People start losing their hair for a number of reasons, it may be genetic, the person may be suffering from an autoimmune disease, it can be caused by an accident, or they may be on chemotherapy.
Whatever the reason, it can be an upsetting time, and although excellent natural wigs are available these days, people usually want to try as many treatments as they can in order to bring back natural growth.
It happens in both men and women, and these days science has come up with a number of treatments and even with hair loss cure. Listed below you will find the best techniques for this purpose.
1. Finasteride (Procerin)
This is a tablet that is taken daily. In your body, the hormone testosterone is naturally converted to dihydrotestosterone, another hormone. Dihydrotestosterone is what causes your hair follicles to shrink, and this can cause thinning hair, and eventually loss of that follicle.
This treatment can help to thicken hair, which helps cover balding areas, and can also reactivate dormant hair follicles. It takes 3 to 6 months before any noticeable difference is observed.
2. Minoxidil
This is a lotion you apply once a day onto the bald areas. This treatment does not work for everyone, but in some cases, hair growth in the applied areas will begin. The lotion comes in two strengths, 2% or 5%, and you are best starting with the lower dose first.
As with Finasteride, this medication for hair needs to be applied for to 6-12 months.
3. Corticosteroid injections
Corticosteroids suppress your immune system, so this treatment is only given to people who are losing hair through an autoimmune disease. It can prove very effective for people suffering from Alopecia areata. The injections are given directly into the scalp, and results can generally be seen after a month.
Note: only the doctor can prescribe these injections!
4. Topical corticosteroids
Another treatment for alopecia areata, it comes in a foam, gel or lotion, and is usually applied daily for around 3 months.
The corticosteroids in the ingredients may contain hydrocortisone, betamethasone or mometasone.
5. Dithranol cream (Eucerin)
Has been shown that when applied to the skin area that is bald, and washed off, it can result in new hair growth.
The results will usually appear between 1 to 3 months.
6. Ultraviolet light treatment
Light therapy is now being used as a cure. Up to three sessions are used, and the light used is UVA or UVB.
In some cases, depending on your skin type, you may be given psoralen prior to the phototherapy starting, as this makes the skin more sensitive to light. This treatment takes up to a year to show positive results.
As you can see from the treatments above, none of them happen overnight, with the quickest showing results only after a month. So you need to be very patient, to see if a treatment works or not. If one treatment shows no results, then move onto another one.
It may take over 2 years to properly test all of the treatments that are available these days.
Check also what to do if your hair falling out and the list of cures for baldness 2014.