Oral and Topical Treatments for Alopecia

Dutasteride (Avodart) is a drug for use in treating prostate conditions and has been prescribed for the treatment of hair loss. It works in a similar way to finasteride but is said to reduce the overall DHT production by over 93 percent. As with finasteride, women should consult their physician before using dutasteride.

Minoxidil (Rogaine) is the other hair loss treatment approved by FDA and it is the only anti-baldness drug approved for women. Applied topically, its main advantage is its ability to stimulate regrowth, thus reversing the effects of hair loss. Many users combine the application of minoxidil with other treatments for hair loss to achieve maximum results, but others experience satisfactory results using minoxidil on its own.

Several studies have shown that some non-drug products promote hair regrowth but have not yet been approved by the FDA. This is partly due to the prohibitive costs to carry out trials to prove that the products are effective in promoting them as hair loss treatments. Many individuals and dermatologists nonetheless recommend use of certain non-drug treatments as an alternative or complement to pharmaceutical treatments.

In many cases, the treatments are based on natural ingredients that stimulate similar responses to those of the prescribed drugs but without side effects. The information provided here presents a selection of products that have been subjected to testing or at least have had their effectiveness supported by independent feedback.

One such a treatment is herbal supplements containing saw palmetto and fenugreek extracts. Hair loss supplements have become Europe’s biggest selling hair loss treatment. Herbal hair loss supplements come as a capsule and sub-lingual spray. Such ingredients in a hair loss supplement stimulate a response similar to finasteride, that is, inhibiting the production of dihydrotestosterone (DHT). This kind of supplement has been clinically tested and has received extensive media coverage of its success in the fight against hair loss.

Is Follicle Cloning the Ultimate Hair Loss Cure?

Scientists are at the forefront as well in trying to come up with a cure for hair loss or alopecia or baldness. Hair loss is a growing problem that causes more devastating effects to a man or woman on an emotional and psychological level than the physical level that it directly affects. Clinical tests and research are continuously conducted in trying to give an ultimate solution to the problem of alopecia or hair loss.

Several research teams around the world have successfully cloned human hair follicles, though only in limited amounts, which could prove to be the most effective permanent cure for baldness. The treatment is expected to be available in two years. In what might become the most effective permanent treatment for baldness, several research teams around the world have successfully cloned human hair follicles—though only in limited amounts.

Though human trials are yet to be held, the cloned follicles have been successfully implanted into the soles of the feet of mice and with human trials expected within two years, the new technology is giving hair loss sufferers a great hope of remedy.

Now, the challenge for scientists at the University of Melbourne and St. Vincent’s Hospital, and for research teams at Berlin Technical University, is to increase the number of follicles that can be cloned from a single hair taken from a patient’s scalp.

At the moment, one hair produces only one or two clones.

“We’ve got to find a way of increasing the yield,” the Sydney Morning Herald quoted Prof. Rod Sinclair, head of the research team at St. Vincent’s.

“We’ve got to find a way of multiplying one hair extracted into 1,000 hairs. What commonly happens in the expansion process is that they lose their ability to induce new hair follicles,” he said.

Hair Loss: Simple Information You Can Use

Listed here are additional facts regarding hair loss both in men and women, as well as the reasons hair loss can occur.

1. At any moment, about 90 percent of the hair will be in the developing phase and about 10 percent are in the sleeping phase.

2. One fiber of hair can support the weight of a hundred grams in most cases.

3. Most prominent of the numerous causes of hair loss could be the use of drugs (either legal or illegal) and excessive consumption of alcohol.

4. The main element of hair is the amino acids called keratin, which also gives your fingernails their strength and suppleness.

5. About fifty to one hundred hair shafts per day naturally fall off from your scalp.

6. Hair loss will only become apparent after dropping about 50 percent of the entire hair from your scalp.

7. African and European people will generally have more hair loss problems than Asians in general.

8. About 50 percent of men and 40 percent of women above the age of 50 will lose their hair.

9. There are around 100,000 hair follicles in the scalp. Scalps with blond hair have about 120,000 hair follicles and scalps with red hair have about 90,000 hair follicles.

10. One hair has a thickness of about 0.02–0.04 inches.

11. Hair grows best between 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. and 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.

12. Forty percent of middle-aged women experience female pattern hair loss, and lose more hair upon getting past 50 years old.

