The 411 on Hair Loss and Treatment Options

Hair loss is a problem for millions of men and women throughout the world. Men and women experience different degrees of hair loss and their hair loss can be caused by many different reasons. The most common type of hair loss is male pattern baldness, and an estimated 90% of men will experience it by the time they are 50 years old.

So what causes hair loss? As previously stated, male pattern baldness, also called androgenetic alopecia, is the most common type of hair loss that men suffer from. When men have male pattern baldness, they have a genetic sensitivity to the hormone dihydrotestosterone (DHT), and the hair follicles that are sensitive to it begin to shrink, which shortens their lifespan dramatically. Over time, the follicles that were affected will stop growing new hair completely.

Other causes of hair loss include diet, environmental factors, symptoms of illnesses or hormonal changes. The only permanent solution for hair loss is hair transplantation surgery, since that is the only hair loss solution that can completely restore a full head of hair and give you back your hairline.

There are some misunderstandings that people have about hair loss and many believe that hair loss comes from the mother’s side of the family. This is not true. Baldness is inherited, but it comes from both your mother and your father’s genes. Another misconception is that hair loss will stop eventually as you get older. The truth is that hair loss will not stop, but will actually get worse as you get older, since it is a progressive condition.

Luckily for those afflicted with hair loss, there are different treatment options available, depending on the extent and cause of hair loss. There are treatments that have been shown to slow down the hair loss process and some treatments even help to regrow hair that has been lost. Both Propecia and Rogaine are commonly used as a non-surgical treatment, since they can be effective in slowing down hair loss and helping men and women to regrow some hair. However, in order for these treatments to be successful, you have to be at a mild to moderate stage of hair loss.
There are also laser treatments available to help the hair follicles to regenerate. This is a great option for some people since it is not as intensive. However, this is a treatment that will need to be kept up with in order to maintain results.

Since male pattern baldness is genetic, there is no way to prevent it. All you can do is slow down the extent of the hair loss, but it cannot be reversed. If you are in an advanced stage of hair loss, the only permanent solution would be to have hair restoration surgery. A hair loss expert will be able to determine if this would be the best course of treatment for you.

Hair restoration has become increasingly popular for both men and women. In this procedure, healthy hair will be taken from a donor area and will be transplanted to areas that have thinning hair or areas that have no hair. These hair grafts will each have 1-4 hairs in them. In order to be a candidate for this treatment, you will need to have sufficient healthy hair in a donor area. The results from this procedure are natural looking hair that are permanent.

A hair loss expert will help determine what has caused your hair loss and will be able to discuss your hair loss treatment options. If you are considering treatment for your hair loss, contact a hair loss expert in order to get the most accurate and best information possible to help you make your decision.