible hairs within an area of the scalp, making the scalp more noticeable.
Increased Hair Shedding
More hairs than usual entering the resting and shedding phases of the hair growth cycle.
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Treatment options and technologies
Non-surgical hair restoration is one of several clinically recognised approaches to thinning and reduced density, and it is not always the appropriate one — where testing identifies a treatable medical cause, that is addressed first.
The options available here, selected according to clinical findings:
- Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP) — considered in early to moderate thinning where follicles are still producing hair, however fine, and where scalp injection is appropriate.
- Alma TED — considered where a needle-free route is preferred or required, including where medication or a bleeding tendency makes scalp injection unsuitable.
Prescribed topical or oral medical therapy is frequently indicated alongside either, and these are staged over the hair cycle rather than selected against each other.
The selection is a clinical decision, not one you are expected to make. Your scalp is examined in person, the pattern of loss and the calibre of the remaining hairs are assessed, and your history, medications, family pattern and blood results — thyroid function, iron stores and hormonal markers — are reviewed before a plan is recommended.
Have Your Scalp and Bloodwork Assessed Before Starting a Course →
Concerns this treatment may help
Non-surgical hair restoration may be considered for:
- A part line that keeps widening
- Reduced density across the crown or top of the scalp
- Increased shedding after illness, stress, childbirth or weight loss
- Early recession at the hairline or temples
- Hair that has become finer, softer and shorter than it used to be
- Scalp becoming visible under direct light
- Thinning that has begun recently and is still progressing
What it will not do: restore hair to a scalp that is fully bare, replace surgical transplantation where that is what is needed, or stop the underlying tendency toward pattern hair loss.
Who may benefit
The best candidates are people who noticed the change relatively recently and still have visible hair, however fine, in the areas that concern them.
Both men and women are treated. The pattern differs — men more often at the temples and crown, women more often as diffuse thinning with a widening part — and so does the workup, particularly for women, where iron, thyroid and hormonal factors are more likely to be contributing.
Some situations need caution. Blood-thinning medication or a bleeding or clotting disorder affects whether scalp injections are appropriate. Active scalp infection, an inflammatory scalp condition, or scarring hair loss all need addressing first, and scarring types of hair loss need different care entirely.
Sudden or patchy loss is a different situation. Hair coming out in defined circular patches, or falling out very rapidly, points to causes that need medical assessment rather than a cosmetic treatment plan.
Your consultation
Your hair and scalp are assessed by one of our physicians — Dr. Gidon Frame, Dr. Sarina Govindasamy or Dr. Teri Fisher — because thinning is a medical finding before it is a cosmetic one.
We look at the pattern of loss, the calibre of the hairs in the affected areas, and the condition of your scalp. Pattern tells us a great deal about the likely cause.
We ask when it started and how fast it has progressed, about family history, any illness, surgery, pregnancy, crash dieting or significant stress in the preceding months, your diet, and every medication and supplement you take.
Blood tests are often part of this. Thyroid function, iron stores and hormonal markers can reveal a treatable cause, and finding one changes the plan completely — there is no point stimulating follicles that are being starved by a deficiency.
On cost. Nobody is charged for the consultation — that assessment is complimentary. A booking fee applies when the appointment is reserved, which holds the physician's time for you and helps ensure appointments are not left unfilled.
If bringing photographs of your hair from a few years ago is possible, do. They are more informative than memory.
What treatment is like
Platelet-rich plasma. A blood sample is taken from your arm, much like a routine blood test, and processed in the clinic. Your scalp is cleaned and comfort measures are used before the concentrate is injected across the thinning areas in a series of small injections. Most people describe it as sharp but brief. Because it is a needle-based procedure, it is performed by one of our physicians — Dr. Gidon Frame, Dr. Sarina Govindasamy or Dr. Teri Fisher.
Needle-free serum delivery. Comfortable and undramatic. The handpiece is moved across the scalp while the formulation is applied; there are no injections and most people feel little beyond a light pressure and cool sensation. These sessions are delivered by our experienced laser technicians and estheticians, working directly under the guidance of our physicians.
A course, not a single visit. Because the hair cycle turns slowly, treatment is planned as a series spaced over time, followed by periodic maintenance once the initial course is complete.
Between sessions we track progress with photographs, because month-to-month change in hair is very hard to judge in a mirror.
Results and treatment planning
What treatment can improve: shedding, the calibre and strength of existing hairs, overall density in areas that are thinning, and the rate at which loss is progressing.
What it cannot do: regrow hair on a scalp that is fully bare, reverse scarring hair loss, replace transplantation, or cure the inherited tendency behind pattern hair loss.
When change appears. Hair moves slowly. Reduced shedding is usually the first thing people notice, and it comes well before any visible change in density. Because a hair must first enter a growing phase and then grow long enough to see, several months pass before there is anything to photograph.
