Medications & Medical Conditions
Certain medications may stimulate hair loss, such as blood thinners and beta-blockers. If you take anti-depressants or have a condition like anemia or an overactive immune system, you may also experience hair loss as a result. Chemotherapy will also cause your hair to fall out.
If youre struggling with medically induced hair loss, there are options. You can learn more here about laser therapy treatment for hair loss.
Biotin And Low Level Laser Therapy
Biotin is a B vitamin that is essential for your health. You most likely get plenty of it in your diet in egg yolks, yeast, liver, and other foods. Thats good news because too little biotin can cause hair loss. Does that mean that taking mega-doses of it will give you more hair? Probably not. No scientific studies have shown biotin to prevent or treat hair loss. Learn more about biotin and hair loss.
You may have heard that laser combs, brushes, hoods, and caps can help halt hair loss. The theory is that when hair follicles absorb laser light at a certain level, it stimulates hair to grow. But theres not enough evidence that any of these devices restore hair or prevent balding.
Procedures To Help Regrow Hair
While at-home treatments offer convenience, a procedure performed by a board-certified dermatologist tends to be more effective. For this reason, your dermatologist may include one of the following in your treatment plan.
Injections of corticosteroids: To help your hair regrow, your dermatologist injects this medication into the bald areas. These injections are usually given every 4 to 8 weeks as needed, so you will need to return to your dermatologists office for treatment.
This is considered the most effective treatment for people who have a few patches of alopecia areata, a condition that causes hair loss. In one study of 127 patients with patchy alopecia areata, more than 80% who were treated with these injections had at least half of their hair regrow within 12 weeks.
Hair transplant: If you have an area of thinning or balding due to male pattern baldness, your dermatologist may mention a hair transplant as an option. This can be an effective and permanent solution.
Laser therapy: If using minoxidil every day or taking medication to treat hair loss seems unappealing to you, laser therapy may be an option. Also called low-level laser therapy, a few studies suggest that this may help:
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Hereditary hair loss
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Hair loss due to chemotherapy
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Stimulate healing and hair growth after a hair transplant
Studies indicate that laser therapy is safe and painless but requires many treatment sessions. To see a bit of hair growth, you may need several treatments a week for many months.
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What Are The Negatives Of Laser Treatment For Hair Loss
There are a number of reasons that some people are not as positive about the procedure, such as:
- Its time consuming. To see results, treatment often requires several sessions a week for a number of months. Although the number of sessions might taper off, most providers suggest that you continue treatments for the rest of your life.
- Its expensive. Clinical laser treatments for hair loss can cost thousands of dollars a year.
- It may not be effective. The procedure appears to be less effective for people in the advanced stages of hair loss as opposed to those in the early stages.
- It can interact with certain medications. Laser therapy should not be performed on people taking medications that are photosensitizing. Photosensitizing is a chemical alteration to the skin that increases someones sensitivity to light.
- Long-term safety and effectiveness have not yet been established. Laser devices are classified as medical devices by the FDA so they dont have the same level of scrutiny and testing that medicines go through prior to approval. Long-term safety and long-term effectiveness have not yet been established.
What Should I Do When I Have Acquired A Hair Loss Treatment
In the event that my hair loss treatments can be heard by a complete stranger, I am concerned. When mentioned to uninitiated persons, guns are viewed negatively.
The range trips we discuss make us seem like we are a part of some obscure club. Thanks for allowing me to assist. Feel free to contact me if you need any other assistance.
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How Effective Is The Combination Treatment
Each of these two medications separately is proven quite effective for a portion of men who are experiencing male pattern baldness, but neither is universally effective. This is because there is no single underlying cause of male pattern baldness among all of us. That would be too easy.
Finasteride and minoxidil act in totally different ways. Because of this, your chances of seeing dramatic positive results improve if you take both of them. In fact, data from clinical research suggests that as many as 90% of men with male pattern baldness can experience at least moderate hair regrowth by taking this combination.
