In Denial About Hair Loss?
When looking in the mirror, people often deny or intentionally overlook the fact that the part in their hair is widening, bald spots are appearing or their hair is becoming so thin that they can see the scalp right through it! Denial, however, will not change the facts. If you are noticing these changes, you are not alone. Losing hair is something most people experience at some point in their lifetime. In fact, 50 percent of women by the age of 50 have lost at least 50 percent of their hair. By age 35, two thirds of American men will experience some degree of appreciable hair loss, and by age of 50, approximately 85 percent of men have significantly thinning hair. Let’s face it, hair loss can be unsettling, but taking steps to address the issue sooner than later can make all the difference.
Treatments are available to slow down hair loss and possibly stimulate new hair growth in both women and men. The oral medication, Propecia is the only once-a-day pill approved by the FDA for the treatment of certain types of male pattern hair loss in men. Propecia reduces DHT (dihydrotestosterone), a substance in the body that can shrink the hair follicle until it no longer produces visible hair. Propecia is safe and effective with few potential side effects. It is important for men to begin taking this medication as soon as they notice more than average hair loss (it is normal to lose an average of 100 hairs per day) as Propecia is designed to help you keep the hair you have. For some men this may be as early as in their twenties. It has been clinically proven to stop hair loss in most men and stimulated new growth in nearly 50 percent of those cases. Propecia is available by prescription only.
For both men and women, Rogaine topical treatment is available without a prescription. Rogaine contains topical minoxidil, the only FDA-approved ingredient clinically proven to regrow hair. Minoxidil reinvigorates shrunken hair follicles to increase their size and helps to regrow thicker hair over time. Rogaine must be used daily and for at least 6 months for appreciable results.
If the hair loss is seriously advanced and oral or topical treatments would be ineffective, surgical procedures like hair transplants, scalp reductions, and scalp flaps might be considered.
While a majority of hair loss is hereditary, it may also be a signal of illness or disease, or a reaction to improper diet, medications, stress and hormones. The way you style or care for your hair may also cause hair thinning, breakage or balding. Avoid purchasing supplements, shampoos, conditioners or other formulations designed to help hair loss without consulting your dermatologist first. Many products are clinically unproven and ineffective. You may end up spending a lot of money without seeing any results. Visiting a dermatologist is the first step in determining what type of hair loss you are experiencing and plotting the appropriate course of treatment.
Starting treatment early will lead to greater success in keeping your hair, so don’t delay! For more information on the causes of hair loss visit the American Academy of Dermatology website.
Tags: balding, Dermatologist, hair follicle, hair loss, hair thinning, hereditary, medication, minoxidil, propecia, rogaine
This entry was posted on Wednesday, May 20th, 2009 at 5:02 pm and is filed under hair loss. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
