Hair Restoration and Replacement

Before you spend much time on the prevention of hair loss you really should understand what can cause it. In 95% of the cases, where men are suffering from a loss of hair, the culprit is androgenetic alopecia or male pattern baldness (MPB) in layman’s terms. This is a genetic condition that is passed down from the patient’s parents and causes the hair follicles in certain areas of the scalp to be susceptible to a hormonal metabolite known as DHT. This DHT is a derivative of the male hormone testosterone but it can be found in the systems of both men and women. The DHT will actually bond with the hair follicles and cause them to stop producing hair material. Other causes of hair loss for men include stress, certain medications, and deficiencies in nutrients such as iron and protein but these cases are not that wide spread.

Women can suffer from pattern baldness like men but it is called female pattern baldness when a female suffers from the condition. Female hair loss prevention is a little more difficult than for men because there are many other potential hair loss causes. Women can see marked hair loss due to a severe diet, thyroid problems, hormonal changes at birth, chemotherapy, blood pressure medications, anti-depressants and some birth control pills. Most of the hair loss from these conditions will reverse once the cause has been removed.

Both sexes should be sure to get the proper nutrients either in their diets or by taking supplements. Omega3 fatty acids and B vitamins are critical for male hair loss prevention and for females. The omega3 can be taken as a supplement in the form or fish oil capsules or you can eat a diet rich in fish, nuts, and olive oil. Although nutrition is important, increasing your vitamins will not treat the main cause of hair loss which is pattern baldness.

Hair Loss Prevention

If a man or woman is suffering hair loss from this condition then there are two ways to attack the problem. You can either limit the levels of DHT in the blood stream or you can stop the DHT from affecting the hair follicles. There is an FDA approved drug known as Finasteride, sold as Propecia, that limits the production of this hormone and is effective for hair loss prevention in men. It acts to stop the production and thus there is less free DHT in the blood stream to bond with the follicles. This drug is not prescribed to women though because of the high potential for birth defects in male babies. In particular, Finasteride can cause developmental problems with the male sexual organs.

Another FDA hair loss approved drug is Minoxidil and it is recommended for both men and women. It is usually sold under the brand name Rogaine. Rogaine is applied to the scalp twice a day and works to limit the bonding of the DHT with the hair follicles. By inhibiting the DHT the hair follicles are allowed to continue to produce hair material like normal. One interesting fact about this drug is that different concentrations seem to work for men or women. Rogaine for men contains a 5% Minoxidil mixture but studies have shown that women have better results with a 2% solution. You can get Minoxidil in a hair loss prevention shampoo but the key is to start using the product as soon as you start to see more hair loss than is normal.

Be sure to always check out the claims of any hair loss prevention product you plan to use as there are a lot of scams in the hair loss industry. The best advice is the old saying, “if it seems to good to be true, it probably is.” There are no magic elixirs but if you start your treatments early enough you can slow down or stop the hair loss before it gets out of hand.