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Health & Fitness

NG PROTOCO'

A Renewed You from page 27

From The 'Hood' from page 27

"Then, I met Suzie [Meklir]
socially, and she convinced me to
try Renew.
"As a self-appointed skeptic with
curmudgeonly tendencies, I was
hugely doubtful because of my for-
mer experiences. But within three
months, I saw a 15-20 percent
improvement in my hair. It's con-
tinuing to improve.
"I don't have time to religiously
use the vitamins or topicals Suzie
and Robin suggest; but even with-
out them, I've gotten results. I'm
going to stick it out for a year.
"Also, I have to say that Robin
and Suzie make it kind of fun,
which is a plus."

Marcia Cohen, female, 61, Sylvan
Lake/Boca Raton, Fla.; LLLT May-
October 2010
"My hair had been falling out
on the top of my head for a while
due to a combination of meno-
pause and stress. I was going to
try Rogaine (minoxodil), but my
friend had tried it – the minute
she stopped, her hair fell out. I was
seriously considering hair trans-
plants.
"I heard about Renew from a
friend. I could see baldness and
thought my follicles were scarce.
But when my scalp was [micro-
scopically] tested to see if I was a
candidate, I was.
"The texture of my hair
changed almost immediately after
the first couple of treatments.
The hair products are amazing. I
started seeing growth as 'peach
fuzz' three to four weeks after I
started. My part had been wid-
ening; but after six months of
treatment, my hair was definitely
growing in and the peach fuzz was
getting longer.
"I would say I see a major dif-
ference. I'm a snowbird for six
months of the year and haven't
gone for treatments in a few
months. Since I suspended treat-
ments, I haven't noticed a major
change in my hair as far as new
growth; but it hasn't fallen out,
the texture is still good and it isn't
breaking.
When I return home from Florida
this spring, I will go back and con-
tinue my year of treatments.

From The 'Hood' on page 30

28

January 27 2011

weeks or even once a quarter to maintain
the gains they've made."
Renew currently serves close to 150
clients — ranging in age from 11 to 91.
The process seems to work equally well on
men and women, say the co-owners.
They estimate that about 40 percent
of their clients are Jewish. About half are
male, half female. Women ages 50-60
comprise the largest group of clients being
served. And they come from all walks of
life.
"There are high-profile local celebrities
who come here and use our two private
rooms:' says Meklir. "Others use them to
conduct business while they're having
their treatments. We reserve them first for
those experiencing severe hair loss, like
people who have lost all their hair because
of chemotherapy."
Those who are less self-conscious sit
together in a room that currently houses
seven hoods (more soon will be added)
and fosters an atmosphere that is "nurtur-
ing and loving:' she says.
"We have a birthday club, a book club,
a lunch club, a spring walking club and
we're starting a canasta club. People are
bonding, creating relationships and learn-
ing from one another."

It's The Follicles, Stupid
Potential clients at Renew — which also
offers non-surgical facial rejuvenation
therapies — all receive a complimentary
consultation.
"People often come in guarded and
depressed , ) ' explains Meklir. "We call our
consultation room The crying room.' We've
seen women who don't venture out of their
homes. Young men want to date, but their
self-esteem is shot. As the program goes on,
they blossom."
Preferring a holistic approach, Meklir and
Pluto get a complete health history and also
focus on clients' diets and hair-care regi-
mens.
The first step is an examination using a
microscope that magnifies the scalp 500
times. What Meklir and Pluto are looking for
are viable hair follicles with the potential to
be activated by LLLT.
Follicles that are miniaturized may be
reactivated by LLLT; but if potential clients
lack those follicles, LLLT will not work.
Sometimes follicles are not visible due to
inflammation; but after LLLT, you may see
them, Pluto explains.
"We were told you should catch a dying
follicle within five years to preserve it',' say
Meklir, "but we've seen people who've been
experiencing hair loss much longer than that
see their hair come back."
The bottom line is that Meklir and Pluto
do turn away a significant number of poten-
tial clients — approaching 40 percent —

who just don't have the viable follicles.
"We don't want to take people's money if
we don't think we can help them , ) ' says Pluto.
LLLT is not covered by health insurance,
and the cost ranges from $1,200-$3,800,
depending on the program. In-house financ-
ing is available.
"We work with people on payment',' says
Meklir. "Robin and I don't want anyone to go
through what I went through with my hair
loss."