13. In the U.S., there has not been an elected bald US president since the age of television.

14. Your hair will grow at about 12 millimeters each month.

15. Your hair is the fastest developing tissue in the body, actually outgrowing your fingernails.

16. In the Oriental community, hair grows the fastest and has the greatest elasticity.

17. According to studies, hair grows the fastest between the ages of 15 and 30.

18. Hair additionally grows faster in the summer months rather than the wintertime months.

19. Twenty million women and forty million men are afflicted by baldness.

20. Your gender can be revealed through hair tests; genetic makeup is proven to show your gender type.

In addition to these hair loss facts, it’s intriguing to understand that if taken at the same time, minoxidil and saw palmetto give excellent results and the likelihood of hair growth can be obtained.

The Science behind Hair Growth and Hair Loss

Each shaft of hair undergoes the hair growth cycle. It grows, rests, and then falls out. Usually, this cycle repeats approximately yearly. At any one time, about 90 percent of a person’s scalp hair keeps growing, a phase that lasts between two and six years. Ten percent of the scalp hair is within a resting phase that lasts between 2 to 3 months. At the end of the resting stage, the head of hair goes through a shedding phase.

Shedding fifty to one hundred strands of hair a day is recognized as normal. Whenever a hair shaft is shed, it is replaced with a new hair from the same follicle located just beneath the skin surface. Scalp hair grows about one-half inch a month.

Hair consists of a form of protein, exactly the same material that is found in fingernails and toenails. This protein is called keratin. Everyone, no matter what age, should consume an adequate amount of protein to keep normal hair production. Protein is found in meat, chicken, fish, eggs, some cheese, dried beans, tofu, grains, and nuts.

Abnormal hair thinning can be because of a variety of causes, but about 50 percent of the population experience normal hair thinning when they reach 50. Individuals who notice their head to be shedding hair in large amounts after combing or brushing, or whose hair becomes thinner or falls out should consult a dermatologist.

Common treatments for excessive hair shedding, thinning hair, or baldness are finasteride, minoxidil, laser combs, organic-based hair loss products, and hair transplantation. Finasteride and minoxidil are hair loss medications that can give the desired results of stopping further hair loss and obtaining hair regrowth. However, both medications are also known to cause harmful side effects. Hair loss products that contain natural or organic-based ingredients are known to give the desired results of regaining the healthy growth of hair, albeit after continuous and long-term usage. Hair transplantation is considered to be an effective treatment also, but very costly and risky.

Grow Your Hair Back the Natural Way

Whether you take an herbal supplement or purchase a hair regrowth product such as a shampoo containing all-natural DHT blockers, there are more preferable natural methods to promote the natural regrowth of lost hair. Millions of men and women in the United States suffer from receding hairlines, male pattern baldness, thinning hair, and hereditary conditions that cause significant hair loss.

While most genetic hair loss problems are unavoidable, there are other hair and scalp problems concerning stress, poor nutrition, vitamin deficiencies, and hormonal imbalances. Fortunately, they can be treated with natural hair regrowth products. There are certain plants and herbs known to encourage hair regrowth as well as stop the damaging effects of hair loss and thinning hair patterns. Below you will find a few natural ingredients that are commonly found in some of the most effective hair loss treatment options:

Saw Palmetto

One of the most popular herbal DHT inhibitors is called saw palmetto which is usually less inexpensive than most of the other commercial remedies on the market. This natural ingredient is often favored in hair loss products because it carries fewer side effects than other commonly used substances such as finasteride and dutasteride. A benefit to relying on saw palmetto is that the herb doesn’t interfere with the cellular activities when it works to prevent the conversion of testosterone into DHT.

Thyme, Rosemary, Lavender, and Cedarwood

One study that involved seven months of treatment claims that aromatherapy shows promise in promoting natural hair regrowth. With a safe and effective method of treating temporary hair loss, test subjects had the essential oils of thyme, rosemary, lavender, and cedarwood rubbed into their scalps on a daily basis.

In the end, 44 percent of the patients showed notable improvement in their hair growth. This is especially good news to those who wish to avoid steroid treatments as a way to combat their hair loss.

Arnica

The flowers of arnica are known to stimulate blood circulation and are known to create creams and ointments known to combat hair loss (alopecia). When used as a well-diluted tincture, arnica also becomes a suitable hair rinse.

Southernwood

The aerial parts of southernwood are known as a traditional remedy that stimulates hair growth despite a lack of scientific proof backing the claims. While some people take 10 to 20 drops of tincture up to three times per day, others create an infusion that is used as a hair rinse. When combined with stinging nettle, sage, and rosemary, a more effective product is created.

