Hair Restoration and Replacement

When thinking about hair loss treatments there are really three areas to consider. Each of them can be effective in treating hair loss under different circumstances. The fact is, although most hair loss is caused by pattern baldness, treating the different stages associated with this condition and treating male versus female can make certain methods more effective than others. The three main hair loss treatment categories are drugs and remedies, surgery, and laser hair restoration.

The first of these usually gets the majority of the attention when people look for a way to get hair growing in a bald spot again but in reality the most effective use of these is while there is still some hair growth. It is much easier to keep the hair you have than it is to try to re-grow hair once it has fallen out. In fact, none of these drugs or remedies are very effective at all for restarting hair growth.

Male Hair Loss Treatment

The number one oral drug prescribed for men suffering from male pattern baldness is Finasteride. This drug, originally developed to treat male urinary problems, is a DHT blocker. DHT is the hormone that bonds to receptors on the hair follicles causing them to shorten their growth phases and eventually stop hair shaft material production all together. Another FDA approved drug that is topically applied is Minoxidil. This is usually sold under the brand name Rogaine. It is a vasodilator which means it causes the small blood vessels in the body to increase in size which reduces blood pressure and provides more blood flow to all areas of the body including the hair follicles.

Natural Hair Loss Treatment

There are some natural substances that have been used to treat high levels of DHT in the blood stream. Saw Palmetto Extract is produced from a short palm found along the southern coast of the US. This plant has been used for years to treat male urinary problems and has recently been shown to help with hair loss. Stingy nettle root is also used as a treatment for hair loss that is not based on some manmade drug.

Female Hair Loss Treatment

Unfortunately, women are limited in what treatments for hair loss then can use. Finasteride is not recommended for women as it can cause birth defects. In particular, it can cause problems with the development of the sex organs in male fetuses. There is also a concern with women using natural DHT inhibiting compounds. The main hair loss treatment for women is Minoxidil. Women seem to receive good results from a 2% solution although a 5% solution is recommended for men.

Women also have not had as good a results with hair treatment surgery. The standard hair transplantation surgery is predicated on there being a healthy growth of hair at some point on the head to be used as a donation area. With men this is the back of the scalp. Women though tend to have thinning hair over the entire scalp so the standard hair implant method may not work well for them. They may need the follicular unit extraction method which targets individual hair follicle units instead of strips of scalp. In general though, hair implants surgery is one of the best hair loss treatments especially if the person is experiencing baldness as opposed to just thinning hair.

The last treatment involves using low level laser light to stimulate the growth of hair. The idea is the hair seems to grow faster in the summer than the winter so the suns rays may have an affect. The laser comb and laser brush are in clinical trials now and everyone is awaiting the results. Early anecdotal evidence indicates hair growth by people who use this method.

Choosing the best hair loss treatment is really a matter of finding out what works best for your situation. There are many options to choose from. The best thing to do is try them out until you find the one that is right for you.