Men have several different options for treating hair loss, ranging from scientifically proven methods to alternative remedies. Some men will elect to try one particular method at a time, while others will go for the "kitchen sink" approach, using many different methods simultaneously and hoping for the best. It is easier to keep the hair on the head than it is to regrow new hair, so the faster a person acts to treating hair loss, the more likely it is he will see better results.
FDA Approved Treatments
Minoxidil and finasteride are the two mainstays of the hair loss industry, and are the only two treatment options recommended by the American Hair Loss Association. Minoxidil was the first treatment to receive U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval in 1988, while finasteride gained FDA approval in 1997. Ironically, both drugs were being tested for uses other than hair loss, but hair growth was noted in test subjects and new trials were performed to see how the drugs would treat hair loss.
Minoxidil is available as an over-the-counter product, while a prescription is needed for finasteride. Of the two treatments, finasteride has had the greatest success rate, with 86 percent of men seeing a reduction in hair loss during clinical studies.
Scientifically Proven Methods
There are other methods which have proven effective in various clinical studies, but have not received FDA approval. These include dutasteride, tretinoin, Nizoral shampoo and low level laser therapy. Of these, the most popular would be Nizoral shampoo, primarily due to its low cost and ease of use. The active ingredient in Nizoral is ketoconazole, which is known for its anti-inflammatory properties . Nizoral is available in 1 percent ketoconazole or 2 percent ketoconazole, with the 1 percent version available over-the-counter in the United States and the 2 percent version being a prescription product.
Herbal Treatments
A number of herbal treatments are used to fight hair loss, although success rates are somewhat sketchy, at best. Many popular herbal remedies are those that mimic finasteride when it comes to treating enlarged prostates, such as saw palmetto, stinging nettle, pygeum and pumpkin seed oil. Saw palmetto is the most popular of these and is included in the majority of natural hair loss products on the market. Some of the other many herbal treatments that are used include green tea, ginkgo biloba, eleuthero root and gotu kola.
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