Hair Loss Treatments

Hair has long been considered as a person's crowning glory. Just like clothing, hair is usually styled according to one's personality or preference. But what if the hair starts to be sensitive? For example, more and more hair strands are left on the bathroom floor after shampooing or combing. Naturally a person worries, fearing that baldness is fast approaching.

Whether hair loss is caused by an illness, aging, or heredity, the good news is that it can now be reversed. The advancement of technology has made it possible to provide treatments and medications for hair loss. A person suffering from the said condition has the option to wear a wig of different styles, undergo surgery such as grafting and stretching, take doctor's prescribed medicines like Finasteride, or apply topical products such as ProFollica™ to prevent or halt hair loss.

Wearing a wig is the easiest way to hide the condition of hair loss. Before, hair pins alone were used to adjoin the wig to the remaining natural hair. Wigs then were loose enough to be easily detached from the user's head; today, wigs can be mistaken as real, natural hair. The production and quality of wigs have been improved and are still improving over the years. Nevertheless, the feeling of the wearing an unreal hair still has an unpleasant effect on the confidence of the person. The perception within that person is deemed not be the same as he was having his real hair.

Another option for hair loss is through surgical treatment, which can be classified into two kinds: grafting or stretching of the scalp. In grafting, a small portion of the scalp that is still able to grow hair will be cut off and transplanted to the areas wherein the patient's hairline lies. On the other hand, in stretching, the totally bald portion of the scalp is cut off permanently and the area where hair strands still grow is stretched to cover the cut bald portion. This, however, is only good for men as women experience only thinning of hair and not slight baldness. Recovery period for these surgery treatments take a long time. Usually, the dermatologist or doctor will recommend what is best for the patient for these surgeries cannot be performed to everyone.

Most of the patients who underwent the aforementioned hair loss surgeries grew their hair back. Surgery as a type of hair loss treatment has been noted a success, but still, this type of treatment is generally known to be expensive. From the doctor's services to the medicines one needs to take throughout the surgical treatment, it definitely costs a lot.

Other treatment that may not require high expenditure as much as surgery is oral medication, usually in the form of pills. Some of the oral medicines on the market require prescription while some could be bought over the counter. Pills like finasteride needs a prescription. This kind of pills basically converts and reverses the hormone that stops hair growth, but can only be taken by men. The said pill is prohibited to women because of its side effects; in fact, birth defect is one main side effect of this drug as it can transpose through the skin of the current or future fetus inside the womb. On the other hand, there are also some pills such as ProFollica™ Pills that do the same treatment for hair loss but has no side effect and could be bought, sans any prescription. This kind of pills are all natural and can be taken by both men and women. Plus, pills like Profollica causes no harmful effects but thicker and growing hair.

The most common and simpler way of medicating hair loss is by using topical applications. The products could be a shampoo, conditioner, gel, or oil that needs to be applied to the scalp to stimulate hair growth. Each can be bought in drugstores or in grocery stores and are safe for both by men and women.

Meanwhile, there are some companies that offer a hair growing system, which composes of two or more products. A hair growing system like ProFollica™ usually has shampoo, gel, and pills as well--all are formulated to work together to halt hair loss and start hair growth again. The shampoo is used as any ordinary shampoo; it cleans the scalp, making dirt and body's natural secreted oil easy to rinse out. The gel is next applied to the hair and scalp, stimulating hair growth by revitalizing hair follicles. An all-natural hair growing system such as ProFollica™ system starts to work just days after its first usage. One can expect fast hair improvement from the system, unlike in hair loss surgery that makes the patient wait for scalp recovery first, before seeing his hair grow back.

Every approach to treating hair loss has its own advantages and disadvantages. What one needs to consider in selecting the most appropriate medication, aside from the doctor's suggestions, are convenience, cost, efficacy, short and long-term impacts to their lives, and maintenance. It does not mean that as people experience hair loss, they are also needing to undergo the same exact treatment. It is important to base your conclusion to your desired outcome.

 

 

Treatments that offer hope to hair loss sufferers

By: Richard Mitchell -
Posted 09/07/04

Many people experiencing premature hair loss simply resign themselves to a process that is as inevitable as growing old. This is a positive and healthy reaction to what is a natural process for many. But for others the onset of premature balding or excessive hair loss represents a traumatic development that causes untold worry and suffering. This too is a legitimate reaction regardless of whether the hair loss is caused by hereditary factors or some other more complex cause.

Should these sufferers just grin and bear it? No, they should not because there are a number of potentially effective treatments they could utilize, depending on the nature of their hair loss. In this article I will outline some of the most popular hair loss treatments currently available in order to reinforce the fact that hair loss can be treated. The next article in the series will look closely at the treatment regimes best suited to specific ailments such as alopecia areata and telogen effluvium.