When To Consider Surgical Treatment Options
Maybe you have tried the above techniques with little to no success. Or perhaps you have seen great success, and you are confident that you can maintain your hair with these methods after a surgical procedure. Whatever it may be, you are considering surgical treatments. What now?
A good candidate for surgical hair loss intervention is someone who:
- Has no pre-existing medical conditions
- Is older than 25 and younger than 65
- Has stopped the progression of their hair loss
- Has a treatable form of hair loss, like pattern balding.
If you do choose to go the surgical route, be sure to do your research.
You should never choose a procedure, a medical clinic, or a doctor just because they are the cheapest option. You will want to spend time on researching your options, meeting with different doctors to get an idea of what they can offer, and evaluating your long-term goals.
It seems like a lot of work, and it is! But you do not want to spend thousands of dollars and risk your health just to see mediocre or short-term results.
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How To Shampoo To Reduce Hair Loss: 11 Tips
The way you wash your hair may have a direct effect on how much hair you are losing.
Whether it is normal shedding or especially if you are dealing with some type of alopecia, the way you shampoo your hair might make a difference in how many hairs end up near the drain.
Follow these tips for a better experience using hair loss shampoos:
BONUS TIP:If you frequently apply hair masks on the scalp or tend to have oily hair, use a dermaroller to remove debris and residues, as well as to revive clogged hair follicles. Use the dermaroller a few hours after washing your hair, once it is dry.
A Scalp Tension Reduction Device
While DHT and androgen sensitivity play a role in hair thinning and loss, they are not the underlying cause. Instead, that would be scalp tension.
Scalp tension occurs when the muscles of the scalp are constricted for an ongoing period of time. This may be due to physical or mental stress. If it occurs for too long, the scalps tissues can become inflamed.
When inflammation occurs, the body sends hormones to the area to reverse its effects. One of these hormones is DHT. There are some people who have a genetic predisposition to DHT sensitivity. In these individuals, the presence of DHT at the follicles can wreak havoc.
This is what causes the stereotypical pattern of balding that is seen in many men with hair loss. The good news, though, is that there is a way to combat scalp tension before it becomes a chronic issue. And even if it is an established issue it can still be addressed with a scalp tension reduction device.
Scalp tension reduction devices work similarly to scalp massage. They loosen the tissues near the muscles, while also relaxing the muscles and reducing inflammation.
You can achieve these results, to some extent, with a manual scalp massage. But a device will deliver a higher-quality, more consistent pressure. This means you can spend just ten minutes per day with the scalp device and see results.
To learn more about scalp tension and our tool for reducing it, go here.
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What Is The Best Vitamin To Overcome Hair Loss
If you want to prevent hair loss and stimulate hair regrowth, make sure to ingest sufficient vitamin A.
Cells throughout your body, including your hair, require this nutrient to grow.
Various vegetables, such as spinach, carrots, and sweet potatoes, as well as yogurt, eggs, and milk, are excellent sources of vitamin A.
You can also think about purchasing supplements that will additionally increase your intake of this compound if you are not a fan of healthy nutrition.
Other beneficial vitamins to overcome hair loss include B-vitamin complex, and vitamin E.
What Other Medications Treat Female Hair Loss
If you dont get the results you want or have trouble using minoxidil on your scalp, your provider may suggest oral medications that you take as a pill.
For female pattern hair loss, other medications are considered off-label. This means the FDA approved the medication to treat other conditions but not female pattern hair loss. However, these medications have been extensively researched. Experts, including the American Academy of Dermatology, consider them safe and effective treatment options for female pattern hair loss. Off-label medications you and your provider might consider include:
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Oral minoxidil, which is also used to treat high blood pressure, is an option.
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Approved for male pattern hair loss, finasteride works for some people with female pattern hair loss.
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Flutamide is used to treat prostate cancer that has spread but can help with female hair loss.
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Approved to treat prostate issues, your provider may suggest dutasteride for hair loss.
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Spironolactone is used to treat heart failure but can also help with hair loss.
Healthcare providers usually advise women who are pregnant or may become pregnant to avoid taking these medications. Make sure to address this with your provider.