Series and maintenance. An initial course of sessions is followed by ongoing maintenance. Stopping altogether generally means gradual return to the previous trajectory, because the underlying cause has not gone away.
What influences your outcome: how long the thinning has been present, how much miniaturisation has already happened, the underlying cause, your age, iron and thyroid status, other medical conditions, and how consistently you complete the course.
Two people with the same visible thinning can respond quite differently depending on what is causing it, which is the reason for assessing before treating.
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Anti-Aging Medical & Laser Clinic can help you understand this treatment, explore related technologies and concerns, and build a plan around your goals.
Recovery and aftercare
There is essentially no downtime, though the scalp can feel tender after injections.
After platelet-rich plasma: tenderness, mild swelling, pinpoint marks and occasionally a dull headache for a day or so. Some people notice a tight sensation across the scalp that eases quickly.
After needle-free treatment: usually nothing beyond a slight residue in the hair.
What helps: leaving the scalp alone for the rest of the day, and following the timing you are given for washing your hair.
What to avoid briefly: vigorous scrubbing, harsh or medicated shampoos, hair colour or chemical processing, saunas and heavy exercise immediately afterwards.
Contact the clinic if you develop spreading redness, increasing pain, warmth or discharge at the injection sites, which is uncommon but should be looked at.
Common and usually temporary effects
Most effects follow scalp injections and settle within a day or two:
- Tenderness or soreness across the treated scalp
- Mild swelling, occasionally extending toward the forehead
- Redness and small pinpoint marks at the injection sites
- A short-lived headache or tight sensation
- Minor bruising at the site of the blood draw
- Light-headedness during the blood draw itself, in people prone to it
Needle-free serum treatment generally produces little beyond a temporary residue in the hair.
Less common but important risks
Less commonly, treatment can cause:
- Infection at an injection site, which is uncommon with sterile technique but needs prompt treatment if it occurs.
- More noticeable bruising or bleeding, particularly in people taking blood thinners or with a clotting disorder.
- Prolonged tenderness or persistent scalp sensitivity.
- A temporary increase in shedding early in treatment, which can be alarming but often settles.
- Temporary numbness or altered sensation in an area of the scalp.
- Allergic or irritant reaction to a topical formulation used during treatment.
- Little or no visible improvement, which is a genuine possibility — particularly where thinning is long-standing or the underlying cause has not been identified.
Medical hair treatments carry their own separate considerations, which your physician will go through in relation to the specific medication before prescribing it.
When treatment may need to wait
Some options may need to be delayed or avoided if you have:
- An active scalp infection, or open or inflamed areas on the scalp
- A bleeding or clotting disorder, or ongoing blood-thinning medication
- A platelet disorder or a condition affecting your blood, where plasma-based treatment is planned
- An active inflammatory scalp condition such as severe seborrhoeic dermatitis or psoriasis
- Scarring hair loss, which needs different management
- Pregnancy or breastfeeding
- Active cancer or ongoing chemotherapy
- An untreated thyroid problem, iron deficiency or other medical cause of hair loss
- A recent significant illness or surgery still affecting the hair cycle
- Sudden, rapid or patchy hair loss that has not yet been diagnosed
This is not a complete screening list. Your medical history, medications, blood results and the pattern of your hair loss are all reviewed before treatment is recommended.
Looking after your scalp
Hair grows out of skin, and the condition of that skin matters more than most hair-care advertising suggests.
- Treat flaking and itching rather than living with it. Ongoing scalp inflammation is not a friendly environment for follicles.
- Reduce build-up from heavy styling products, which can make the scalp uncomfortable and treatment less pleasant.
- Be gentle with what you have. Tight ponytails, braids and extensions apply constant traction at the hairline, and over years that traction causes its own permanent loss.
- Go easy on heat and chemical processing while hair is fragile — this does not change what is happening at the follicle, but it does reduce breakage that makes thinning look worse.
Good scalp care supports treatment. It does not substitute for identifying why your hair is thinning.
Technologies Used
Technologies that may support this treatment.
Alma TED
Alma TED is a non-needle scalp device that combines low-frequency ultrasound with gentle air pressure to help deliver a topical hair formulation into the upper layers of the scalp.
Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP)
Platelet-rich plasma is a concentrate prepared from a small sample of your own blood to increase the local level of platelets and the growth factors they release.
Anti-Aging Medical & Laser Clinic
Why patients choose our clinic
- We look for a cause before selling a treatment. Thyroid, iron and hormonal contributors are considered, because treating those changes the outcome more than any device can.
- Physician assessment and physician-performed injections. Platelet-rich plasma is carried out by Dr. Gidon Frame, Dr. Sarina Govindasamy or Dr. Teri Fisher.
- Needle-free options for people who need them, including patients whose medication rules out scalp injections, delivered by our experienced laser technicians and estheticians working directly under the guidance of those same physicians.
