Pattern Hair Loss and Treatment

Both men and women experience hair loss and treatment is possible. Around the world, approximately 2 out of 5 men will start losing their hair at age 25 while 1 out of 5 women will experience hair thinning at age 35.

There are many causes to hair loss such as thyroid dysfunction, hormonal imbalance, stress, diet, immune system disorder, etc. The direct and common cause of hair loss in men and women, however, is an androgen derivative called dihydrotestosterone (DHT).

The most common cause of hair loss tends to run in the family. This type of hair loss is called androgenetic alopecia (AGA) or pattern baldness. DHT accelerates AGA which is basically a permanent condition. DHT prevents the hair follicles from receiving adequate nutrients for hair regrowth. DHT hastens hair loss and treatment includes laser therapy.

Systematic Treatment for Hairloss: Which Will Work for You?

Phototherapy is usually office-administered. But because they are costly, you may never have heard of them. There is an innovative take-home device, however, that uses phototherapy all the same – laser combs. Laser comb therapy is another do-it-yourself treatment for hairloss that leads to the restoration of your hair when used as directed. Usually, it is used alongside a daily hygienic regimen shampoo and conditioner application to see optimum results. Phototherapy is only recommended for mild cases of androgenetic alopecia.

Reflexology is the application of pressure on specific areas (e.g., ears, feet, and hands) of the body which affect the other parts, organs, or systems of the body. Reflexology is not only known to improve blood circulation, relieve stress, or maintain homeostasis in the body, it is a treatment for hairloss as well because it restores the equilibrium in the body.

Choosing the Right Treatment for Hair Loss

Alopecia, otherwise known as hair loss, is a distressing shape to be in regardless of age or race. Even children can be affected by this condition (although it rarely qualifies as permanent). For most cases in women and men, hair loss can worsen throughout the years if left untreated with the right treatment for hair loss.

Effective hair loss management starts with identifying the probable cause of the illness. For example, if hair loss runs in the blood, then chances are the condition must be genetically-triggered. Also the patient may recall the events of his/her life, that is, whether he/she recently underwent a stressful dilemma or a traumatic experience. Retrospection is key.

Treatment of Hair Loss: A Deeper Look into Homeopathic Therapy

Going completely bald is not a bad option to solve that problem of hair loss. But it is neither a bad option to try alternative treatments that could save you the hassles of shaving your head again when some hairs start growing again. There are conventional treatments like laser clinics, drugs, transplants, and hair systems. If you are relying on natural remedies and patient enough to see results, then a homeopathic therapy is a good treatment of hair loss.

Homeopathic treatment of hair loss is most effective in conjunction with other nutritional and practical treatments. It is worth mentioning that homeopathy is a wholesome approach; not only does it treat hair loss, it also stimulates the overall wellness of the body.

Chinese Medicine as Treatment of Hair Loss

As a treatment for hair loss, Chinese medicine starts with encouraging better blood circulation in the scalp by going straight to the cause of hair loss. A lot of chinese herbs have been proven to stimulate hair regrowth by improving blood circulation, maintaining hormonal balance, and strengthening kidney function. He Shou Wu and Dabao are two herbs used to treat hair loss. He Shou Wu or Polygoni Multiflori stimulates hair regrowth by changing finer hair into thicker hair. Likewise, it slows down the normal graying of the hair. The root of the He Shou Wu does the wonder so it has to be consumed. He Shou Wu does not only restore hair, it also improves kidney and liver functions and strengthens bone and cartilage.

Hair Loss Treatment in 3 Steps

The trending of receding hairline should be cured and solved (especially for adult men and women) as this, based on statistics, is the number one killer of one’s confidence. The condition may come in whatever age so anyone could notice a thinning hair trend even at a very young age. Luckily, there are various treatments available that could help those who are having problems about their hairline. The hair loss treatments could range from those applied topically like shampoos and conditioners to ones that are taken internally such as capsules and solutions. There are also herbal products that are sold and some are infused in the commercial products. Such natural treatments claim to be effective and are free of side-effects.

