Treatments For Different Types of Hair Loss
Hair loss can be classified into a few different types. Causes of hair loss are varied, and treatments are specific to the type of hair loss. Here are some common types of hair loss and their treatment.
Alopecia Areata
This is a type of baldness which occurs in patches. This occurs due to the reason that the immune system starts attacking the follicles of the hair from where the hair grows. For this kind of hair loss there are 3 types of hair loss treatments. They are Corticosteroid, contact therapy and Minoxidil or the Rogaine.
The Corticosteroid is a type of cream, which can be applied to the scalp for nourishment to the hair. Sometimes it can be injected at the patches where the hair is lost. This ensures the regaining of hair from the loss.
The contact therapy is considered as the best treatment for Alopecia Areata. This is an experimental therapy for treating the severe type of Alopecia Areata. In this type of treatment DPCP a kind of medicine is painted on the scalp where the loss of hair is affected. This painting is done once every week.
Minoxidil or Rogaine is another type of treatment used for Alopecia Areata. In this type of treatment Anthralin and Minoxidil is included. This treatment helps to stimulate the growth of the hair and also tries to prevent the loss of hair.
Androgenetic Alopecia or Hereditary Hair Loss
Approximately 95% of men and 70% of women with thinning hair can attribute it to a hereditary condition called Androgenetic Alopecia. It can affect both men and women although men experience a much greater degree of loss. Researchers have determined that this form of hair loss is related to hormones called androgens, particularly an androgen called dihydrotestosterone (DHT). This type of hair loss is permanent in nature. Daily, vigorous aerobic exercise (as opposed to short workout periods designed to raise androgen levels and build muscle or more sporadic exercise) has been shown to reduce baseline insulin levels as well as baseline total and free testosterone, significantly lowering baseline DHT.
Only 2 proven US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved medications are currently available for treatment of androgenetic alopecia: Minoxidil and Finasteride. Minoxidil appears to lengthen the duration of the anagen phase, and it may increase the blood supply to the follicle. Continuing topical treatment with the drug is necessary indefinitely because discontinuation of treatment produces a rapid reversion to the pretreatment balding pattern. Propecia is a relatively new drug produce by Merck. It is a tablet which is taken once a day and at this present time it is only approved for use in men. Propecia is not to be used by woman and children. Propecia is a steroid compound that is a specific inhibitor of alpha reductase which is the enzyme that metabolizes the androgen testosterone into dihydrotestosterone (DHT). In this way Propecia helps to prevent the continued miniaturization of existing hair follicles and also assist in the recruitment of miniaturized hair follicles to become terminal hairs. Like Minoxidil, Propecia must be taken for a period of 3 months or more before any benefit is seen and it must be continued in order to maintain any benefits gained.
For women, Diane 35 is used in the treatment of Androgenetic Alopecia. It is a hormonal contraceptive tablet that is prescribed for the treatment of severe acne and hirsutism in women and for female pattern baldness or Androgenetic Alopecia in women. The aim of treatment with Diane 35 is to block the peripheral action of male hormones commonly present in the female body.
Stress Related Hair Loss (Telogen Effluvium)
Stress related hairloss develops when impending or severe stress cause an increase in the dropping of hair. In Telogen Effluvium a sudden or stressful event can cause the tiny hair follicles to stop growing prematurely and enter into a resting phase. The hair will then stay in the resting phase for about 3 months after which time a large amount of hair will be shed. Often the person involved will have recovered from the event before the hair loss occurs. In most cases the hair loss is temporary and the hair soon grows back. However in some cases the hair loss continues until the underlying cause is fixed. Stress related hairloss appears to affect more women than men because of instances like childbirth.
Hair Transplantation and Surgery
Hair transplants are the only permanent solution to male and female hair loss. When performed by experts, hair transplants are easy for the patient, but requires that the surgeon have refined artistic skill. Sufficient donor hair is needed for successful hair transplantation. A small section of tissue is removed from the donor area and is then dissected under magnification into individual hair follicular units and micro-grafts. After the hair grafts are carefully prepared, they are strategically placed into bald or thinning hair areas. Single-hair follicular units are placed at precise but varied angles in the frontal hair zone to create a soft, natural looking hairline.
