STORY AND PHOTOS BY KAREN BOSSICK

Tamra Thrall has spent 25 years making her clients beautiful by styling their hair. But she increasingly found clients asking her what they could do about thinning hair.

The Ketchum hair stylist found her answer in something called Alma TED, a non-invasive treatment using ultrasound and electrostimulation to produce thicker stronger hair by improving blood flow to the scalp.

“I use a machine to put oxygen in the scalp to stimulate hair follicles,” said Thrall, who has Elements Salon across from the Knob Hill Inn.

Tamra Thrall posts these pictures in her Elements Salon to show the difference in growth in a man’s hair.

The transEpidermal delivery treatment takes 20 to 25 minutes; three treatments scheduled a month apart are recommended. It works best for those in early to moderate stages of hair thinning. Someone who has been bald for five or more years might be able to grow hair back but with 6 to 12 months of treatment.

The treatment is not painful—clients feel a warm sensation.

“It’s nice because there’s no downtime. It uses low frequency sensations so it’s non evasive and pain free,” said Thrall.

A full treatment costs $3,000 for four visits. Thrall said she has treated 30 men and women since beginning treatments this past year.

This picture shows the difference Alma TED made for a woman.

“Everybody has been very pleased,” she said.

About 80 million men and women suffer from hair loss in the United States, according to the American Hair Loss Association. The Alma TED company says three treatments result in a 23 percent increase in hair density at 1 month; there’s a 31 percent at 6 months.

Maintenance sessions are required to sustain benefits.

“People lose their hair for a lot of different reasons, including hormones and cancer treatment, lack of nutrients in the body, post-partum…I’m seeing as much hair loss in women as men these days,” Thrall said. “TED helps stop the shedding and helps hair regrow. The ingredients in the serum help anchor the hair.

Thrall said that there are a few businesses offering the treatment in Boise and a few in Salt Lake City.

Full hair transplants can be very expensive. And plasma treatments where blood is drawn and injected into the scalp with a needle can be invasive and painful with results varying from person to person.

“TED penetrates into the top of the scalp, focusing on dormant hair follicles with a proprietary serum made with growth factors, peptides and nutrients,” Thrall said. “It can be a game changer for those who try it, as some say they feel more confident with a fuller head of hair.”

To learn more, visit Elements Salon at 991-12 N. Main St. in Ketchum. Or call 208-726-7911.