Hair Loss Treatment

Hair loss also known as alopecia and baldness, is a big worry to many people, both male and female. Hair loss may lead to baldness when the rate of shedding exceeds the rate of regrowth, when new hair is thinner than the hair shed or when hair comes out in patches. A number of things can cause excessive hair loss. Hormonal changes may contribute to rapid hair loss, such as during pregnancy or childbirth, or even when coming off the Pill. As these fluctuations in hormone levels drop off, the hair loss should clear up, so the condition is only temporary. A history of androgenetic alopecia on either side of your family increases your risk of balding. Heredity also affects the age at which you begin to lose hair and the developmental speed, pattern and extent of your baldness.

Fungal infections of the scalp can cause hair loss in children. The infection is easily treated with antifungal medicines. Iron deficiency occasionally produces hair loss. Some medicines can cause hair loss. Medicines that can cause hair loss include blood thinners, medicines used for gout, medicines used in chemotherapy to treat cancer, vitamin A, birth control pills and antidepressants. Hair loss can be managed through a variety of hair products, from mousses and gels to coloring to wigs and extensions. These often give better cosmetic results at lower costs and with less trouble. Although most cases of alopecia areata are resolved naturally, some doctors try to speed recovery with corticosteroids applied topically or injected in the scalp.

Hormone therapy may be prescribed for certain types of hair loss, but not without some risk. Stress is another factor linked to hair loss. While it has not been proved definitively, emotional trauma has been loosely associated with hair loss, but milder strains and worries probably do the same thing. Stresses placed on the body may also cause a woman's hair to jump ship. The main factor in growth of the hair is the kind of cells that exit in the hair follicles from which the hair grows in the individual person. A form of cosmetic surgery called scalp reduction involves tightening the scalp so that hair-bearing skin from the back and sides of the head is pulled toward the crown. Hair may then be transplanted to the remaining bald area at the top of the head.

Treatment of Hair loss

Common treatment of Hair loss may include:

• Minoxidil is approved for the treatment of androgenetic alopecia and alopecia areata. Minoxidil is a liquid that you rub into your scalp twice daily to regrow hair and to prevent further loss.
• Injections of cortisone into the scalp can treat alopecia areata.
• Ointments and creams can also be used, but they may be less effective than injections.
• Anthralin is a synthetic, tarry substance that you apply to your scalp and wash off daily. It's typically used to treat psoriasis, but doctors can prescribe it to treat other skin conditions.
• Permanent hair loss can also be treated by hair replacement procedures, such as micro-grafting, slit grafting, punch grafting and scalp reduction.