Choosing Hair Loss Treatment and Medication

With hair loss becoming a common cause of concern amongst millions of people across the world, every year a large number of medications, herbs, spices, nutritional supplements, oils, shampoos etc comes up in the market each claiming itself to be the panacea for hair loss

But before you decide for any expensive treatment plan or hair loss treatment medication, it is advisable to understand what hair loss is and the types and benefits of medication available for hair loss treatment to ensure effective and desirable results.

Hair loss in woman can generally be seen evenly across the scalp, without definite bald patches. Diffuse hair loss is a gradual thinning of the hair as opposed to a straightforward bald patch and is the most common type of hair loss in women. The replacement of old hairs by new hairs is slowed down so that the hair becomes sparse and the scalp can be seen clearly through the hair.

Androgenetic alopecia (female pattern baldness) in women is often linked to hormonal changes with the hair loss following events such as the menopause, childbirth or as a result of stopping or starting oral contraceptive pills. Pregnancy will also affect hair production. Hormone levels increase as the pregnancy begins and slows down the hair growth cycle. Hairs that should stop growing continue to grow beyond their usual life cycle. Often this means that the hair appears to grow thicker as more hairs are present than normal.

The hair loss is generally more uniform over the scalp than in the male counterpart, but also results from a complex chemical reaction when the enzyme 5-alpha-reductase converts the testosterone in the system into DHT or dihydro-testosterone

The hair follicles are genetically predisposed to be over sensitive to the DHT and become smaller and smaller with time, leading to the eventual hair loss.

The scalp hairs are divided into two phases, growth phase and resting phase. Almost 90% of our hairs are in growth phase, which lasts for approximately four to five years. Each hair grows approximately 1 centimeter per month during this phase

Telogen effluvium occurs when the growing phase of the hair is interrupted prematurely causing the hair follicles to enter the telogen (resting) phase of the hair cycle earlier than normal. Two to four months later, following the normal cyclic pattern, diffuse shedding of the hair begins. When this happens there are not enough hairs left in the anagen phase, or growing phase, and the result is diffuse thinning of the hair.

Chemical trauma can be caused to the hair by bleaching, relaxing, perming or even dying the hair. The chemicals involved in these processes can damage the hair’s protein structure, making the hair dehydrated and brittle and often causing hair loss.

If you are going bald you should seriously consider hair loss medication treatments to halt or even reverse your hair loss. While there is no "Hair Loss Cure", hair loss drugs can often stop or even reverse alopecia aerate in most people. Medication for treating hair loss slows thinning of the hair and increases coverage of the scalp by growing new hair and enlarging existing hairs.

Today there are two FDA approved medications for hair growth - minoxidil which is sold over the counter as Rogaine, for both men and women, and Finasteride, a prescription pill sold as Propecia, for men only. Two other drugs have been recently approved for hair growth and include a high-estrogen oral contraceptive and Aldactone (spironolactone). However, these two medications are only for women due to their feminizing side effects.

Propecia (Finasteride) is proven to be the most effective hair loss treatment medicine to treat male pattern baldness. Propecia works by blocking the enzyme, Type II 5 alpha-reductase from converting testosterone to its active form DHT (dihydrotestosterone) in the body. DHT plays a major role in inherited male pattern baldness (androgenic alopecia). In this process, it reduces the level of the hormone in the scalp which shortens the hair growth cycle and allows hairs to revert to a normal growth cycle.

Also remember that Hair Loss Treatment Medicine is a prescription with certain side effects and should be taken after consultation with the doctor