What Hair Loss Treatment Options are Available on the Market Today?
Every treatment and product for hair loss and thinning hair claims it will work wonders for hair loss and return hair to its original glory…but then you hear so much about those very same products or treatments not delivering the promised results. So which treatments can and will work for you? I am here to help you find the answer to that question.
You Need to Know What is Causing the Hairloss to Choose the Right Treatment
First of all, I want to make sure you understand that the most important part of deciding upon a hair loss treatment is knowing the cause(s) of hair loss! It is very important to understand whether your hair loss is genetic (inherited), an autoimmune disease like Alopecia Areata, caused by a medical condition or a medication you are taking or if it comes from environmental, physical or emotional causes. Certain treatment options may or may not work for specific types of hair loss. A dermatologist is the best person to help you figure out exactly what is causing your hair loss or thinning hair.
So What Treatments for Hair Loss are Out There and Which Ones Will Work for Me?
The array of treatments for hair loss and thinning hair that are available are vitamins, nutrients, essential oils, wigs, weaves, hair systems, hair pieces, topical treatments, in-home laser therapy, in-office laser therapy, skin lifts and grafts, scalp reductions, and hair transplants.
Breaking It Down…Which Hair Loss Treatments Do What?
Non-Surgical Treatment Options
Generally, the “homeopathic” or all-natural (vitamin, nutrient and essential oil) remedies do not usually work for most people that are experiencing thinning hair or hair loss. I’m not saying they aren’t good for you in some ways, but they normally will not regrow hair, and most likely will not do anything to slow or stop more hair from being lost or thinning.
Wigs, weaves, hair systems and hair pieces do nothing to remedy the hair thinning or loss in any way, they only serve to cover or hide the current hair condition.
Topical treatments (such as Minoxidil and Propecia) are long term solutions, require application on a daily basis (sometimes twice or per day to the scalp) and may cause side effects. They are generally prescribed for androgenetic alopecia and are DHT-inhibitors.
In-home laser hair therapy (Low Level Laser Hair Therapy- LLLT) has no side effects whatsoever and is a long term solution. This treatment can be more cost effective as one only pays once for the device and it’s yours to keep and use long term. Click here to see a graph which compares some of the hand held lasers available. These devices are clinically proven to stop excessive hair loss and promote hair growth.
In-office laser hair therapy is the in-office version of the laser hair therapy. This treatment can become costly since you pay for each treatment instead of just for the device as with the in-home use laser.
Surgical Treatment Options for Hairloss
Skin lifts and grafts – Skin liftsare where some sections of skin that have no hair growth are cut out, and the remaining portions of skin are brought back together. This results in continued hair growth on the portions that have been lifted. Skin grafts are where sections of skin that have healthy growing hair are cut out and grafted onto areas that have no hair growth. These procedures are rarely done any longer.
Scalp reductions are a form of cosmetic surgery. The surgeon tightens the scalp by pulling hair-bearing skin from the back and sides of the head toward the crown. Hair may then also be transplanted to any remaining bald area at the top of the head. This procedure is rarely done any longer.
Hair transplantsare where either individual hair follicles (for FUE) or a strip of skin containing hair (for strip harvesting) are removed from one area (called the ‘donor site’)and are replaced into a bald or balding area (known as the ‘recipient site’).
(While the three surgical solutions above may remove or fill in the problem area, they do nothing to prevent future hair thinning and hair loss. It is important to understand that what they do is simply to take healthy hair you already have and move it to a place where it is more visible. They do not create new hair. They are all pretty costly, can be very painful, can create other problems or side effects, and are only a temporary solution as hair will continue to fall out in the affected areas. They are performed by a doctor in a surgical setting, and can have negative results like pain, scarring, bleeding, infection and unnatural looking hair growth. These types of treatments are usually only considered when other solutions are not feasible.
For any hair loss treatment, I recommend consulting with a dermatologist or hair loss specialist before deciding upon any course of action.
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