Anyone can start losing their hair at a time when they least expect it, even women can experience balding. Balding is a somewhat awkward consequence of a host of factors that all combine to contribute towards eventual hair loss. However, hair restoration for women is a solution that promises to reverse the irritating effects of hair loss. The fortunate thing about the different balding treatments is that they are flexible enough to meet all our different needs, be it if we prefer medications or natural treatments as cures.

To start with, medical procedures have recently been introduced as alternative forms of treatment to pharmaceutical drugs and natural herbs. In this category of treatments come various procedures, the most common being scalp reduction surgery and hair transplants. With scalp reduction surgery, a portion of the scalp is stretched outwards towards the specific area that is exposed to balding. As painful as it might seem at first it is actually effective at the end of it all. Apart from scalp reduction surgery there is also micro grafting of singular hairs and the transplanting of skin tissue from donors onto affected areas.

Hair transplants are exactly what the name implies, except for the obvious fact that it is your hair that is used in the hair transplant, not someone else’s. With an operation of this kind hair is uprooted from the back part of your head and planted in areas where balding is occurring.  This procedure has not been very effective for women hair restoration because of the overall thinning of the scalp hair that is seen instead of the pattern baldness that men experience.  A new micro-surgically based procedure seems to be working well for [female hair restoration] as it allows for the transplantation of hairs from different areas of the body to the thinning parts of the scalp.  This is the most effective surgical female hair loss treatment.

When a medical operation is not something you would fancy then you could try prescription medicines, or other hair restoration products for women. Of note are Rogaine and Propecia. Rogaine can be obtained over the counter and is showing great success at treating both men’s and women’s hair loss.  Generally, if the person is already bald then this drug will not offer much help but if the thinning is just now showing up it can put a halt to continued loss.

Propecia seems to be very effective for the treatment of male pattern baldness but it is not recommended for women of child bearing age due to the possibility of birth defects in male infants.  It apparently has an effective on the proper development of the sexual organs.

Various side effects come with prescribing to the aforementioned medical procedures. Rogaine has been known for causing itchiness and Propecia can bring about erectile dysfunction in males and depression. As for scalp reduction surgery and hair transplants, bruising and scarring are somewhat obvious side effects.

The fact is there are options available for female hair replacement.  Spend some time checking out information and contact a few clinics who specialize in problems with women.  You will be surprised.

Some of the reason that you may be experiencing thinning or balding problems could be hormonal, medical, or external. It is very common for a woman to experience thinning hair due to hormonal changes associated with pregnancy and birth. This is interesting because a woman’s hair usually is very healthy during the pregnancy due to the inclusion of prenatal vitamins. After the birth though, due to physical changes and possibly stress and worry, the new mother can experience hair thinning. This condition will usually right itself in a few months.

There also can be marked hair loss during menopause due to the changes in a woman’s hormonal chemistry. This can be alleviated with treatments prescribed by your health care provider. If you are in middle age and starting to see thinning hair or balding talk to your doctor immediately. He or she can help you develop a female hair loss treatment for this time in your life.

Another common cause of hair loss is due to medical procedures and treatments. For example, radiation therapy and chemotherapy can both be causes for dramatic and sometimes total hair loss. This condition also will right itself once the treatment program is completed.

Traction alopecia or hair loss due to pulling is also fairly common in women who wear tightly bound hair like in pony tails and braids. The pulling of the hair actually breaks it off at the scalp line. This hair will grow back because the hair follicles are not usually damaged. Treatment for hair loss in women due to this problem include wearing your hair looser and using a good conditioner to help with any brittleness of the hair.

Hair Loss Treatments For Women

The last cause is Androgenetic Alopecia which has usually been referred to as male pattern baldness but is also name female pattern hair loss. This is a genetic condition that is manifested by hair loss caused from DHT attacking the hair follicles and causing them to stop producing hair shaft material. There are two FDA approved drugs for male pattern baldness that seem to be effective. The first, Finasteride, is not prescribed to women though because of the potential for side effects including birth defects in male babies.

The second drug has been approved by the US FDA as a treatment for hair loss in women. Minoxidil is usually sold under the brand name Rogaine but it has recently been sold in generic form also. Minoxidil actually protects the hair follicles from the DHT by inhibiting the ability of the DHT to bond with receptors on the hair follicle. It is usually applied in a solution with 2% or 5% active ingredient. This treatment has shown good results as a hair loss treatment for women.

Like men, the majority of women who suffer hair loss have a condition known as Androgenetic Alopecia or female pattern baldness. There are other causes of hair loss including Traction Alopecia which is caused by the pulling of the hair by braids, pony tails, and the like. Also, medications and medical procedures can cause hair loss along with hormonal imbalances due to pregnancy. But the majority of women suffer from female pattern hair loss and thus need a female hair restoration process that will treat their specific issues.

When men have pattern baldness they tend to lose their hair in a set pattern which is where the name came from. In particular, a man will usually have a receding hair line and/or balding at the crown of the head. This will eventually expand until the entire top of the head is bald. Very rarely will you see a man who is bald at the back of the scalp unless he has shaved it himself. This hair growth at the posterior of the scalp gives a very good donation area for the hair implant procedure.

Women Hair Restoration

Women, on the other hand, do not usually have hair loss in a set pattern. Instead, they will have thinning hair located over the entire scalp. This means a hair implants procedure is really not effective because there is no good donor area and the entire head would have to be treated in order to make much of a difference. This leaves some other method of hair restoration as the choice for women instead of hair transplants. Luckily, there is an active ingredient in some hair loss formulas that has proven effective for hair restoration in women.