7 Baldness Remedies that Ascertain Successful Treatments

Losing hair is a big deal to most men out there. Not only is it depressing to watch your hair fall out strand by strand each day, but it can be very costly to maintain your hair as well. Stress, unhealthy lifestyle, hormonal imbalance, medications, and crash diets are some of the major causes of baldness. As you must have observed, most of these causes can be prevented. The following are some of the best baldness remedies for you:

1. Lemon is effective for almost every hair problem, even baldness. This is also one of the easiest baldness treatments for women. Simply cut a lemon in two and rub it over the affected area, wash it after a couple of hours. You can also make a mixture of dry lemon seeds and black pepper with sufficient amount of water, mix it into a thick paste and apply it on your head. Wash it after a couple of hours. Follow this baldness treatment for a couple of months.

2. Aromatherapy is one of the natural therapies that can also be beneficial to hair wellness. Shampoos and solutions with the appropriate essential oils are used to safely combat baldness and promote hair regrowth. They have antibacterial, tonic and antiseptic attributes and aid in the proper conditioning of scalp. Thyme, rosemary, lavender, jojoba and cedarwood oil are considered by dermatologists as the most effective essential oils that can naturally treat hair loss and improve hair health.

3. Various supplements can help promote hair growth. An essential fatty acid known as gamma-linolenic acid (GLA), found in black currant oil or evening primrose oil, can produce results within 6 to 8 weeks in some cases. Take 500mg, in capsules or soft gels, containing black currant oil or evening primrose oil twice a day. Saw palmetto could also help treat hair loss because it inhibits the formation of a substance that destroys hair follicles. Take 160mg of saw palmetto extracts twice a day to encourage hair growth.

4. This is better known as a remedy for baldness. The paste is created from pigeon pea and red gram, and is applied directly to the bald areas. Red gram is commonly used in many hair types of hair pastes. So you will come across this ingredient in various home remedies.

5. This natural cure for baldness is made of carrot, lettuce and alfalfa. What you have to do is mix the juices of these three herbs and drink it immediately. This treatment will not only stop hair loss, but also promote hair growth. You can even make the juice in advance and store it.

6. One of the key factors of hair loss is a diet rich in fat. It is advisable to have a combination of a diet low in fat and the intake of food rich in protein (lecithin, wheat germ oil, brewer’s yeast), amino acids that are involved in the formation of hair keratin, minerals and trace elements that are involved in the development of hair (silica, zinc).

7. According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, massaging the scalp with essential oils could help promote hair growth. One study observed 86 people with hair loss problems and found that people who massaged the scalp with essential oils daily for 7 months experienced more hair regrowth. Some essential oils that could help treat hair loss include lavender, rosemary and almond. Some people also add licorice, danshen or sage to their shampoo to prevent hair loss and maintain hair color.

Managing thinning hair

Male pattern hair loss, medically referred to as Androgenic Alopecia, accounts for more than 80 percent of hair loss in men worldwide. This condition can start before the age of 21 which can target approximately 30 percent of men. By the age of 30 to 35, over two-thirds of men will inevitably endure some degree of hair loss that typically starts with a thinning hair and by the age of 50, the condition can get totally apparent.

Men who suffer from male pattern hair loss (androgenic alopecia) may also suffer with frustration and extreme depression. For almost all men, the process of thinning and loss of their hair profoundly and negatively affects their physical and emotional well being and may greatly affect several aspects of their lives such as personal and professional lives.

Recently, balding is considered by numerous people as a very fashionable trend, particularly in men and apparently there are many celebrities who are having a very short hair or sporting a completely shaven head. In almost all cases of hair loss in men, baldness is not caused by vitamin deficiency nor physical and emotional stress but it is basically caused by genetic or hereditary. The main culprit of male pattern baldness is the hormone dihydrotestosterone or DHT that forms around the hair follicles, which causes thinning hair and eventually die.

Fortunately, for the past years there have been exceptional breakthroughs in the treatment of hair loss. In prevalent cases, the condition is now attainable to slow its progression or even reverse its process through FDA approved treatment with medication like minoxidil and drug such as Propecia, hair laser therapy, and hair transplant surgeries. Hair loss is definitely not an easy thing to improve or cure perhaps, however. An individual with the hair loss problem must be patient enough in both retaining and regrowing the hair as the results can take time to be achieved.

It is truly imperative to be cautious in picking the most accurate hair loss treatment as there are thousands of inefficient and fraudulent products for hair loss sold in countless stores and even online. Majority of these advertised “cures” do not work, not at all and chances are you’re just wasting your valued effort and most importantly, your money. It is essential to bear in mind that effective and beneficial treatment tremendously depends on early intervention. It is crucial to treat the condition right away whenever thinning hair is noticed.