Dr. Alan Bauman's Pioneering Use Of Polarized Light Microscopy

The American Hair Loss Association, founded by Spencer Kobren, estimates that at least 80 million men and women are currently suffering from hair loss across the country.

Revolutionary diagnostic techniques are being introduced by some of the most innovative hair restoration physicians in the industry.

Pioneering Hair Restoration Physician Dr. Alan Bauman is one of the first in North America to utilize Polarized Light Microscopy (PLM).

PLM Is A Revolutionary Diagnostic Tool

It's a revolutionary diagnostic technique designed to study hair follicles using a special polarized light microscope.

Dr. Bauman recently explained how he uses the new diagnostic tool at the 2022 FemTech Summit.

The Hair Pluck

A hair loss patient undergoing an initial analysis of their current alopecia status undergoes a hair pluck test.

Just a few hairs are manually plucked from each of the different zones on their scalp.

Those plucked hairs are carefully examined using the PLM.

Plucked Hair Is Like The Rings Of A Tree

As Dr. Bauman explained, "hair provides the barometer of a patient's overall health extending back for years."

For example, if a patient suffered from nutritional imbalances or experienced illnesses, those show up in the hair.

Plucked strands are like the rings of a tree.  They provide a complete patient health and hair history.

This information remains viable for years.

Hair Holds A Long History

Everything the patient experienced, which may have contributed to their shedding or hair loss issues, is stored in the hair.

From the PLM test, the hair restoration physician and their team will be able to determine if the hair is growing or not.  Follicles can turn on or off.

The PLM can see if you have had any kind of imbalance within the past year or two.

Let's say you had a fever, an illness, an illness, infection, or our favorite virus (Covid).  It will show up in your hair.

You've been fasting, or you've been having nutritional difficulties.

Or maybe you've had problems with getting enough sleep or the sleep/wake cycles.  The follicle will display that for a number of years.

A Hair Restoration Physician Can See All The Seasons Of Plucked Hair

All of those challenges show up in the hair follicle. You can see it in the plucked hair.   Like rings on a tree when you're examining it.

When a tree is chopped down, you can see all its seasons.

The PLM provides all the seasons of the hair.

Hair restoration physicians can investigate and identify nutritional or other issues.

Right from a plucked hair.  Like hair loss physicians could never do before.

Patients have to come in to have their hair plucked. It can't be performed virtually.

These new measurements include:

The PLM reveals information below the scalp that couldn't be obtained before by any other testing.

• hair follicle bulb life cycles
• assessment of the keratinization process
• screening for alterations of the medulla, hair sheaths, and cuticles

This brand-new technology provides an incredibly detailed analysis of the quality and structure of the patient's hair.

Those results help the hair restoration physician design targeted treatments.

These are related to specific problems and conditions that have been analyzed by the PLM.

By acquiring a very clear picture of the hair's condition before treatment, the hair restoration physician can accurately measure the treatment's results.

Best wishes to all.

Dr. Alan J. Bauman is a full-time board-certified Hair Restoration Physician who has treated over 33,000 patients and performed over 12,000 hair transplant procedures and over 12,000 Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) and other Regenerative Hair Growth Treatments since starting his medical hair loss practice, Bauman Medical, in 1997 in Boca Raton, FL.

Dr. Bauman is known for pioneering numerous technologies in the field of hair restoration, including minimally invasive Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE), VIP|FUE, No-Shave Hair Transplant, Low-Level Laser Therapy, Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP), PDOgro, Eyelash Transplants and more.

Dr. Bauman has been named “#1 Top Hair Restoration Surgeon” in North America by Aesthetic Everything for six years running and was recently named by Forbes as one of “Ten CEOs Transforming Healthcare in America.”

In addition to lecturing and consulting worldwide, Dr. Bauman sees patients personally and operates in his nearly 12,000 square foot “Hair Hospital” in downtown Boca Raton, FL. His philanthropic endeavors include the 501(c)3 Grey Team and Bauman Philanthropic Foundation.