Medical Treatment of Hair Loss

Medical treatment is only one of the possible ways to treat hair loss. Medication plays an important part both for hair loss prevention and for hair loss treatment, especially in the early hair loss stages. There are several drugs that are used for medical treatment of hair loss, the two most important being Propecia (finasteride) and Rogaine (minoxidil). Propecia inhibits DHT and is very effective in the early stages of hair loss. Rogaine can also be used in the early stages for stimulating hair growth in the affected areas. Rogaine is most effective when it is used in conjunction with Propecia.

The best that medical treatment of hair loss can do for you is to thicken your hair in the zones, where it is getting thinner. Generally, medical treatment of hair loss is not very effective in regrowing hair. Besides, even if you manage to regrow your hair, it is not an exception that you will experience it all over your body, rather than only on your head. This is a very unpleasant side effect and that is why it is better to apply medical treatment in the early stages, and then resort to other means, for instance hair transplants.

It is also possible (and recommendable) to combine surgery, i.e. hair transplants, with medication because this way the two complement each other – medication prevents further hair loss, while transplants add new hair to those areas where it is missing from. But before we get to surgery, let's see how Propecia and Roqaine help hair loss prevention and treatment.

Propecia is a drug that suppresses the formation of DHT (dihydrotestosterone) in the body. DHT is the main reason for MPB (male pattern baldness), which is the main type of baldness and it affects both men and women. DHT is formed by the action of the enzyme 5-alpha reductase on testosterone. And here comes Propecia – it blocks this enzyme and stops it from converting the testosterone to DHT. And when the levels of DHT are not that high, hair loss does not occur, or occurs at a much slower tempo.

Propecia is especially effective for treating hair loss on the front of the scalp. If hair loss is caught early, it is even possible that it will stimulate your hair growth. There is research data that after 5 years of using Propecia, 90% of men experience no further hair loss or even hair growth (40-50 percent of men experience hair growth), while only 10% continue to lose hair.

Propecia is not a quick drug. It must be taken once a day for at least a year before any visible changes are possible. In the first six months, you could even experience further hair loss because Propecia is still not in charge of your hair but shortly after that you will start noticing more favorable developments. Part of this initial hair loss is due to the fact that your old thin hair is falling down in order to make place for your new hair. As you see, you need to be patient and not be discouraged easily, if medication does not produce results immediately.

What is more, if you want to start Propecia late – i.e. when your head is bald already, there is no point in doing so. Propecia is completely helpless when you are bald already. If this is the case with you, the only solution is to have a hair transplant first and then strengthen your new hair with Propecia. Propecia is known to have some side effects but they do not pose a danger to your health.

The second drug that is used for medical treatment of hair loss is Rogaine. Unlike Propecia, which is taken orally, Rogaine is a topical solution and is applied directly to the scalp. Rogaine was developed from the oral blood pressure medication minoxidil, which when taken orally is a pretty strong drug with a lot of side-effects. The idea to use minoxil for hair loss treatment occurred when it was noticed that patients who took it for blood pressure, also experienced hair growth but due to its many side-effects, it was decided that the best approach is to apply it externally to the affected area. Pregnant and nursing women should not use Rogaine, even if they don't have any complaints after trying it.

It is still not known how exactly minoxil works to stimulate hair growth. In comparison to Propecia, Rogaine is less effective but when they are used in combination – i.e. Propecia is taken orally once a day and Rogaine is applied topically once or twice a day, the effect is much better. Like Propecia, Rogaine does not work either on a totally bald area but its effects become visible in less time. It is considered that Roqaine use is effective after the fifth month and up to the second year of its application.

There are some other hair loss medications, like the diuretic Aldactone, which is occasionally used for hair loss treatment in women but Propecia and Roqaine are the two most popular and most effective and therefore only the two of them were discussed in this article.

