If you're doing research on hair loss treatment, you're not alone: Up to 70% of men will experience some form of hair loss during their lifetime and women also experience hair thinning and loss. From shampoos and creams to pills to lasers, treatments claim to stop further hair loss and encourage new hair growth. How effective are they? Results vary. To choose the best option for you, start by understanding what's causing your hair loss and narrowing your choices to those forumlated for your condition.
What Causes Hair Loss?
Hair loss has many causes: an infection or inflammation of the scalp, medications, chemotherapy, illness or poor diet. However, the most common cause of hair loss in men is androgenic alopecia, also known as male pattern baldness or male pattern hair loss. Male pattern baldness is caused by a combination of heredity, hormones and age that causes certain hair follicles to shrink. This shrinking leads to a shortening of the hairs' growing cycle until eventually there is no growth at all.
Your body produces a hormone known as DHT. It also produces an enzyme known as 5-alpha reductase. This enzyme turns testosterone into DHT. High levels of DHT contribute to male pattern baldness. Your level of sensitivity to DHT, as well as the amount of DHT that your body creates tends to be inherited.
Hair Loss Treatments
Five basic types of hair loss treatments are available. Some interfere with the DHT in the bonding process that causes follicles to shrink, and others stimulate hair growth and keep the hair follicle active.
DHT Inhibitors. These products work at the beginning of the DHT bonding process. They help decrease the conversion of testosterone to DHT, therefore lowering the damaging levels of DHT in the body.
Anti-androgens. These products also work to inhibit production of DHT in the body, but they work at the end of the bonding process. They work in a similar fashion as the DHT Inhibitors, but at a different stage of the process.
Growth Stimulators. Growth stimulators don't really stop hair loss, but they artificially stimulate the scalp to encourage new hair growth.
Anti-Inflammatories. Inflammation of the scalp contributes to hair loss, and anti-inflammatories work to lessen the inflammation and relieve the itching, flaking and redness that accompany it. Inflammation of the scalp is generally caused by an immune response in the body.
Super Oxide Dismutase (SODs). Excessive amounts of DHT cause your body to try to reject the hair follicle as though it were a virus or foreign tissue, by releasing Super Oxide to defend the body. SODs reduce the presence of Super Oxide so the body stops trying to reject the follicle.
Laser Hair Loss Treatments
Laser hair treatment for hair loss uses a low-level laser light to increase blood flow to the scalp. This allows hair follicles to absorb more nutrients so they can grow healthier hair. Laser treatments are done in a hair loss specialist's office. Patients usually need to undergo a series of treatments to get the best possible results. Laser hair loss treatments are typically done in combination with proven treatments such as DHT inhibitors and growth stimulators.
Making Your Decision
When searching for the best hair loss treatment for men, it is important to see a dermatologist. These professionals are trained to help determine what is causing your hair loss, which is the best way to choose an effective treatment. You'll see ads for products that will offer ridiculous claims, but the best way to fight hair loss is to talk with a doctor. A doctor may also need to see if anything besides standard male pattern baldness is causing your hair loss.
To date, there are only two FDA-approved hair loss treatment products on the market. Finasteride is a DHT inhibitor and minoxidil is a growth stimulator. However, keep in mind that products sold as herbal products or vitamin products do not need approval from the FDA in order to be sold. Some of the most common natural remedies include Vitamin B6, Biotin, Zinc, Saw Palmetto, Nettle Root and Magnesium.
You may need to try a combination of products and treatments to find the ones that work best for you. Each treatment needs to be taken for a period of at least several weeks before noticeable improvement is seen.
 | While you can try Rogaine for hair loss, you may also want to consider natural hair loss solutions as simple as a change in diet or lifestyle, especially if you've just just noticed that your hair is starting to thin. |
 | Women have several hair loss replacement options available to them, but it is important to do your research and consult a physician to find the best possible hair replacement treatment for your individual needs. |
 | A large portion of men will experience hair loss or male pattern baldness during their lifetimes, so you're certainly not alone. Read on to learn the cause of your hair loss and what you can do about it. |
 | Contemplating an extremely strict diet? If so, factor in the weight loss, hair loss connection. While you might drop the pounds, you could easily find yourself losing clumps of hair, too. |
What are the causes of Hair Loss? Many things contribute to hair loss. Among them are: stress, poor nutrition, hormonal imbalance, use of certain prescription drugs, physical conditions such as... |
