UC Irvine Health System
12/13/2024 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 12/13/2024 17:45
UCI Health dermatologist: Wigs for hair loss help when medications can’t
UCI Health dermatologist: Wigs for hair loss help when medications can't
December 13, 2024
IN THE NEWS: Hair loss can be devastating to a person's mental health and treating it can be shockingly expensive. For example, a high-quality wig can cost upwards of $1,500. California Assembly Bill 2668, which recently stalled, would have required insurers to cover up to $750 per wig for patients who have specific health conditions.
UCI Health dermatologist Dr. Michelle S. Min spoke to Healio about how wigs help when medications can't.
"Despite all our amazing advancements in medicine for alopecia or hair loss, wigs have a really important role. Wigs can help these patients who, for whatever reason, medication is not growing their hair back. It can also help pediatric patients who cannot be on these medications.
"Certain hair losses tend to impact people with economically disadvantaged backgrounds more, so being able to provide cranial prosthesis or wigs at an affordable cost to those patients is really important."
Min sees patients at UCI Health Dermatology Services and is an assistant professor in the Department of Dermatology at the UC Irvine School of Medicine. She specializes in the diagnosis of connective tissue disease, include cutaneous lupus, dermatomyositis, scleroderma, psoriasis and vasculitis.