Hair Transplants

Hair transplants are the most advanced achievement in hair loss treatment. Several decades ago hair transplants were not even dreamed about and nowadays they are becoming a routine surgical operation. Of course, as with any surgical intervention, there are risks but for those, who have lost their hair, these risks are a minor issue. Well, one of the intrinsic risks is that the operation might not be successful and as a result of this your hair might look like cabbage but bald people are bold to go again under the knife, if necessary till their good looks are restored.

Another risk that transplants involve is the risk of infections, especially if the operation is performed by a not-so-skillful surgeon in premises, where hygiene is hardly the first concern. Well, there are enough good clinics all over the world, so when you have decided to spend thousands of dollars on a hair transplant, saving a couple of hundreds of them is not the best idea.

Hair transplants, as the name implies, involve planting new hair on your bald areas. Ideally, you turn to transplantation early, when you are not completely bald and have enough hair at the rear and around the ears that can be used as a donor for the areas that are bald. There are several kinds of surgery but the two basic ones are transplantation and scalp reduction. The second form is not so popular but it can be a better solution if you have large bald areas to cover, while at the same time you have other areas with enough hair. Scalp reduction is actually removing those parts of the scalp that are bald and stretching the hair-bearing regions to cover a larger portion of the head.

Common transplantation involves moving hair from densely covered areas at the rear and around the ears to the bald area of the scalp. It is important to understand that hair transplants use your own hair to cover the existing bald areas, so the earlier you resort to surgery, the better chances for successful recovery are. Though modern surgery allows to transplant very small follicular units (1-4 hairs), rather than 20-30, as it was 20-30 years ago and in theory even if you have only just a few hairs on your scalp, they can be evenly distributed to other areas, it is much better that you don't wait that long.

Very often two or more operations are necessary over time in order to restore your hair in the bald areas. But if your hair loss is not in a very advanced stage, even one operation can produce noticeable results. This is one more reason why you shouldn't wait till you get completely bald. But even if you are very bald, chances are that you will still have follicles that are good for transplantation.

The operation itself is not painful and generally within a few days you will be able to return to your normal lifestyle. You must beware of post-operational infections because besides being unpleasant, they can be dangerous as well. Depending on how much hair you have on your scalp and how large are the bald areas, you might need several operations, each of which needs several months for the wounds to heal. So, it might take about two years till you see your hair flourishing again. In order to achieve even better results, you can consider applying medication like Propecia and Rogaine, or herbs like saw palmetto.

Don't worry about scars. Right after the operation, you will see them all over your head but as time passes by they will fade away. Additionally, when your hair grows longer, it will hide them, so chances are that it will not be visible that you have ever had an operation!

Hair Loss Treatment With Saw Palmetto

Among the many natural choices for hair loss treatment one of the most prominent is the herb called saw palmetto (Serenoa serrulata, Serenoa repens or Sabal serulata). It is a natural herbal remedy and unlike modern drugs, it has no side effects. Saw palmetto can be used both internally and externally and still it does no damage at all. Actually, before the advent of the contemporary pharmaceutical industry, native Americans used it successfully for healing not only hair loss but many other skin diseases as well. It is not surprising, however, that many doctors and pharmacists deny its incredible effect but the centuries of success are certainly not a negligible factor. It is true, though, that saw palmetto is not a miracle and you can't expect recovery when you are very bald, so in that aspect hair transplants are unbeatable.

Saw palmetto is a small palm with big leaves and it grows in the Southeastern United States. Ironically, nowadays saw palmetto is more popular in Europe than in the USA and in Germany it is the most popular prostate herb. Saw palmetto's fruits are deep red blackberries that can be used as staple food as well. Basically saw palmetto is used as a cure for prostate conditions but since it is also a DHT blocker, this makes it good for dealing with hair loss as well.

