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Archive for the ‘Hair Loss’ Category

For any hair loss treatment to be effective, it is essential to first know the exact cause of hair loss. Some hair shedding in men as well as women is normal. As hairs are shed at the end of their growth cycle and replaced by new ones, some degree of hair loss is normal. However, should you find any kind of abnormal hair loss; you can approach a medical professional for treatment.

Hair loss treatment medicines

Some people may choose to treat their hair loss with medicines while others are not as concerned about their thinning hair lines or even baldness. If a disease is the reason for your hair loss, then treating the disease may stop the hair loss. Or simply treating hair loss with prescription drugs can also reverse hair loss.

Treatment for hair loss does tend to boost self-esteem and one’s overall well-being. While some would willingly trade this with drug-related health inconsistencies, others would tread more carefully and make an informed decision. Some medicines could have harmful side effects but using the medicines under medical guidance can lessen the incidence of side effects.

Inherited hair loss (androgenetic alopecia) treatment aims to avoid hair loss, promote hair growth, and cover bald areas on the scalp. Since all individuals react differently to dissimilar medicines, everyone may not notice positive results or re-grow a full head of hair. The medicines include:

Minoxidil (Rogaine) is an over-the-counter topical solution that is sprayed on and rubbed into the scalp twice a day. Once use of this solution is stopped, you will lose all your re-grown hair in time.

Finasteride (Propecia) is a prescription-only medication for men. One 1mg pill must be taken once daily. However, it has not established its efficacy in women and is therefore not approved for use by women. In addition, women who are planning on becoming pregnant in the future should not take or handle crushed or broken tablets, because Finasteride can cause birth defects in a male foetus.

Even though treatment with medicines may slow hair loss and help hair re-growth, you much consider the following before making your decision. These include:

You may not get as much hair growth as you expected Medicines for hair growth might have to be taken over the long term or all re-grown hair will fall out Your may have to pay for the medication from you own pocket because you insurance might not cover the medicine; medicines can be expensive Long-term use of these medicines may result in side effects that are not yet known; certain health conditions do not allow you to use these medications All hair loss treatments have their limitations.

Treatments Available for Hair Loss

There is not much that men or women can do to prevent inherited hair loss. This type of hair loss is a trait that carries itself in the DNA of the person. Nonetheless, not all hair loss is hereditary. There are cases where individuals have experienced hair loss while their parents and close relatives have not. This generally points a finger at other causes like stress, poor nutrition or even pollution. Premature hair loss may be result of drug use, stress, overwork, hair dyes and other chemicals, fungal infections and disease, among others.

Depending on the type of hair loss, treatments will normally differ. However, it is essential that first the cause of hair loss is established so that it becomes easy to embark on the type of treatment. For example, if treatment of a disease, like chemotherapy is the cause of hair loss then medicines may not necessarily have the potential to treat this hair loss. On the other hand, if stress is the cause of hair loss, then treatment may be used to repair damaged hair.

Some conditions produce small areas of hair loss, while others affect large areas of the scalp. Alopecia can affect hair on other parts of the body too – for example, the beard. Common causes of patchy hair loss are:

Alopecia areata (patches of baldness that usually grow back) Alopecia totalis Traction alopecia (thinning from tight braids or ponytails) Trichotillomania (the habit of twisting or pulling hair out) Tinea capitis (fungal infection)

Alopecia areata, a common condition usually starts as a single, quarter-sized circle of perfectly smooth baldness. But normally patches do re-grow in three to six months without treatment. Sometimes, the hair may also grow back in white colour but later change back to its usual colour.

In another variant, when the old patches re-grow hair, they may be replaced by other patches.

An autoimmune condition, alopecia areata is said to occur when the body attacks its own hair follicles. Treatments for alopecia areata include injecting steroids into affected patches to stimulate hair growth. But this is not very practical for large areas of hair loss. Other treatments include oral steroids and ultraviolet light therapy. But the downside of this is that these could be toxic and impractical. In mild cases, patients generally comb over the affected areas. In severe cases, people have taken to wearing hairpieces; another option is shaving the scalp completely; this is a more excepted fashion statement in current times.

Hair loss may begin as Alopecia Areata and progress into Alopecia Totalis.

Alopecia totalis, the most extensive in form of the autoimmune disorder, actually affects the whole scalp and results in total baldness. Stress is thought to trigger this type of hair loss but people leading relatively stress-free lives have also experienced these symptoms.

Methotrexate and corticosteroids have been proposed as treatments.