Hair Restoration Products For Women

Minoxidil is a drug that has been approved for hair loss and also has been shown to be safe for women. This is different than another drug, Finasteride, that is very effective for hair loss in men but causes birth defects so is not allowed to be used by women. Minoxidil is applied to the scalp twice a day and rubbed in, then it is left to soak in to the skin. There are two solution strengths available. A 2% solution and a 5% solution. In general women have been told to use the 2% mixture because some research studies seemed to indicate that this was more effective for female hair restoration than the stronger mixture. Recently, though, the feeling is that women should apply the more concentrated substance like men do. It makes sense that the more Minoxidil that can be applied to the scalp the better it would work.

As far as hair restoration products go, Minoxidil does a very good job of helping to stop hair loss and it even can allow some hair follicles to begin producing keratin again if they have not been dormant too long.

Women, on the other hand, almost always develop thinning hair over there entire head. So, even though the cause is the same as men who develop a pattern, for women there is no pattern and instead the hair falls out evenly. This means just swapping male treatments for female hair loss treatments won’t always be effective. In particular, hair implants are very effective for men because there is a good donor area at the back of the head which hair follicles can be removed from and then transplanted to the bald area. There is usually enough hair that the removal of a portion from the back is unnoticeable.

General hair implants are not a good treatment for female hair loss though as there is no area on the scalp to act as a donation area. Since the entire head has thinning, if you take follicles from one area and transplant them to another then the donation site will be more noticeable. This makes standards implants not a good choice as hair restoration for women.

There is a hair transplant for women procedure that can help to fill in the scalp with body hair. Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE) is a method by which individual hair follicles can be removed from other areas of the body and then inserted into the scalp. These hairs tend to be more course than scalp hairs but they work well as fillers. Since a women rarely has a receding hair line like a man does, FUE can be one of the effective treatments for female hair loss.

Female Hair Loss Treatment

There are two drugs that have been approved by the FDA as to their effectiveness for treating andorgenetic alopecia. These are Finasteride and Minoxidil. Finasteride works well for men because it limits DHT which is what causes the hair follicles to stop production of hair. Unfortunately, it also has the tendency to cause birth defects so it is not prescribed to women of childbearing age. In fact, women are warned to not even touch the tablets for fear the active ingredient will be absorbed through the skin.

The second drug, Minoxidil, is approved as a female hair restoration product because it is safe for both men and women. This drug is usually sold under the brand name Rogaine For Women. It is applied topically which means it is rubbed onto the scalp twice a day. Rogaine is effective at limiting the effects of high levels of DHT which will allow the hair follicles to continue to produce keratin the building blocks of hair.

If you are suffering from thinning or balding hair then this is the best hair loss remedy for women on the market today. The product can now be purchased in a generic form so for about $20 for a three month supply you can try it out and see what happens. I think you will be happy with the results but I recommend you continue to look into other possibilities. The scientific community is finally taking female hair loss treatments serious and new ideas are being explored each day.

Rogaine

If you have FPB, first visit a dermatologist before pursuing any type of treatment. Once a determination is made, then a hair loss treatment plan can be undertaken. One of the best treatments for a woman experiencing hair loss is the use of the product Rogaine. Rogaine contains Minoxidil which is FDA approved. The topical treatment increases growth time and therefore allows a woman to keep her existing hair longer or establish regrowth in thinning areas.

Stronger is Better

For female pattern baldness (FPB), medical experts recommend that women use the stronger solution or 5% Minoxidil for reducing hair loss. Although the weaker solution (2%) assists in hair growth minimally, women often see an apparent difference by using the stronger treatment. Some side effects are noted with the stronger solution, including some scalp discomfort and itching.

Finasteride

Another FDA approved medication that can be used in some cases of FPB is Finasteride. The medicine, which is definitively prescribed for male pattern baldness (MPB) and goes under the names Propecia or Proscar, can be harmful if taken by pregnant women. For example, it is known to cause irregular growth in the sex organs of male fetuses. For this reason women of childbearing age are not given this prescription. However, for certain women Finasteride has been proven to be and effective solution as a hair loss treatment.

Visit an FPB Specialist

Many female preparations for hair loss contain ingredients that enhance the texture of the hair as well such as biotin and zinc and therefore increase the efficacy of the solution. If you’re experiencing female pattern hair loss, it’s essential to visit a specialist in this area as you will obtain treatment that is unique to the needs of women with this condition.

Using Oral Contraceptives to Fight Hair Loss

Many women hair loss patients have discovered that the use of birth control pills containing significant amounts of estrogen can help reduce hair loss as they dilute the effects of testosterone on the hair and therefore hair loss is circumvented. As a result, hair loss experts who treat FPB recommend higher-dose contraceptives to combat hair loss by suggesting the use of such brands as Yasmin, Orthocyclen and Desogen. While some laypeople believe hair loss in women is a result of contraceptive use, hair loss specialists say the opposite is true.

Hair Transplant

For women who wish to attain a permanent solution, many doctors now prescribe hair transplant surgery as a plan of treatment. Because of advancements in the procedures used, less scarring is noted so now many women are opting for the surgery. New techniques for women include removing entire strips of hair and segmenting them into smaller areas where hair loss has occurred among naturally growing hair. Therefore, many women with significant hair loss or thinning can be quite pleased with the results.

Review your Options

Whatever the reason for your loss of hair, visit a dermatologist first to find out the cause. In come cases medicines or disease can be the reason for hair loss while in other instances hair loss may require a change in your diet or how you handle stress. There are a number of hair loss clinics and treatments that are helpful in reducing hair loss for women. Review your choices on the Internet and begin a treatment plan.