At present only two medications have been approved as hair loss treatments by the FDA. These are minoxidil, better known as Rogaine, and finasteride, better known as Propecia. Several other drugs have proven to be effective in combating hair loss, dutasteride for example, but have not yet been approved for this particular use.

Finasteride was originally developed to treat enlarged prostate conditions but a low dose version was subsequently approved for the treatment of hair loss in men. It tackles the causes of male pattern baldness by preventing the conversion of 5-alpha-reductase into DHT. Given that DHT is the main male hormone linked to hair loss, reducing its production by two thirds has a major impact on controlling this type of baldness.

Research has shown that 83% of men studied were able to maintain their hair count and 64% experienced regrowth by the end of a two year period. It should be noted that finasteride is approved for use by men only as the drug can have serious effects on unborn male fetuses. Women should therefore only consider using this drug under the strict supervision of a physician.

Dutasteride (Avodart) is a new medication for use in treating prostate conditions and, although not yet approved for the treatment of hair loss, it does offer exciting possibilities. It works in a similar way to finasteride but reputedly reduces overall DHT production by over 93%. As is the case with finasteride, women should consult their physician before using dutasteride.

Minoxidil (Rogaine) is the other hair loss treatment approved by the FDA and it is the only anti-baldness drug approved for women. Applied topically, its main benefit is its ability to stimulate regrowth thus reversing the effects of pattern baldness. Many users combine the application of minoxidil with other hair loss treatments like Propecia to achieve maximal results, but others experience satisfactory outcomes using minoxidil on its own.

Several studies have shown that certain non-drug products promote hair regrowth but none have yet been approved by the FDA. This is partly due to the prohibitive costs involved in conducting trials to prove that the products are effective for the purpose of marketing them as hair loss treatments. Many individuals and dermatologists nonetheless recommend use of certain non-drug treatments as an alternative or complement to drug therapy.

In many instances the treatments are based on natural ingredients that stimulate similar responses to those of the prescribed drugs but without the side effects. The information provided here presents a sample of products that have been subjected to testing or at least have had their effectiveness supported by independent feedback.

One such product is Arcon Tisane which has become Europe's top selling natural supplement for hair loss. It comes as a capsule and sub-lingual spray containing saw palmetto and fenugreek stimulating a response similar to that of finasteride by inhibiting the production of DHT. Arcon Tisane has been clinically tested and has received widespread media coverage of its success in combating hair loss.

Calosol is a relatively new product aimed at helping alopecia areata sufferers. It consists of a shampoo and an accelerator applied daily in order to stimulate hair roots, reduce hair loss and promote healthy hair. Early indications suggest that Calosol can contribute significantly to easing this distressing and difficult to treat condition.

Fabao 101 is a treatment that comes in varying formats, each designed to tackle a particular form of hair loss. The common factor to each product is their derivation from natural plant sources. It was developed by a dermatologist and has received many international awards.

Folligen copper peptide products are designed to help create an environment that improves scalp health, reduces hair loss and stimulates hair regrowth. It can be used by both men and women. Studies at over 30 leading universities and medical research institutes have established the effectiveness of the technology utilized in Folligen products.

Tricomin is another treatment that targets the delivery of copper to the base of the hair follicle and it too has been clinically proven as an effective treatment for stopping hair loss and stimulating regrowth. It can be used safely with other hair loss treatments and can be especially useful in complementing the effects of finasteride and minoxidil.

Revivogen is an all-natural hair loss treatment that reduces DHT production, blocks the androgen receptors and stimulates hair growth. It is used topically and has no known side effects.

Shen Min is another natural hair loss treatment designed to restore and regrow all types and stages of hair loss. It is safe for both men and women. Shen Min contains a blend of Chinese herbs and comes in various forms to suit most people.

ThymuSkin was developed by German scientists to fight hair loss in patients undergoing chemotherapy treatment. Due to the high success rates the product was developed for use by the general public to combat all types of hair loss. Clinical studies conducted in Europe show that ThymuSkin hair loss treatments could help to stop baldness and regrow hair for 67% of men and 95% of women.

Hopefully this article has demonstrated that many treatment options are available to hair loss sufferers. The next article in this series will develop the theme further by examining the treatment regimes that have proven effective in tackling specific forms of hair loss such as androgenetic alopecia, alopecia areata and telogen effluvium.
 
 

Richard Mitchell is the creator of the http://www.myhairlossadvisor.com website that provides information and guidance to those suffering from premature hair loss.