Traction alopecia is normally caused as a result of tight braids and ponytails that pull hard on scalp hairs, damage dermal papilla and hair follicle and contribute to their falling out. It is therefore best to choose hairstyles that decrease pressure on the hair roots and will also avoid permanent damage.

Traction alopecia is reversible if diagnosed early, but may lead to permanent hair loss if it is undetected for a protracted period. Change in hair styles or medication treatments may reverse traction alopecia. Unfortunately, no medical treatment is available to reverse late-stage traction alopecia.

Trichotillomania refers to the habit of pulling out hairs or twisting them, sometimes unknowingly. In this condition the scalp and the eyelashes are also affected and show patches of broken-off hairs.

Treatment entirely depends on your behaviour change; you have to become aware of your problem and then deal with it

Tinea capitis is a fungal infection of the scalp. It mostly affects school-age children. Bald spots normally show broken-off hairs.

Treatment includes oral antibiotics that penetrate the hair roots and cure the infection, after which hair grows back.

Generalized hair loss includes conditions like:

Telogen effluvium normally means rapid shedding of hair after childbirth, fever, or after sudden weight loss. There is no medical treatment to correct this type of hair. In time the body adjusts to the changes and starts to work normally again.

Androgenetic alopecia has no medical cure. Normally the people facing this type of hair loss must stay with this condition or use prescription medication like Propecia for the long-term. Women do not have this option. Both men and women can both go in for hair transplants. But this is an expensive option.

No matter what the cause, hair loss is a difficult matter to confront. Moreover, individuals may not have control over the cause of their hair loss. Besides, multiple factors contributing to hair loss make treating the condition all the more difficult; but it is not impossible. Even in the most extreme cases, treatment solutions can generally be found.

Hair loss is one of the most common and bothersome conditions for people. Tension sets in as soon as one notices thinning of hair or excessive hair loss and everyone starts advising all types of treatment plans. But before you decide for any expensive treatment plan or hair loss treatment medication, it is advisable to understand what hair loss is and the types and benefits of medication available for hair loss treatment to ensure effective and desirable results.

Hair loss

Hair loss and male pattern baldness are embarrassing conditions for men. Before you go for any other hair loss treatment medication it is important to know about the process of hair loss.

The scalp hairs are divided into two phases, growth phase and resting phase. Almost 90% of our hairs are in growth phase, which lasts for approximately four to five years. Each hair grows approximately 1 centimeter per month during this phase. Once the hairs are fully grown, the resting phase starts, which lasts for up to four months. After this period, the hairs fall out naturally and are replaced by new hair in its place. This is an ongoing process and as a result of which we can lose up to 100 hairs daily. However, this is a normal occurrence and is not deemed as hair loss.

Hair loss process starts if the rate of hair fall increases at an alarming rate. Moreover, if the new hairs that replace the old one come slowly or are thin, it may be onset of hair loss. Male pattern hair loss (male pattern baldness) is the most common cause of hair loss but there could be some other reason behind your hair loss. Hence it is important to discuss your particular hair loss with your doctor before you buy Propecia or begin any other hair loss treatment.

Benefits of medication over other types of treatments

With hair loss becoming a common cause of concern amongst millions of people across the world, every year a large number of medications, herbs, spices, nutritional supplements, oils, shampoos etc comes up in the market each claiming itself to be the panacea for hair loss. Each year, men suffering from hair loss spend billions of dollars in an attempt to treat their hair loss. Unfortunately, 99% of all products being marketed in the less than ethical hair loss treatment industry are completely ineffective for the majority of those who use them.

If you are going bald you should seriously consider hair loss medication treatments to halt or even reverse your hair loss. While there is no “Hair Loss Cure”, hair loss drugs can often stop or even reverse alopecia aerate in most people. Medication for treating hair loss slows thinning of the hair and increases coverage of the scalp by growing new hair and enlarging existing hairs.

Types of Medications for Hair loss Treatment

Today there are two FDA approved medications for hair growth – minoxidil which is sold over the counter as Rogaine, for both men and women, and Finasteride, a prescription pill sold as Propecia, for men only. Two other drugs have been recently approved for hair growth and include a high-estrogen oral contraceptive and Aldactone (spironolactone). However, these two medications are only for women due to their feminizing side effects.

Both these medications slow thinning of the hair and increase coverage of the scalp by growing new hair and enlarging existing hairs. However, the effectiveness of finasteride or minoxidil depends on your age and the location of hair loss. These medications do not work for everyone, and you should not expect to re-grow a full head of hair.