Since only men have a prostate, one might make the wrong conclusion that this herb is for men only but actually women also benefit from it. In addition to hair loss, saw palmetto is used for relieving menstrual pain, infertility, ovarian pain and inflammation. The only period of a woman's life when saw palmetto is not recommendable because its effects are not studied yet, is during pregnancy and especially lactation.

Similar to Propecia, saw palmetto is a DHT blocker. It is not certain if it is a weak DHT blocker, as some doctors suggest but when taken both orally and applied topically, saw palmetto does produce better results than Propecia. Unlike Propecia, saw palmetto can be applied topically to those areas that need it most, thus leading to very targeted treatment.

Saw palmetto can be obtained as an oil extract or as an ointment. In any case, when you apply it topically to the affected area, after some time it gets absorbed by the skin. After you apply saw palmetto to your scalp, you need to leave it for at least half an hour (you can leave it for as long as you like – the longer the better) to get absorbed by your skin.

The recommendable dosage is at least 160mg daily or ½ to 1 teaspoon, if you are using the oil extract. If you don't exceed 320mg a day, you can consider the dosage safe but in any case it is much better if you consult a doctor or a pharmacist before you start using saw palmetto. Also, you need to know in advance, that saw palmetto is not an overnight miracle. It takes persistence and a couple of years until you start reaping its benefits.

Natural Ways of Hair Loss Treatment

Natural ways for dealing with hair loss have existed for centuries and even in today's modern, fast-paced world, these eternal remedies continue to play an important role in hair loss prevention and treatment. It can be argued if traditional, natural ways of hair loss treatment are as effective as medication and above all surgery but for not so severe cases of hair loss natural remedies are the clear winner.

Very often you need just to strengthen your hair a little because it has started to fall, rather than have a hair transplant or get some more drugs, which even if considered more effective, undoubtedly have quite a lot of side effects. For instance, if your experience hair loss due to medication or a disease, the last thing that your body needs are more pills.

There are many natural ways of hair loss prevention and treatment and generally they fall into several groups: diet, vitamins and supplements, herbs, massage and aromatherapy. Of course, the boundaries between these are pretty blurred because for instance you use herbs (or herbal extracts) for massage, so this separation is to some extent conditional.

Diet plays a really important role in temporary hair loss prevention and treatment. There are many cases when severe weight loss diets have caused temporary hair loss. On the other hand, if you have MPB-type of hair loss, diet alone can't help but for milder forms of hair loss, eating the right stuff is helpful. Especially good for the hair is the outer skin of plants like cucumbers, potatoes, peppers, sprouts. They contain the silica mineral. Fatty acids are also essential for good hair and they can be found in foods like walnuts, canola oil, fish, and soya. If you have iron deficiency, then lean meats are helpful. Still, it is necessary to stress that by keeping to the right diet you can't expect miracles in terms of hair growth.

Vitamins and supplements are also necessary for your healthy hair. Though it is completely possible that you get enough vitamins and minerals through food and you don't need any additional intake, sometimes it is better to regularly input vitamins and supplements. One of the most important vitamins for healthy hair is B12, which naturally is found in eggs, meat and poultry but if you can't get enough of it by consuming these kinds of food, you should consider pills. Other B vitamins, biotin in particular are also essential for good hair (and nails), so maybe you'd better get a combined vitamins formula.

Herbs are going through a real resurrection in therapy, although many doctors still deny their therapeutic properties. The herb that is regarded with most respect in relation to hair loss treatment is saw palmetto and it can be said that it successfully competes with modern hair loss drugs. Although clinical research over the effects of herbs on hair loss is not abundant, many people see from experience that herbs do work. Some of the most popular herbs and plants for hair loss treatment, like nettle root, Dong Quai, rosemary, aloe vera, jojoba, etc. are described in more detail in this article.

