Photos courtesy of Medi Tresse
Founded by Dr. Mary Wendel, Medi Tresse provides women with innovative, non-surgical treatments for hair loss.
Hair loss can be a tough issue to tackle. For women, the struggle is even more real, since the causes for female hair loss are often hard to pin down. (In contrast, over 90% of male hair loss can be attributed to genetics.) So, what’s a gal to do?
For Dr. Mary Wendel, the founder of Medi Tresse, a specialized hair loss treatment center with locations in Westchester and New York City (as well as in Massachusetts and Tennessee), it’s all about taking a personalized approach. Because female hair loss causes can be so varied, the key is to figure out the root of the issue – no pun intended – to craft a customized solution for everyone. And by everyone, we mean the approximately 30 million American women who suffer from a form of hair loss. In fact, it’s estimated that more than 50% of women in the United States will experience hair loss in their lifetime, whether from genetics, stress, nutritional deficiencies, chemotherapy, or another cause.
The Story Behind Medi Tresse
“As women, dealing with hair loss is extremely difficult, and the emotional side effects are very real,” Wendel observes. While she worked as an internal medicine physician for years, it wasn’t until she began experiencing hair loss for herself in the early 2000s that she began to notice just how few treatments for women existed on the market.
“Unfortunately, hair loss is often treated as this singular condition, but hair loss is not a diagnosis; it is a symptom of an underlying condition that needs to be treated, and there can be many causes,” she notes. During this time, she began to conduct her own research to find a better way to treat hair loss. In 2015, she launched Medi Tresse as a way to do just that.
Treating Hair Loss in Westchester
At Medi Tresse, which expanded to Westchester in 2018, women can work with hair loss specialists to dig deeper into their individual reasons for hair loss and come up with a solution that best fits their needs and lifestyle. Because each patient requires a unique approach, offerings range from PRP hair loss treatments and hair transplants for women to scalp detoxes and more.
“We have an amazing team of practitioners in Scarsdale led by Director of Clinical Services Kimberly Pryslak, NP, and Female Hair Loss Specialist Cleo Maack, NP,” Wendel enthuses. “The office has continued to grow, and we are seeing more patients every year.”
The Experience
So, what should one expect during an initial visit to Medi Tresse? To start, there’s a one-hour medical consultation in which practitioners and patients run through a full medical history, hair loss evaluation, and scalp treatment using trichoscopy, the latter which uses a highly magnified camera to evaluate the scalp and hair follicle. All this helps to diagnose the cause of hair loss, which then guides a treatment plan for each patient.
“Our treatment plans are unique for each patient as not every treatment is appropriate for all types of hair loss,” Wendel explains. “We offer treatment plans for all types of hair loss, including those with androgenic alopecia, telogen effluvium, scarring alopecia, traction alopecia, alopecia areata, and hair loss from chemotherapy and radiation.”
As far as the treatments themselves go, there are many. A few of the most popular ones include:
- Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) Therapy: This treatment taps into the strength of platelets to stimulate hair regeneration and recovery naturally.
- Hair Transplants: This is ideal for anyone looking for permanent hair restoration and is a minor surgical procedure.
- Low-Level Laser Therapy (LLLT): You’ve seen red light treatments all over social media, and for good reason. This non-surgical treatment taps into the benefits of red and near-infrared light to boost tissue repair and recovery.
- Scalp Massages: Just like face or body massages, scalp massages can help to revitalize the skin by removing buildup and detoxing the scalp.
Caring for Your Scalp at Home
Of course, treating hair loss is only part of the solution. Dr. Wendel advises that what people do at home can also have a significant impact on their hair’s healthiness.
“Most styling techniques we use can either damage the hair or dry it out due to the high heat,” she cautions. To remedy this, she recommends using a high-quality deep conditioner to help add moisture back into the hair. On top of that, she notes that maintaining a healthy diet is critical.
“Our hair is fighting for the same key vitamins and nutrients as our vital organs, which means when we are deficient in these, our hair suffers,” she adds.
Want to learn more about hair loss or Medi Tresse? Visit the Scarsdale location’s website.
Related: Taking a Look at Heart Health by the Numbers in Westchester