Hair loss is something that will affect roughly a third of men at some point in their lives as natural thinning hair is a natural part of the aging process, notes Medical News Today. Male-pattern baldness -- clinically known as androgenetic alopecia -- is a genetically inherited condition which some men can experience as early as their late teens or early twenties. Although thinning hair is not something that directly effects a man's health, psychologically it can be be a source of much stress and depression. Therefore, clinical treatments have been devised that can help stop hair loss, improve appearance and in some cases, regrow.
Step 1
Get a prescription from your doctor for Propecia, with the medical name Finasteride. Take one pill of this 1mg medicine daily. Propecia is effective at primarily stopping hair loss and, in some cases, causes a small amount of regrowth. It is therefore a method best used by men experiencing the earliest signs of male-pattern baldness. Results can take several months to appear.
Step 2
Purchase a bottle of Rogaine, also known as Minoxidil, from a drugstore. Apply this over-the-counter treatment, which comes in a liquid or foam, directly to the scalp and massage in. Do this twice daily. If the treatment is effective results should start to appear after several months. Receptive users will see hair loss stopping and perhaps some small regrowth--although hair fibers will be thinner than the original hairs.
Step 3
Ask your doctor about cortisone injections, or corticosteroids. This treatment involves an injection directly into the scalp at the balding area. Hair growth can may begin to appear a month after treatment. Injections must be repeated monthly in order to maintain results.
Step 4
Consult a surgeon about your eligibility for a hair transplant. A surgeon will remove small portions of the scalp around the sides of the head, which still contain thick compositions of hair strands and graft them into areas which are balding. Depending upon the severity of the hair loss, multiple sessions may be needed.
Step 5
Speak with a surgeon about the possibility of scalp reduction for your hair loss. A surgeon will remove portions of the scalp which have become bald and then stretch over skin containing hairs in its place. The skin on the head if very flexible and capable of doing this to some degree.
Tips and Warnings
- Finasteride is also available in a 5mg version called Proscar, normally prescribed for prostate enlargement. Men looking to save a few dollars can buy Proscar and then use a pill cutter to cut into five sections. Finasteride and Minoxidil can be used together to treat hair loss. Hair transplant surgery is best reserved for more severe balding.
- Finasteride can cause some sexual dysfunction and should not come into contact with women as it can cause side effects such as birth defects, notes MayoClinic.com. Minoxidil can cause skin wrinkling and dark circles under the eyes. The surgical procedures can be very painful and their is the risk of scarring.
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