The last group of natural ways of hair loss prevention and treatment is massage (including acupuncture) and aromatherapy. Most often massage is performed not with bare hands but with needles, as is the case with acupuncture, or herbal oils and extracts are rubbed into the skin. In any case, even bare hand massaging of particular spots on your hair and all over your body improves the blood circulation and stimulates hair growth. Usually massage is a short routine and it takes no more than 5 minutes per session. You can go to a saloon for a massage session but you can also get an electric massager and perform it at home.

Aromatherapy also involves natural ingredients like the essential oils of thyme, rosemary, lavender, cedarwood, grapeseed and jojoba. Several drops of the oils are mixed together and are applied on hair loss affected areas. This is performed before going to bed and while you sleep, the oils help your hair to grow.

Treatment of Hair Loss

After you have learned about the causes of hair loss, as well as some of the ways to prevent it, probably the next most important question that tortures your mind is if hair loss is treatable. Yes, hair loss can be treated and there are many ways to it. In some cases, even a complete recovery is possible but this of course depends more on the reason for hair loss than on the way it is treated because simply there is permanent and temporary hair loss and as discussed before, only temporary hair loss can be cured completely.

As already mentioned many times throughout these articles, hair loss treatment starts with diagnosing the cause. If you don't diagnose the cause correctly, then your treatment might by chance produce good results but since you are not dealing with the very reason for your falling hair, it is much more probable that the results will be far from perfect. It is also very important that you diagnose your hair loss as early as possible because if you catch it in an early stage, then treatment, or at least slowing down of the rate at which your hair is falling, will be more effective.

A general rule that applies to hair loss treatment is that the process is taking a long time and it takes a lot of patience. Besides, even with surgery (the heavy artillery of hair loss treatment) it is not always possible to restore one's hair to its previous perfect condition, so you'd better don't get depressed if your hair does not improve rapidly or recover completely.

Depending on the cause and stage of your hair loss, your doctor might prescribe one or more procedures and/or medications. Basically, there are three approaches to hair loss treatment – natural hail loss treatment, which relies on natural remedies that have been used since ancient times, medical treatment, which uses modern pharmaceutical products, and surgery. Very often a combination of two or three of the approaches will be used but there are cases when only one of them is absolutely enough to get your hair back.

Historically the first form of hair loss treatment is the natural one. In ancient times people didn't have today's pharmaceutic industry, not to mention such achievements of surgery as hair transplants but still they made rather successful attempts to treat hair loss. While generally natural hair loss remedies can't be compared in effect to surgery, in many cases of partial hair loss they prove more effective than medicines. Natural hair treatment involves many herbs, supplements, mixtures, etc. that prevent or cure hair loss.

Some of the most famous natural approaches to hair loss include the use of the saw palmetto herb and other plants like rosemary and sage, jojoba oil, aloe vera and henna.

Massage and aromatherapy are also gaining popularity as an alternative to drugs and for some people these two relatively new forms of natural treatment have proven really useful in the long term.

Medical treatment involves two main drugs – Propecia and Rogaine and is used for treating hair loss both in men and women. Propecia and Rogaine are not effective on completely bald areas, so if you see that your hair is thinning and starts to fall, don't wait too long before you start treatment. Also, have in mind that generally it takes up to half an year before you start experiencing the positive effects of medical treatment of hair loss, so in addition to being patient, you'd better start early with the therapy.

One of the best applications of Propecia and Rogaine is in combination with each other, or after a hair transplant has been performed, these two drugs can be used to strengthen the effect. Generally both drugs are safe to use (Propecia is used orally, while Rogaine is applied topically) and they have relatively mild side effects.

No doubt the most effective treatment for permanent hair loss is surgery. This is a very young branch of science and as it can be expected, its long-term effects are studied less than the effects of natural remedies, for example. Surgery is the radical approach to hair loss and for patients who have lost most of their hair, or who have grown very bald a hair transplant is the only solution. Though surgery has many advantages over natural ways of hair loss treatment and medication, it also has some serious disadvantages, as explained in this article, so you need to weigh the pros and cons before you decide to resort to the scalpel.