Propecia as Hair Loss Treatment Medicine

Propecia (Finasteride) is proven to be the most effective hair loss treatment medicine to treat male pattern baldness. Propecia is for men only, and is not approved by the FDA as a hair loss treatment for women or children.

Propecia works by blocking the enzyme, Type II 5 alpha-reductase from converting testosterone to its active form DHT (dihydrotestosterone) in the body. DHT plays a major role in inherited male pattern baldness (androgenic alopecia). In this process, it reduces the level of the hormone in the scalp which shortens the hair growth cycle and allows hairs to revert to a normal growth cycle. This can result in stopping further hair loss and increasing new hair growth in men with male pattern baldness.

A single 1mg Propecia tablet is to be taken everyday continuously for 3-6 months before benefit is seen. When Propecia is discontinued, the hair loss process resumes so continuous use is recommended to sustain benefit.

Also remember that Propecia is a prescription only medicine with certain side effects and should be taken after consultation with the doctor.

You’re not alone if you’re experiencing breakage, increased hair shedding or significant hair loss.

Hair loss in women is most often very gradual and is more easily affected by hormonal changes, medical conditions, and external factors. Hair loss in women is no less distressing than in men. More often women s hair loss is limited to the thinning of the hair especially around the crown area. A receding hair line is rare in women. It usually starts with the hair follicle becoming thinner, revealing more skin.

Hair loss or hair shedding is consistent within the hair growth cycle and it is normal to lose some scalp hair each day. The average human scalp has roughly 100,000 to 150,000 individual hairs and the normal hair growth cycle results in the loosening or shedding of about 100 to 150 hairs on a daily basis. New hair growth then emerges from these same previous dormant hair follicles, growing at the average rate of about half an inch per month.

Baldness or Alopecia happens when the normal pattern of hair growth is disrupted. The normal pattern of human hair growth is growing, resting, shedding and growing again. For a woman, thick, vibrant hair is our crowning glory, our vanity visible. Our culture strongly identifies femininity with a thick, silky head of hair. Society unfairly identifies dry, lack luster and thinning hair with old age, sickness and poverty.

Reasons for hair loss include physical, emotional, and genetic conditions. Hair loss can occur from many common causes that most women do not even think of. The number of women who suffer from stress and hair loss is growing. Stress leads to various health conditions which cause hair loss.

A woman’s hair is at its thickest by age 20. Once we pass 20, however, our hair gradually begins to thin, shedding more than the normal 100-150 hairs a day. For even the elderly woman, significant hair loss can threaten self image.

Female pattern baldness or Androgen tic Alopecia is the most common type of hair loss in women and is genetic in nature. The result is a shorter hair growth cycle, finer hair and excessive hair loss from shedding and breakage.

Coming off birth control pills and pregnancy can cause hair loss. Women may experience hair loss 2 – 3 months after having a baby.

Progesterone is another hormone that precisely targets the hair during menopause. It compensates by producing extra androstenedione, which prevents hair growth. Usually hair will return to its original thickness following menopause.

A healthy balanced diet, regular exercise, hydration and rest can go a long way towards preventing hair loss and maximizing the potential of your hair growth cycle.

Nutrition

Poor nutrition is often an underlying cause of hair loss as the hair is a reliable indicator of nutritional well being. Dull hair color or dry and brittle hair may be indicators of a deficiency in essential fats in the diet, oily hair may be a sign of a B vitamin deficiency.

Low-fat foods that rank high in protein, low in carbohydrates, can play a vital role in sustaining healthy hair growth and aid in preventing hair loss. Harsh chemicals may strip the natural oils from your hair and lead to breakage and poor hair growth. Dye, hair straightening and permanent solutions are highly destructive to the hair shaft and follicle as well as the delicate sebum balance of the scalp.

Be gentle with your hair. Allow hair to dry naturally rather than using a hair dryer. Wet hair is weak hair so handle with care.

Try not to constantly run your fingers through your hair, tug at the hair and avoid hair clips or rubber bands that pull at and break off the hair. Minimize the usage of mousse, gels and hair sprays. These products dry and weigh down the hair shaft and dull the natural luster of your hair.

Harsh hair treatment such as pulling with brushes, tight braiding and styling with irons and strengtheners can be a cause of female thinning hair.

Sun worshippers should make sure that hair care products have sunscreen properties to protect hair from the damaging affects of UV rays.

Hair loss is traumatic, however our hair is only part of who we are. Remember, that for some hair grows back as mysteriously as it disappeared

Finding what has caused your hair loss will greatly increase your chances of finding the right treatments to help re grow your hair.

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