Hair loss treatments include surgical intervention, medication, concealment procedures, and alternative treatments. Deciding on the right treatment depends on various considerations including the cause of hair loss and the amount one is willing to spend on such treatments. The expense and nature of treatment can also differ for men and women as certain causative factors are sex-specific.

Combating hair loss is a problem usually associated with aging, although other causes also exist. Hair loss treatments differ significantly depending on the specific nature of the case.

Treatments include surgical procedures, internal and external medication, concealing hair loss, and alternative treatments. Choosing the right alternative will depend on the condition causing the problem, one’s budget, and other considerations.

Surgical treatments.

In serious cases that do not respond to other forms of treatment, hair transplants are an option. In this procedure, the surgeon takes hair from one part of the patient’s body, usually the back of the scalp, and transplants it to balding patches. Since identical twins have the same genetic profile, it is also possible to transplant hair from one identical twin to another.

Hair transplants between people who are not identical twins are more difficult since the body may reject the new hair. In some cases, special medication may help prevent the body from rejecting hair from such transplants.

Hair loss medication.

Many pharmaceutical companies market drugs for hair loss. Finasteride and Minoxidil (Rogaine) are examples of such medication. Minoxidil is a topical treatment that can be used by both women and men. Finasteride is used to inhibit a substance known as dihydrotestosterone (DHT) that causes male pattern baldness.

A class of drugs known as androgen receptor inhibitors are used to treat hair loss in women. Such drugs include Tagament, Aldactone, and Cyproterone Acetate. Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) and oral contraceptives can also be used for androgenetic hair loss.

Concealing hair loss.

Some types of treatment do not actually prevent hair loss or promote new hair growth, but rather attempt to minimize the appearance of hair loss.

For example, one technique is to expand the scalp with miniature balloons inserted underneath the skin of hairy areas of the scalp. The expanded hairy area is used to surgically patch up balding spots. Another procedure is scalp reduction in which excess skin on the scalp is surgically removed to shrink the size of balding areas.

Alternative treatments.

Many people prefer to use natural and other alternative treatments for hair loss. Such treatments can be much less expensive than those mentioned above, although the research to support their effectiveness may be sparse or non-existent. Some of these treatments are based on traditional medical practices used in many cultures before the dawn of modern medicine.

Some products, for example, use combinations of herbs, vitamins and minerals to stimulate hair growth or to prevent conditions that lead to hair loss. Some of these treatments are internal while others use topical application.

A number of cosmetic products also exist to help conceal areas of hair loss.

Author Bio: Find more information about finding a hair loss treatment

Category: Medicines and Remedies
Keywords: hair loss. thinning hair, receeding hair, balding