Losing Hair? Here Are Ways to Get Your Hair Back Losing your hair can be extremely upsetting. Millions of men and women around the world suffer from hair loss. A large majority of them are looking for a miracle cure. Although no miracle cures are available, there are a couple of treatment options that have proven very effective. If you suffer from hair loss and want to get your hair back, you should find the following information helpful.
Before you can effectively treat your hair loss you must understand what is causing it. Many times hair loss is genetic. Male pattern baldness, as it is commonly called, can be passed down from either your mother’s or your father’s side of the family. This genetic hair loss frequently results in the standard horseshoe pattern.
Women, too, can suffer from a genetic pattern of baldness. Although women do not typically go completely bald, they often experience varying degrees of hair thinning. While the hair loss may not be as severe as a man’s, the effect on a woman’s well-being is usually much worse.
Another type of hair loss, called telogen effluvium, causes women to lose hair all over their body — including their eyebrows and pubic area. Telogen effluvium may be caused by a poor diet, diseases, prescription medications, and even stress. While frightening, this disorder will usually reverse itself once the underlying condition is corrected.
Not so with genetic hair loss. Genetic hair loss is usually progressive and, when untreated, will not get better. At the current time, there are only two medications that are effective in treating genetic hair loss. They are Finasteride and Minoxidil.
Finasteride, which you may recognize by its brand name Propecia, was first developed as a treatment for men with enlarged prostate glands. While being tested they discovered it was helpful in restoring hair growth in men with male pattern baldness. This drug must be prescribed by a physician and comes in a pill form that must be taken once a day. It is very effective in slowing down, and even stopping, genetic hair loss. Some that have used it have even grown back much of their hair.
Here’s the bad part. Once you stop taking finasteride your hair loss will resume. It, therefore, has to be taken for the rest of your life. There are some side effects you should discuss with your doctor before trying finasteride.
Minoxidil, which is most generally known by the retail name Rogaine, is a topical treatment for genetic hair loss. Minoxidil may be used by either men or women and comes in either a liquid or a cream formula. It should be applied directly to the areas of the scalp that have suffered hair loss. Minoxidil will not grow back a full head of hair. Some lucky users, however, have experienced a measure of hair regrowth.
Hair loss is a frustrating problem. While it is bad for men, it is especially bad for women. Hopefully, you will find the information in this article helpful if you want to get your hair back.
