Hair Loss Remedies And Solutions

Hair loss treatment options include Rogaine and Propecia, Androgenic Alopecia.

Millions of men suffer from Alopecia, the medical term for hair loss.The most common type of hair loss that men experience is Androgenic Alopecia, which an inherited, genetic condition.For about 95% of men who experience hair loss, Androgenic Alopecia is the cause.Alopecia Areata is the second most common type of hair loss, and this is considered to be the result of an auto-immune disease of the hair.Other types of hair loss include Anagen Effluvium, which is hair loss that results from chemicals or radiation; self-induced hair loss, in the form of Trichotillomania or Traction Alopecia; Telogen Effluvium, which is hair loss that results from sudden stress; and Scarring Alopecia.Since types of hair loss outside of Androgenic Alopecia affect such a small percentage of hair loss sufferers, most hair-loss drugs are marketed for the treatment of Androgenic Alopecia, and they are not designed to treat other forms of hair loss.

You may be wondering, how do I know what type of hair loss I am suffering from?Well, it is actually quite simple to find out.If, like most men, your hair is falling out in a pattern (mostly symmetrical hair loss on both sides of your head), then it is likely that you are suffering from Androgenic Alopecia.If your father or grandfather went bald, you shouldn't be surprised when you start to go bald as well.However, even if your father and grandfathers have full heads of hair, it is still possible that you are suffering from Androgenic Alopecia.Just as two parents with brown eyes can have a blue-eyed child, two parents with full heads of hair can have a bald son.The baldness is somewhere in your ancestry, you just might not be sure where or how far back it originates from.You should visit your primary care physician to verify that you are in fact dealing with a case of Androgenic Alopecia.If your hair loss is patchy and without any pattern, the most probable root of your problem is Alopecia Areata, which your doctor can diagnose and treat.Alopecia Areata is not a hair loss condition that is likely to be permanent if it is treated.Your physician or dermatologist is likely to treat your Alopecia Areata with corticosteroids, Dithranol, Retin-A, topical minoxidil, or oral zinc.

Hair that is lost due to Anagen Effluvium is likely to re-grow once your exposure to certain chemicals and radiation stops.Some of the chemicals that are often responsible for hair loss include Amsacrine, Cisplatinum, Cystosine Arabinoside, Cytoxan, Adriamycin, Epirubicin, Taxol, Ifosfamide, and Oncovin.It is highly likely that you were told by your doctor to anticipate hair loss when you began your treatment with any of these chemicals.While it can be very traumatic to lose your hair suddenly as the result of radiation and chemical treatments, sufferers can take some comfort in knowing that their hair will return when the treatments stop.

The two most common medical treatments for Androgenic Alopecia are Rogaine and Propecia. While Rogaine has gotten more media attention, Propecia has actually been proven the most effective at stopping more hair from falling out once you begin treatment.Both Rogaine and Propecia work best when they are started at the earliest stages of hair loss, so if you are starting to see your hairline recede, now is the time to start looking at your treatment options.Rogaine uses minoxidil to help re-grow hair.The way that minoxidil works is by enlarging and lengthening hair follicles (hair follicles shrink as a result of Androgenic Alopecia).It takes about six months of use to determine whether or not this drug will work for you.Also, if you stop using Rogaine, your hair will not continue to re-grow; it will return to its original state, usually in as little as three months.Therefore, you have to be committed to continuous, daily treatment.Propecia works by reducing the amounts of DHT in your body.DHT is a substance that shrinks hair follicles, so an overabundance of DHT in the body (which is a genetic predisposal) will cause your hair to stop growing.More than 80% of men who used Propecia were able to stop further hair loss.Like Rogaine, this is a treatment that must be ongoing in order to maintain your results.Often times, both of these treatments are used in conjunction - the Rogaine is best at re-growing hair, while the Propecia is best at maintaining hair.

Some men who are balding feel that their hair loss is no problem at all, while other men are very insecure and embarrassed about it.Particularly for men who lose their hair in their twenties or thirties, alopecia can be hard to deal with.If you are experiencing hair loss and neither Rogaine nor Propecia are right for you, you may want to consider hair plugs or even wigs.Despite the countless jokes about bad wigs and hair pieces, there are certainly some wigs that look natural, but many men do not feel comfortable wearing one.Hair plugs have come a long way since their conception, but they still produce a somewhat unnatural appearance to the hair as it comes in.Consult with your doctor or dermatologist to see what is right for you.

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