"We get calls from all over the country
from people who see our website," says
Meklir. "Eventually we hope to develop and
market an at-home hood for those who live
out of town that provides results similar to
what can be achieved in our clinical setting."

Docs Weigh In
Glenn Charles, D.O., 44, who grew up in
Bloomfield Hills and is a trained diagnostic
radiologist, performs cosmetic procedures,
including hair transplants, in Boca Raton,
Time Commitment
Fla. He has offered LLLT in his office for
With a process patent pending, Renew's pro- close to five years.
tocol, says Pluto, "is one that demands com-
"I've seen varying results — with hair
mitment if it is to work to its full potential."
growth in some patients — and I've never
Clients sit under the LLLT hood for 45- to
seen anyone harmed by it',' says Charles.
60-minute treatments for a minimum of
"At the very least, there is an improve-
three times a week during the first two weeks ment in hair quality though not necessarily
and a minimum of two times a week for the
in hair quantity. If the situation is out of
remainder of the recommended 12-month
hand with more hair loss, it's harder to gain
program. Clients may come more often, or
significant improvement.
less, if they desire.
"LLLT can reverse the process of min-
Meklir and Pluto also prescribe a protein-
iaturization of hair follicles and make the
rich diet and a course of daily vitamins,
hair thicker and healthier. It can potentially
as recommended by a Harvard University
wake up hair follicles stuck in the sleep
study, to promote healthier hair.
phase of the hair-growth lifecycle that have
Renew's specially formulated laurel-
not awoken on their own."
sulfate-free volumizing shampoo
Vitamins, Charles empha-
and conditioner energize the hair,
sizes, are another important
they say, and two topical serums
component that makes the
are instrumental in making the
quality of your hair better.
protocol work.
Charles' clinic was one of
The first, made from fruit and
several that conducted studies
plant extracts, contains a niacin-
on Lexington International's
based vasodilator to help blood
HairMax LaserComb (the only
circulation to the scalp. The second,
portable device with FDA
uniquely created by a chemist in
Dr. Glenn Charles:
clearance for the promotion of
Canada, contains a plant-based
"LLLT can poten-
hair growth in men) for home
stem-cell extract shown to promote tially wake up hair use. Results were mixed, he
hair growth and to increase the
follicles stuck in
says.
lifespan of isolated human hair fol- the sleep phase
"Moving a comb around
licles.
of the hair-growth one's head may not be as effec-
Even used alone without LLLT,
lifecycle."
tive as sitting under a hood
says Pluto, these products will help
that aims lasers at the scalp all
benefit the quality of one's hair.
at one time,' says Charles.
Hair treated with LLLT grows
Because LLLT has not been
11/2 times faster than normal, says
in use in the U.S. for that long,
Meklir.
there have been no studies to
She and Pluto also advise clients
document that results from
about healthy hair care, ways to
LLLT are permanent, says
maximize fullness and protect new
Charles, who recommends
hair growth. At first, new growth
LLLT to his hair-transplant
from LLLT is like baby hair and
patients post-op to increase
Dr. Eric Schweiger: circulation to the scalp, mini-
must be treated gently.
"In medicine,
The partners have been
mize scarring, help hair grow
we like to see
approached about opening LLLT
faster and minimize "shock
clinics in other parts of the country objective, hard
loss:'
evidence before
but have been hesitant because
"I think lasers are a good
saying something
they don't want to "lose the per-
thing — another tool in our
sonal touch that has worked so well definitely works." toolbox. I'm pretty confident
with our clients!'
there's no harm caused by
They are working on making
LLLT. You may get some benefit
their products available to salons and spas
or you may not — but I'm willing to try it
"so more people can take advantage of their
[with my patients] :"
restorative properties."
Eric Schweiger, M.D., 33, grew up in Ann