- Honesty about the stage you are at. If an area has been bare too long to respond, we will tell you rather than sell you a course.
- Photographic tracking, so progress is judged against evidence instead of impressions.
- Established in 2001, with more than two decades of treating hair concerns in both men and women.
FAQ
Questions about Hair Restoration.
The useful sign is whether any hair is still growing in the area, even very fine, short or pale hair. That tells us the follicle is still active and has something to work with. An area that is smooth and completely bare, and has been for years, usually means the follicles there have closed, and no non-surgical treatment reopens them. Examining the scalp closely is how this is judged.
The assessment itself is complimentary. A booking fee is collected to hold your appointment, which covers the physician's reserved time and keeps missed appointments to a minimum. The team will walk you through it when you schedule.
Because a treatable medical cause changes everything. Low iron stores, thyroid dysfunction and certain hormonal patterns all cause hair loss, and treating them can improve hair on their own. Stimulating follicles while a deficiency is still present wastes your time and money. Testing takes one visit and can spare you a course of treatment you did not need.
Not necessarily, and that is deliberate. PRP involves injecting into the scalp, so it is always performed by one of our physicians — Dr. Gidon Frame, Dr. Sarina Govindasamy or Dr. Teri Fisher. Needle-free serum delivery uses ultrasound and air pressure rather than a needle, so those sessions are delivered by our experienced laser technicians and estheticians, working directly under the guidance of the same physicians. Your assessment, your blood results and your treatment plan are handled by a physician regardless of which route you end up on.
It can happen and it is unsettling, but an early increase in shedding is not necessarily a bad sign. Hairs sitting in a resting phase are released as follicles are pushed back into a growing phase, so what you are seeing is old hair leaving rather than new loss. It typically settles. Tell us if it continues beyond the early period so we can reassess.
Very likely. A significant illness, surgery, high fever, childbirth, rapid weight loss or a period of severe stress can push a large number of follicles into the resting phase at once, and the shedding shows up two to three months later. This type of loss often recovers on its own once the trigger has passed, which is a good reason to be assessed rather than starting treatment for a problem that is already resolving.
The treatments are broadly the same, but the investigation is usually more thorough. Female pattern loss tends to be diffuse rather than patterned, and it overlaps more often with iron deficiency, thyroid disease, hormonal conditions and post-pregnancy shedding. Some medications used for male pattern loss are also not suitable for women, particularly if pregnancy is possible, so the medical side of the plan differs.
It depends on which medication, why you take it and what your physician advises — this is a medical decision, not something to adjust on your own. Blood thinners increase bruising and bleeding at the injection sites, and some clotting disorders make plasma-based treatment unsuitable altogether. Needle-free serum delivery is often a sensible alternative in these situations.
Hair generally returns to the trajectory it was on before, over months rather than immediately. These treatments support follicles while they are being given; they do not permanently change the underlying tendency to pattern hair loss. This is worth knowing before you start, because it makes hair restoration an ongoing commitment rather than a course with an end date.
No. A transplant moves existing follicles from one part of the scalp to another and is a surgical procedure. The treatments here are non-surgical and work on follicles already in place, which is why they suit thinning rather than bald areas. Some people use both approaches at different stages, and if surgery is what your situation actually calls for we will say so.
Standardised photographs, taken in the same position and lighting each visit. Hair changes too gradually for anyone to assess honestly by memory, and the mirror is a poor judge on a day-to-day basis. We also ask about shedding, which usually changes before density does and is a useful early indicator.
Reviews
What patients say about the clinic experience.
Reviews help show the human side of care, from the first consultation to comfort, communication, treatment planning, and follow-up.
Visit Our Clinic
Visit our clinic in Vancouver, BC.
Anti-Aging Medical & Laser Clinic combines medical assessment, individualized planning, physician oversight, and a broad range of treatment options in its Vancouver clinic.
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Bring your questions, treatment history, and goals. Your provider can help you understand appropriate options, expected recovery, and realistic outcomes.
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HoursOpen 7 Days / Week from 9:00 AM to 5:30 PM. Closures Announced on Google Business
Phone(604) 261-9121
Emailinfo@aamvan.com
Why Anti-Aging Medical & Laser Clinic?
- A medical clinic with physicians and experienced medical-aesthetic providers on the team.
- Science-informed assessment, treatment planning, and realistic expectations.
- Laser, injectables, skin, body, hair, wellness, and medical services available in one clinic.
- Complimentary aesthetic consultations are available for appropriate cosmetic and laser services.
- Personalized skincare and product consultations based on your goals and routine.
- Home-care guidance to support your skin between in-clinic appointments.
- Professional skincare products available through the Anti-Aging Vancouver shop.
- Clear guidance on treatment options, preparation, downtime, aftercare, and next steps.
- Ongoing follow-up so your plan can evolve as your needs and goals change.
