Hair Regrowth Treatment

Hair loss is very common. If you have started to lose your hair, it is a good idea to become familiar with the cause of hair loss and the treatments that can benefit you. There are literally hundreds of hair loss treatments that promise prevention and regrowth, but only a few are clinically proven to be effective. With these treatments you can be successful in preventing further loss and may be able to regrow the hair that has been lost.

Cause

Hair loss can have many causes but the Foundation of Hair Restoration informs us that "androgenic alopecia" is responsible for 95 percent of cases. Androgenic alopecia occurs when excess levels of dihydrotestosterone or DHT, inhibit scalp hairs and make them fall out prematurely. If this process continues, over time hairs will become thinner and finer.

Treatments

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approves 5-percent strength minoxidil for males and 2-percent strength minoxidil for women seeking hair loss prevention and regrowth. The International Association of Hair Restoration Surgery reports that topical minoxidil has been studied in clinical trials for more 15 years. Despite the popularity and extensive research, how minoxidil actually works to prevent hair loss is still debated. Many believe that minoxidil encourages hair growth by increasing cutaneous blood flow to the scalp.

Finasteride is an FDA-approved pill that is used once a day for the treatment of male-pattern hair thinning. The American Hair Loss Association (AHLA) claims that finasteride can lower a male's DHT level by over half. They recommend finasteride as the first line of attack for males beginning to treat alopecia. Finasteride is not for women.

Ketoconazole is the primary ingredient in Nizoral and Revita shampoo and can help men and women prevent hair loss and regrow lost hair. In a Belgian clinical study entitled "Ketoconazole: Effect of Long-Term Use in Androgenic Alopecia" published in the 1998 version of the Journal of Dermatology, researchers found that ketoconazole improved hair density and the proportion of scalp hairs in their growth phase almost as much as 2-percent strength minoxidil. It was concluded that ketoconazole could be effective in the long-term treatment of hair loss.

Expert Insight

Dr. Robert Bernstein, hair restoration surgeon certified by the Coalition of Hair Restoration Surgeons and Board Certified Dermatologist, claims that finasteride and minoxidil are useful on the hair line even though they were just tested on the vertex of the head in clinical trials. He mentions that finasteride and minoxidil can be effective on the hairline if hair still remains in that areas. He encourages patients to evaluate minoxidil and finasteride for an entire year before getting a hair transplant.

Misconceptions

Dr. Robert Bernstein debunks some of the most widespread misconceptions about hair loss prevention and regrowth. He reports that it is a myth that wearing a hat can cause hair follicles to be deprived of oxygen and shed. Hair follicles can not be suffocated, because they receive a constant supply of oxygen from the bloodstream and not the air. He also states that it is a fallacy that experiencing a big quantity of hair loss is an indicator of the beginning of progressive pattern hair loss. Dr. Bernstein informs that visible hair loss or hair thinning occurs when normal hairs are replaced by thinner and finer hairs. Bernstein further informs that it is a misconception that only men experience pattern baldness. Bernstein notes that more than 40 percent of women will suffer from visible miniaturization of their hair throughout during their life.

Solution

Current hair-loss treatments can prevent further hair loss and regrow hair for most men and women, but non-surgical hair restoration is still an imperfect science. Only a hair transplantation procedure exists as a permanent remedy. The Foundation for Hair Restoration details how the surgery works. Hairs from the donor area at the back of the head are taken and transplanted to areas that are thinning or balding. The hairs found in the donor area are not prone to miniaturization from DHT. Once transplanted, they grow like normal healthy hairs and last a lifetime.