Thinning is always a symptom of something that's going wrong in the body, explains the American Hair Loss Association. Hormonal imbalances, medical conditions and stress can all contribute to thinning hair in women. The cause of the thinning usually dictates the form of treatment necessary to stimulate the regrowth of lost hair, so schedule an appointment with dermatologist to gauge the pattern, severity and rate of thinning. These three components, coupled with a medical history, can help health care providers determine an actual cause for your hair loss, and therefore prescribe a suitable treatment.
Step 1
Spray a topical ointment containing minoxidil onto the scalp. Minoxidil is known to slow the progression of hair loss and can encourage a moderate amount of regrowth in roughly 19 percent of women and minimal regrowth in 40 percent of women, according to the American Hair Loss Association.
Step 2
Pick up a prescription for spironolactone. The American Osteopathic College of Dermatology explains the spironolactone is especially beneficial for women experiencing thinning prior to menopause. This medication inhibits androgens, or male sex hormones, which can contribute to excessive shedding.
Step 3
Improve hormone levels with hormone replacement therapy, suggest the American Osteopathic College of Dermatology. For those women with thinning hair as a result of menopause, boosting estrogen and progesterone levels can slow the progression of hair loss and stimulate the regrowth of lost hair.
Step 4
Start taking birth control pills. Like hormone replacement therapy, oral contraceptives can improve the levels of female sex hormones, and thereby treat hair loss. But instead of supplementing estrogen and progesterone, these medications lower the production of male sex hormones, according to the American Hair Loss Association.
Step 5
Combat thinning with cimetidine. Normally used to treat digestive conditions, this oral medication has antiandrogenic effects in the female body, keeping dihydrotestosterone from binding to hair follicles. Also known as DHT, this androgen shrinks follicles, which causes them to shed hair at an abnormal rate until they no longer produce hair.
Step 6
Undergo corticosteroid injections. Sometimes, you can stimulate the regrowth of lost hair by injecting corticosteroid directly into the scalp, notes MayoClinic.com. Injections are administered by a medical professional once a month for best results.
Step 7
Apply ketoconazole directly onto the scalp. This topical medication is commonly found in medicated shampoos, asserts the American Hair Loss Association. It works by slowing the production of androgens that may be causing the thinning.
Tips and Warnings
- According to the American Osteopathic College of Dermatology, hormone replacement therapy is often used in conjunction with spironolactone to improve the efficacy of both treatments.
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