If you search the Internet for "hair loss treatments," you will find an endless list of hair loss products that promise to regrow hair and halt further loss. This may leave you confused on where to begin or frustrated that the majority of products do not have any scientific studies that suggest they are safe or effective. While hair restoration is an imperfect science, rest assured there are products that have undergone clinical trials and produce results.
It is important to consult with your doctor to determine the cause of your hair loss before attempting to treat it.
Minoxidil
Minoxidil is a U.S. Food and Drug Administration, or FDA--approved treatment for male and female pattern baldness. Minoxidil, known to many as Rogaine, its former patent name, has been used to treat hair loss for over 15 years. It is the most tested and proven treatment for hair loss that exists today. Minoxidil can be purchased in most grocery stores and it is applied one or two times a day.
Hairsite.com details a four-month surveillance study where men applied 1 millliter of minoxidil two times a day and were observed by German dermatologists. After four months, less than 1 percent of men saw an increase in the size of their balding area on the crown of their heads. A total of 99.2 percent of men either regrew hair or maintained their initial hair count in the balding area. Of the 743 patients study, only 13 reported skin-related side effects. These side effects were classified as "minor irritations." German dermatologists reported overall hair density, or hair fullness, to improve in 74.2 percent of men.
Propecia
Propecia is an FDA-approved treatment specifically for male pattern baldness and should be used by men only. Propecia works by reducing the body's production of the male sex hormone: dihydrotestosterone or DHT. DHT is thought to be the main hormone involved in progressive male hair thinning. By reducing the blood levels of DHT, hair follicles prone to thinning are no longer attacked. Existing hair may thicken or hairs lost may even regrow.
Omnimedicalsearch details a five-year clinical trial led by Dr. Keith Kaufman on behalf of Merck Pharmaceuticals that found Propecia to be a safe and effective treatment for hair loss. The study reports that two of three men regrew hair or had an improved hair count over five years. Three of four men were classified as having their hair density "improved" by an independent panel of doctors. Side effects were present in 2 percent of men were said to drop to .3 percent by the final year of the study.
Ketoconazole shampoo
Ketoconazole shampoo is a largely unknown treatment for hair loss when compared to minoxidil and Propecia. Ketoconazole shampoo, unlike many shampoos formulated for hair restoration, is scientifically proven to improve hair thickness. A 1998 Belgian university study published in the "Journal of Dermatology," found that ketoconazole shampoo was as effective as 2 percent strength minoxidil in improving hair density and the proportion of active healthy follicles. Belgian researchers considered ketoconazole shampoo to be very promising in the long-term treatment of androgenic alopecia, or male pattern hair loss.
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