When it comes to women's hair loss, the medical community can be primarily focused on men’s hair loss, as hair loss in females can be seen as more of an aesthetic, rather than a health-related issue. Medi Tresse is here to alter that stigma and help women suffering from alopecia and other hair loss conditions.
Dr. Mary Wendel, Medical Director of the Boston and Worcester, Ma offices, was listed among Boston Magazine Top Doctors in 2022.
“Medi Tresse is New England’s only medical practice devoted exclusively to the treatment of female hair loss,” said Dr. Mary Wendel, Medical Director and Founder of Medi Tresse.
Female hair loss is often misunderstood and most people don’t realize there are different types of hair loss and causes. Many people associate the term alopecia with being a specific medical condition, when in fact alopecia is a medical term for hair loss and anyone experiencing hair loss technically has alopecia. However, there are different types of alopecia that someone can be diagnosed with and treatment will differ depending on the type. The most common form of alopecia is androgenic alopecia, also known as female pattern hair loss, but other types include alopecia areata, traction alopecia, telogen effluvium, and scarring alopecia.
Thankfully, Medi Tresse's hair loss specialists can provide options for those suffering from any type of alopecia.
“Our mission is to help all women experiencing hair loss feel empowered by their options and reclaim their confidence,'' said Dr. Wendel. “As the leading medical professionals in our specialty, we feel it is our responsibility to normalize the treatment of female loss through education and creating a caring and supportive community for women.”
- Dr. Mary Wendel, M.D., Medical Director of Medi Tresse
Female hair loss is very different from male hair loss and presents differently, as well as being more emotionally challenging and having more underlying causes. The approach to treating women’s hair loss is different with the Medi Tresse team.
The protocols and processes at Medi Tresse were personally developed by hair loss specialist, Dr. Wendel, after experiencing her own hair loss around the age of fifty. There was very little investment and research into women’s hair loss at the time, and as a result, medical professionals didn’t really know how to treat it or figure out the root causes of androgenetic alopecia.
When opening Medi Tresse in 2015, Dr. Wendel wanted to create a supportive and empathetic environment where women could get real answers and clinically proven treatments for their hair loss.
The practice has grown since then, with two locations in Massachusetts, and one in New York, with a second location to open in Fall 2022.
“The most common type of hair loss, androgenic alopecia (also known as female pattern hair loss), certainly makes up the greatest percentage of patients we see, but in 2022, only 70% of our patients have been diagnosed with androgenic alopecia,” said Dr. Wendel. “We treat patients with scarring alopecia, telogen effluvium, traction alopecia, alopecia areata, and even patients that experienced hair loss from chemotherapy and radiation.”
What makes Medi Tresse unique is its commitment to its patients. Patients cannot just come into an office and receive treatment; they must first be evaluated and diagnosed during their one-hour consultation.
“During this hour-long consultation, we start with a thorough review of the patient’s medical history as there are many factors that can cause or aggravate hair loss. We then complete a thorough hair loss history and physical examination of the scalp and hair, including trichoscopy. Trichoscopy allows us to examine the hair follicle at a 50x magnification, which is necessary to diagnose the type of hair loss. Without trichoscopy, the type of hair loss can be misdiagnosed as some types of hair loss look similar to the naked eye,” said Dr. Wendel.
She went on to say that patients receive a specific treatment plan that is developed based on their unique needs and that Medi Tresse treats all types of women’s hair loss, with success treating various hair types. This can be in the form of at-home products, topical treatments, vitamins and supplements, in-office procedures and treatments, and even dual therapy treatments.