Inexpensive Treatment for Hair Loss

A very big “secret” factor (which is not quite a secret after all) for most, if not all, hair loss products is the use of natural ingredients and herbs to their products. The herbs that your grandparents used to keep their hair on despite their age are now being explored and marketed. Among these herbs is saw palmetto. The herb is a very cheap and effective ingredient that is infused in most of hair loss products. It is known to stop hair loss effectively. Other herbs that are used in most products as treatment for hair loss nowadays are green tea, horsetail, nettles and rosemary.

Perspectives in Hair Loss and Treatment Alternatives

At one point in their lives, men and women experience hair loss and treatment is available anywhere. But first, it is imperative to know what triggers hair loss.

During all stages of AGA, the terminal hairs are said to have miniaturized and replaced by vellus hairs. This is due to the effect of androgens.

When the enzyme 5-alpha reductase breaks down the hormone testosterone, it creates a derivative called dihydrotestosterone (DHT). Androgen receptors in the scalp cells attract DHT. Excessive DHT build-up shrinks then eventually kills the hair follicles in that it interferes with the nutrition flow to the hair follicles. This is how hair loss happens.

Signals of Hair Loss and Hair Loss Treatment

There is no better period to fight pattern hair loss other than when the first signs start surfacing. Be wary of the early signs of hair loss where laser therapy works best as a hair loss treatment. It is not easy to detect whether you are in the first stages of hair loss or not. It is harder to do an overall scalp assessment especially if you have never been too particular about your hair in the first place. But the Ludwig (for Female Pattern Baldness) and the Norwood (for male pattern baldness) scales will assist you in this. Nevertheless, here are some of the signals of hair loss.

Types of Hair loss and Treatment Recommendations

There are many types of hair loss – each to its own causes and treatments. Depending on the person’s age, health, or heredity, a person may lose 50 to 100 strands of hair everyday. So, anything beyond the normal count is subject to a medical condition called alopecia or hair loss. Indeed, types of hair loss and treatment recommendations vary.

Alopecia areata is characterized by patches of hair loss anywhere in the body. One particular reason for this is an abnormal behavior in the immune system. The immune system is said to kill hair follicles. There are a variety of topical treatments for this condition such as Corticosteroids, immunotherapy, Psoralen plus UV-A, and Minoxidil.

Pattern Hair Loss and Treatment

When it comes to scientific leverage, Minoxidil is it. Minoxidil is one of the hair loss treatments which received FDA approval to treat hair loss. It has been tried and tested since the 1980s. Initially, it was introduced as an antihypertensive. As a hair loss treatment, it is a vasodilator so that it widens the passageway of the blood in the scalp. Still it remains inconclusive how the entire mechanism directly results in hair regrowth.

Only a 2% Minoxidil solution is advisable to women while a 5% solution is to men. It is assumed that Minoxidil is more effective for women than for men because women only experience a diffuse hair loss pattern.

Saw Palmetto: Treatment for Hair Loss

Basically, saw palmetto berries are rich in fatty acids, flavonoids, polysaccharides and sitosterols. Present in them is an active agent directly responsible for stopping further male pattern hair loss – beta sitosterol. Without affecting the testosterone levels, it inhibits 32% of 5α-reductase levels, the enzyme which converts testosterone into dihydrotestosterone (DHT). DHT is nothing else but the main culprit of hair loss.

DHT build-up at the hair follicles blocks the nutrients going to the hair follicles, causing them to shrink or miniaturize. This results in hair loss. But to further counter the progress, saw palmetto will also disrupt the androgen reception near the follicles. Because of these traits, it is believed to be a treatment for hair loss.

Hair Loss Treatments – Natural and Medical Options

Ayurveda is known to stimulate hair growth. It is commonly a mixture of Bringraj and Brahmi oil that is massaged on to the scalp daily to provide the healing effect. Other ayurvedic herbs include Ashwagandha and Amla. These herbs are hair loss treatments in a way they improve the blood circulation, clean the scalp, and promote hair regrowth. Ayurvedic solutions are very affordable and safe.

Natural and medical hair loss treatments have their corresponding advantages and disadvantages. While natural treatments are safe and affordable, there is no adequate scientific evidence to verify their contribution to hair growth. Also, medical treatments can be effective but they can have due side-effects. So, whether it be natural or medical, it is important to ask a hair loss specialist.

