Choosing the Best Hair Loss Remedy

By : R.D Jones

If you are beginning to lose your hair, you likely feel embarrassed and concerned. While hair loss is sometimes a natural part of the aging process, there are treatments that can be used to stop it. The hair loss remedy you choose will depend on many factors, including your gender, the amount of hair loss you are experiencing and the cause of your hair loss.

One popular over the counter hair loss treatment is minoxidil, which is a medication commonly known by the brand name of Regaine. Minoxidil works well for both men and women. This medication is a liquid that is rubbed on the scalp twice a day. It both increases hair growth and can stop hair loss. This hair loss remedy does not cause the hair to grow back as full, thick, and long as it had been before, but it does often cause enough hair to grow to cover the bald spot. Minoxidil does not work for everyone and the effects of the medication stop as soon as you stop using it.

Men with male pattern baldness can benefit from a prescription hair loss remedy known as finasteride or Propecia. This medication stops testosterone from converting into dihydrotestosterone, which appears to cause male hair loss. Women cannot use this medication because it poses severe danger to male babies in the womb. Finasteride works primarily to slow or arrest the loss of hair but it can cause some new hair growth. The overall success rate of this medication is 89 per cent.  

Sometimes women and men with hair loss can benefit from having cortisone injections in the scalp. Cortisone in a cream or ointment can sometimes be used to stimulate hair growth as well. However, injections are more effective than creams or ointments. The injections are usually repeated on a monthly basis.

Any medical hair loss remedy has potential side effects. Also, these medical treatments do not always work. Many people suffering from hair loss, particularly women, will try surgical procedures to treat their condition. Surgery is usually only tried after traditional remedies have failed. There are two surgical procedures used as hair loss remedies. These are hair transplants and scalp reduction surgery.  

A hair transplant involves taking hair and skin from a part of the body where the hair is growing well, such as the back of the head, and surgically attaching it to the part of the head where the hair loss is occurring. As the transplants take root, the hair grows as it had been growing on the back of the head, eventually covering the bald area.  

A scalp reduction involves stretching the scalp so that the skin in the bald spot can be removed. The incision is closed by stretching the scalp so that the areas that contain hair cover the removed portion. After the area heals, the hair grows as normal. There are many potential side effects to a surgical hair loss remedy. For this reason, those considering surgery to deal with their hair loss should carefully discuss the option with their doctors to give themselves the chance to weigh the benefits against the potential risks.

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