If your hair is starting to thin it may be beneficial to become familiar with the surgical and nonsurgical treatments that can restore your hair. It is usually easier to stop and prevent hair loss than to restore it after it is lost. It is very important to determine the cause of your hair loss with your doctor before attempting to treat it.
Nonsurgical Treatments
Despite the market being flooded with hundreds of hair restoration treatments, the FDA only approves two nonsurgical medications for hair loss.
The American Hair Loss Association, or AHLA, reports that finasteride is a treatment for male pattern baldness that reduces dihydrotesterone, the main hormone thought to be responsible for hair loss. Finasteride is only for men and is considered by the AHLA to be the best treatment to combat pattern baldness.
Minoxidil is the oldest and best-selling nonsurgical hair loss treatment in the world, according to HairSite. The 5 percent strength version is for men and the 2 percent version is for women. Though there is some controversy of how minoxidil actually works to restore hair, it is generally thought to stimulate hair growth by increasing cutaneous blood flow to thinning scalp hair.
Expert Insight
Dr. Robert Bernstein, medical hair restoration physician and senior member of the American Hair Loss Association, offers insight on using the combination of finasteride and minoxidil. He says that although the FDA requires that manufacturers of minoxidil and finasteride note that the treatments were only intended to restore hair on the vertex of the head or top of the scalp, the combination of the two "definitely can" restore hair on the hair line. He encourages all males who are trying to restore their hair to use both treatments for at least 12 months before evaluating their effectiveness.
Surgical Solution
The FDA-approved nonsurgical treatments can be highly effective but the only permanent way to restore your hair is a surgical hair transplant, according to the Foundation of Hair Restoration. Hairs that are genetically resistant to dihydrotestosterone are removed from the sides and back of the scalp and transplanted into areas that are thin or balding. Since these hairs are resistant to DHT and not prone to thinning, they will grow for a lifetime. They can be styled, colored and treated like normal healthy hairs.
Types of Hair Transplants
The New Hair Institute describes the two types of surgical hair restoration procedures: follicular unit transplantation and follicular unit extraction. Follicular unit transplantation, or "single strip harvesting," involves harvesting an entire strip of scalp from the donor area and transplanting the hairs to their recipient areas. The area is closed with sutures and should not leave a scar greater than 1 mm wide. Follicular unit extraction involves harvesting single hair follicles one at a time rather than an entire strip. This method does not leave a scar but is more expensive.
Potential Treatments
A surgical hair restoration surgery is the best medical hair restoration solution for baldness. Bernstein Medical reports that hair cloning or hair multiplication may offer a total solution to candidates who may need more hair than their donor area can supply. Potentially, this method could offer an unlimited supply of donor hair and fully restore hair on any and all patients.
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