Natural Hair Treatment for Hair Loss

For the past several years, saw palmetto has been the subject of numerous studies about prostate health. Saw palmetto is believed to block dihydrotestosterone (DHT) build-up through a liposerolic extract which is anti-androgen. When taken as a drug, it kills the androgen receptors found in the hair follicles. Specifically, it blocks type 1 and type 2 forms of 5α reductase. People that are deficient of L-Lysine, an essential amino acid, would most likely benefit from saw palmetto. Saw palmetto is a natural hair treatment for hair loss which is an active ingredient in some oral and topical drugs for hair loss.

Hair Loss Treatment – Therapeutic Alternatives

When hair transplants and hairpieces have been a fail to you, you might find yourself losing all hope left. Hair loss or thinning hair is an uphill battle itself. And with all the various treatments flooding the market today, sorting out what else actually works just adds weight to the overall problem.

Aromatherapy could be a very good and safe option if and only if medications or cancer treatments did not cause your hair loss. Other than those factors, aromatherapy should be effective for you. Aromatherapy is an old hair loss treatment which involves massaging the scalp with oil essences. The common oils used during aromatherapy are olive, coconut, and castor oils. As it is believed, it is both effective in treating androgenic alopecia and androgenic areata.

Hair Loss Treatments – The Non-surgical Ways

Minoxidil is a topical solution applied on the balding region twice a day. It stimulates and enlarges miniaturized hair follicles. Like other hair loss treatments, Minoxidil compels hair follicles to go into growth phase. On the other hand, Minoxidil lotion doesn’t inhibit dihydrotestosterone (DHT) production. DHT is the hair loss-causing hormone mostly present among men. Also, it has several known side-effects.

Unlike Minoxidil lotion, Finasteride is a DHT inhibitor of type II 5- alpha reductase. It is an oral treatment and is only recommended to men. Finasteride is not prescribed to pregnant women since it causes abnormalities to a male fetus.

Home Treatment for Hairloss

Laser therapy uses low level light source which is clinically proven to restore beautiful and fuller hair. Low level laser therapy has been utilized in the medical field for more than 30 years now. It was initially explored in Europe and Russia for tissue healing, pain removal, alcohol and nicotine addiction and several other conditions. In the cosmetics industry, it is popularly used as treatment for hairloss.

Laser therapy is very safe for both men and women as a treatment for hairloss. Since it first came out, no side-effects have ever been documented. In fact, it is considered as a non-significant risk laser by all international standards there are.

Non-Surgical Hair Loss Treatments

Balding men and women will try anything possible to them to regrow the hair they’ve lost. Hair loss is indeed damaging not only to one’s image but also to the morale. Fortunately now, there are a lot of viable alternatives to choose from. These are non-surgical hair loss treatments which are effective in combating the devastating effects of hair loss.

One of the most common hair loss treatments is laser therapy. Laser therapy uses a certain light source that improves the condition of living cells. It is low level laser or a cold laser that cannot produce heat. As a hair loss treatment, it increases mitochondrial and ATP production. Better blood circulation will occur, thereby inducing hair regrowth. According to a European study regarding hair loss, low level laser has stopped the course of hair loss in 85% of cases while allowed regrowth in 55% of cases.

Surgical Hair Loss Treatments

Hair transplants are complex procedures. They involve removing a part of the scalp which are bald-resistant (sides and the back part of the head) and “replanting” it to the agonized region or the bald spot.

In comparison to other hair loss treatments, hair transplants can be very expensive for superior and life-long results. Treatments such as those involving medications make patients indeterminately depend on them because hair loss is a chronic problem.

High-end hair transplants can actually produce natural-looking and longer-lasting results. The complexity of the entire procedure depends on the donor density, type of hair loss, and rate of hair loss.

Common Treatments for Hair Loss

Laser treatments are costly cosmetic procedures usually offered by hair clinics and salons. They can also come in as personal devices specifically as laser combs. Laser treatments are non-invasive, non-surgical and don’t involve medication. What makes this treatment particularly safe and effective is a low-level infrared light that it uses.

Low-level lasers are cold lasers which have therapeutic effects on the living cells. As a hair loss therapy, it enhances blood circulation and stimulates cell metabolism. This makes hair regrowth possible.

Because of their scientifically proven benefits to people suffering from hair loss, low level laser treatments are more utilized in Europe and in the U.S. as treatments for hair loss.