Hair Loss Treatment
- Hair Loss Treatment
- Treatments for Alopecia Areata
- Surgical Treatment
- Alternative Medicine
- Hair Loss Prevention
Currently there are only two hair loss drugs that have been clinically proven to have any real degree of effectiveness. These two medications, Propecia and Rogaine, are also the only two drugs that are approved by the Federal Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of hair loss.
Medications for hair loss can slow thinning of hair and increase coverage of the scalp by growing new hair and enlarging existing hairs. However, they need to be taken continuously. If the medications are stopped, any hair that has grown in will gradually be lost, and within 6 to 12 months your scalp will most likely appear the same as before treatment.
Propecia (finasteride) and Rogaine (minoxidil) work in completely different ways. Propecia is a pill taken once daily, while Rogaine is a liquid that is applied to the scalp twice daily. Neither Propecia nor Rogaine have been proven to restore hair in the frontal areas. For reasons yet unknown these drugs only generally work in regrowing thinning hair in crown area of the scalp.
Although the method of action is essentially unknown, minoxidil appears to lengthen the duration of the anagen phase, and it may increase the blood supply to the follicle. Regrowth is more pronounced at the vertex than in the frontal areas and is not noted for at least 4 months. Continuing topical treatment with the drug is necessary indefinitely because discontinuation of treatment produces a rapid reversion to the pretreatment balding pattern.
Minoxidil is a over-the-counter medication approved for the treatment of androgenetic alopecia and alopecia areata. Minoxidil is available in a 2% solution and in a 5% solution. The makers of minoxidil recommend women only use the 2% concentration of minoxidil because they have not received FDA approval for promoting 5% minoxidil or minoxidil extra strength for use by women. Minoxidil is typically applied twice a day to the area of the scalp being treated.
Minoxidil is a treatment for hair loss, it is not a cure. If regular application of topical minoxidil is stopped, all hair grown in response to the therapy will be rapidly lost over the next 3 to 6 months. Side effects of topical minoxidil are rare and generally minor. Most common is scalp irritation or itching. There is a small risk for facial hair growth associated with use of minoxidil - a finding that may be a side effect of the drug or may be due to accidental application of the topical solution to the face.
Propecia (finasteride) has been available since 1997 and is the first and only oral medication approved by the FDA for the treatment of male pattern hair loss. Propecia has not been proven effective in women and is not approved for women. The drug can be used only in men because it can produce ambiguous genitalia in a developing male fetus.
Propecia helps regrow visible hair and reduces further hair loss. If you start taking Propecia you may see a decrease in hair loss beginning in as little as 3 months. And by 6 to 12 months, you may see new hair growth. Although it affects vertex balding more than frontal hair loss, the medication has been shown to increase regrowth in the frontal area as well. If it doesn’t work for you after 12 months, it is unlikely to be of benefit. If you stop taking Propecia, you will likely lose any hair you’ve gained within 12 months of stopping treatment.
Clinical tests showed Propecia was very well tolerated. Only a very small number of men had sexual side effects, with each occurring in less than 2% of men. They included less desire for sex, difficulty in achieving an erection, and a decrease in the amount of semen. After stopping taking Propecia these side effects go away.
Some drugs are not approved by the FDA but are potentially helpful medications. In women with androgenetic alopecia, especially those with a component of hyperandrogenism, drugs that act as androgen suppressants or antagonists (eg, spironolactone, oral contraceptives) may be beneficial. Evidence exists of an association between androgenetic alopecia, hypertension, and hyperaldosteronism. Spironolactone could play a dual role in treatment.
Treatments for Alopecia Areata
There are a range of treatments for AA, but none are effective for everyone and some people with AA don't respond to any treatment. Because some of the available treatments have a high risk of side effects, they are often not used for children. The most common AA treatment involves the use of corticosteroids. Corticosteroid creams applied to the bald patches are successful only for the very mildest cases. A more potent approach is to inject corticosteroid solutions into the bald patches. Close monitoring is required to ensure that side effects, such as skin thinning at the site of injection, do not occur. In extensive cases, systemic corticosteroids (pills or other form) are used, though not continuously since they can cause significant side effects like bone thinning.
Surgical treatment of androgenetic alopecia has been successfully performed for the past 4 decades. The aim is to redistribute your remaining hair to cover bald spots. Although the cosmetic results are often satisfactory, the main problem is covering the bald area with donor plugs (or follicles) sufficient in number to be effective. Micrografting produces a more natural appearance than the old technique of transplanting plugs. Patients with less than 40 follicular units/cm2 in their donor areas are poor candidates for the procedure. Scalp reduction has been attempted to decrease the size of the scalp to be covered by transplanted hair. However, the scars produced by the reduction technique often spread and become more noticeable with time.
Hair weaving techniques are available, and, together with hairpieces, they offer the patient a prosthetic method of coverage.
Consumers and alternative medicine practitioners have proposed a number of remedies for pattern baldness. Remedies that have been suggested include green tea and saw palmetto. However, there is little reliable scientific information indicating that they are either effective or safe.
Some everyday ways to help prevent hair loss include:
- Eating a balanced diet and taking vitamin and mineral supplements to avoid losing hair due to a vitamin or iron deficiency.
- Avoiding hair treatments that can damage hair; this includes bleaching, hot rollers, frequent perming, hot curling irons, and repeated brushing and combing under hot hair dryers.
- Alternate hairstyles that put tension on hair, such as ponytails and braids, with looser hairstyles to avoid a constant pull that causes some hair loss.
- When the hair is wet, avoid brisk rubbing with a towel; blot the hair dry instead.
- Avoid vigorous combing and brushing the hair when it is wet, because its structure is more fragile then.
- The old recommendation to brush hair 100 strokes a day should be avoided, as this damages hair.
- Use wide-toothed combs and brushes with smooth tips.
- Inherited hair loss (androgenetic alopecia) cannot be prevented.
More information about Hair Loss: