Hair loss can often be upsetting, but it can often be tough to tell if you are actually losing hair. According to the the Foundation For Hair Restoration, the average person loses about 100 hairs per day. Ninety-five percent of permanent hair loss is from a condition called "androgenic alopecia." Androgenic alopecia is caused when the hormone dihydrotesterone attaches to hair follicles and progressively thins them over time. Regardless how rapid your hair loss rate may be, there are several treatments that can reduce the amount of hair falling out.
Step 1
Consult your health-care provider. It is critical to learn the cause of your balding before trying treatments. Genetic male baldness may be addressed in a different way than female pattern baldness. This step is critical, do not purchase treatments without first consulting with your doctor.
Step 2
Talk with your medical doctor about finasteride. The Foundation for Hair Restoration says that finasteride is approved by the FDA to help reduce hair loss and is by prescription only. The usual dosage is one 1mg tablet per day, to be taken over an indefinite period of time.
The American Hair Loss Association says that finasteride can reduce dihydrotestosterone levels by 60 percent. A lower dihydrotestosterone level means a lower overall amount of hair loss. The American Hair Loss Association recommends finasteride as "the first line of attack" for males wanting to reduce the amount of hair they lose.
Step 3
Purchase minoxidil from your grocery store or area pharmacy. The American Hair Loss Association says that minoxidil was the first FDA-approved medication for pattern baldness. It should be applied to areas of thinning hair two times every day for an indefinite period of time. Results may occur at four months but could take up to 12 months to become fully visible.
In a one-year observational study of the safety of minoxidil at the University of British Columbia published in the "Journal of Cutaneous Medicine and Surgery: Incorporating Medical and Surgical Dermatology", researchers how many hairs men lost while washing their hair. At the beginning of the study, men lost an average of 69.7 hairs. After one year of applying minoxidil, men lost an average of 33.8 hairs while washing. Minoxidil is clinically proven to reduce the amount of hair falling out.
Step 4
Buy shampoo containing ketoconazole. Ketoconazole has been clinically established to help treat hair loss. In a Belgian study titled "Ketoconazole: effect of long-term use in androgenic alopecia" in the 1998 version of the Journal of Dermatology, doctors concluded that ketoconazole shampoo helped improve hair density and increased the amount of hairs actively growing as much as 2 percent strength minoxidil. The doctors established that ketoconazole may be valuable in the overall treatment of of pattern baldness.
Tips and Warnings
- Do not take a double dose of finasteride if you miss your dose. Do not apply a double dose of minoxidil if you miss your dose.
- You must take finasteride and minoxidil continuously if you stop taking the treatments, your regular rate of hair loss will return and you may lose all of the hair you have grown back.
Things You'll Need
- Finasteride
- Minoxidil
- Ketoconazole shampoo
References
- Foundation for Hair Restoration: Permanent Hair Transplant Methods
- American Hair Loss Association: Men's Hair Loss / Treatments
- International Society of Hair Restoration Surgery: 5 Percent Minoxidil Effective in Treating Male Pattern Hair Loss
- PubMed: Ketoconazole Shampoo: Effect of Long-term Use in Androgenic Alopecia
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