The cost of these medications will vary and insurance plans dont cover all hair loss treatment options. You and your provider will develop a hair loss treatment plan that works best for you. Often a combination of treatments is recommended.
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Shampoo Less Condition More
Shampoo washes away dirt and product buildup and gives us nice and clean hair. It is a known idea that shampooing too much also washes away the natural oils of our hair and scalp.
This is true!
But conditioner helps to seal the cuticles, preventing more damage, and replaces the proteins in the shafts of the hair, and does more good than shampoo would. Next time you shower and remember that shampooing too often does your hair no good, reach for that conditioner instead.
What Are The Cycles Of Hair Growth
Hair goes through three cycles:
- The anagen phase can last from two years to eight years. This phase generally refers to about 85% to 90% of the hair on your head.
- The catagen phase is the time that hair follicles shrink and takes about two to three weeks.
- The telogen phase takes about two to four months. At the end of this phase, the hair falls out.
Your shorter hairs like eyelashes, arm and leg hair and eyebrows have a short anagen phase about one month. Your scalp hair can last up to six years or even longer.
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Contact Channels For Consultation And Treatment:
- Dr. Ratchathorn started a public Facebook group, by Bevita, for discussion and education about hair care tips, and how to solve thinning hair, hair loss, and baldness problems, in a friendly environment, but guided by medical principles.
- People seeking help with hair thinning and hair loss problems can contact Hair and Scalp Clinic, Division of Dermatology, Por Por Ror Building, 14th Floor, Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital, Thai Red Cross Society Tel. +66-2256-4000.
Vitamins Minerals And Other Supplements
If your blood test reveals that youre not getting enough biotin, iron, or zinc, your dermatologist may recommend taking a supplement. If youre not getting enough protein, your dermatologist can tell you how to boost your intake.
You should only take biotin, iron, or zinc when your blood test shows that you have a deficiency. If your levels are normal, taking a supplement can be harmful. For example, if you take too much iron, you can develop iron poisoning. Early signs of this include stomach pain and vomiting.
Other supplements meant to help with hair loss tend to contain a lot of one nutrient. Because this can cause you to get too much of the nutrient, many dermatologists recommend taking a multivitamin instead.
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How Quickly Do You Hope To See Results
This is also partly about setting realistic expectations to avoid disappointment or the abandonment of a potentially effective treatment prematurely.
While all of the treatments in this guide start working positively as soon as you begin, the positive effects will not be visible for a while. It is usually about 4 months before you predictably begin to see positive results. So once you choose a plan, stick to it unless there are negative side effects. You wont know if its effective until you give it enough time.
- Not recommended for receding hairline
- Some people are sensitive to minoxidil
- Application can be annoying and messy
Cause Of Thinning Hair Hair Loss And Baldness
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ratchathorn revealed that, statistically, up to 40 percent of Thai people have thinning hair, hair loss, and baldness problems. The number is on the upward trends every year, with the current environment stress, weather conditions, and bad diet. Hair problems and baldness can occur in both females and males, but in the latter, the problem starts at a young age and the conditions are more severe than in females. The main causes of hair and scalp problems are as follows:
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What Is Androgenetic Alopecia
Almost every woman eventually develops some degree of female pattern hair loss. It can start any time after the onset of puberty, but women tend to first notice it around menopause, when hair loss typically increases. The risk rises with age, and it’s higher for women with a history of hair loss on either side of the family.
As the name suggests, androgenetic alopecia involves the action of the hormones called androgens, which are essential for normal male sexual development and have other important functions in both sexes, including sex drive and regulation of hair growth. The condition may be inherited and involve several different genes. It can also result from an underlying endocrine condition, such as overproduction of androgen or an androgen-secreting tumor on the ovary, pituitary, or adrenal gland. In either case, the alopecia is likely related to increased androgen activity. But unlike androgenetic alopecia in men, in women the precise role of androgens is harder to determine. On the chance that an androgen-secreting tumor is involved, it’s important to measure androgen levels in women with clear female pattern hair loss.