Hair Loss Treatment For Men & Women

Hair loss is very common and does not discriminate between men and women. If you believe that you are starting to experience any degree of permanent hair loss, it would be wise to become familiar with the treatments that can benefit you. Preventing further hair loss is much easier than regrowing hair after it is lost. There are hair loss medications that are clinically effective to treat hair loss.

Cause

According to Androgenicalopecia.com the most common type of hair loss for both men and women is androgenic alopecia. Androgenic alopecia is hormonal hair loss where the hormone dihydrotestosterone, or DHT, is most often the main culprit. DHT attaches to hair follicles, makes them fall out prematurely and progressively thins them.

Prevention

Topical minoxidil is the oldest FDA-approved hair loss treatment. The FDA recommends 5 percent minoxidil for men and 2 percent minoxidil for females. The International Association of Hair Restoration Surgery notes that minoxidil has been used for more than 15 years in scientific studies. Minoxidil is thought to encourage healthy hair growth by increasing cutaneous blood flow to the scalp that is often reduced by pattern baldness.

Finasteride is an FDA-approved ingestable tablet that is used once a day for the treatment of androgenic alopecia. According to the The American Hair Loss Association, finasteride can lower DHT levels by more than 50 percent. The AHLA is adamant about finasteride treatment and considers it the best treatment for male pattern baldness. It is only for men.

Ketoconazole is an ingredient that has been clinically demonstrated to help remedy androgenic alopecia. It can be used by both genders to combat androgenic alopecia. In a 1998 Belgian clinical trial known as "Ketoconazole: effect of long-term use in androgenic alopecia" published Journal of Dermatology, researchers concluded that ketoconazole improved hair thickness and the amount of hairs in their growing phase almost as much as 2 percent minoxidil. Belgian scientists established that ketoconazole shampoo could be valuable against androgenic alopecia.

Solution

While clinically tested hair loss treatments can provide substantial protection from future hair loss, only a hair transplant is a permanent solution. According to the Hair Transplant Network, a hair transplant can restore your naturally growing hair for life. Hairs are harvested from areas in the back and sides of the head that are resistant to androgenic alopecia and placed in areas where hair is thin. These hair follicles will continue to grow for a lifetime because they can not be thinned by DHT.

Expert Insight

Dr. Robert Bernstein, clinical professor of dermatology at the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Columbia University, explains that finasteride and minoxidil likely will be helpful on the frontal hair line as well as the top of the scalp. The doctor recommends on BernsteinMedical.com, that even though finasteride and minoxidil were clinically tested to begin to regrow hair on the the vertex of the scalp, finasteride likely will stimulate growth of hair follicles on the frontal hair line so long as there is some hair still there. He recommends that male patients use both treatments for at least one year before resorting to a surgical procedure.

Misconceptions

There have always been several misconceptions about the causes of hair loss. Dr. Robert Bernstein discusses some of these myths on Bernsteinmedical.com. One popular myth is that genetic androgenic alopecia comes from the grandfather on your mother's side of the family. The doctor says that genetic baldness can come from either side or any member of your family. Dr. Bernstein also notes that it is a popular misconception that only males experience hair loss. He notes that greater than 40 percent of females will also experience alopecia during their lives.