Hair Loss - Treatment Overview
People suffering from hair loss, have their own ways to fight it. While some may choose to o for hair transplant or surgery, others will prefer to wear wigs etc. However, finding the root cause for this loss can take us to the remedy for it. If the hair loss is due to some stress or tension, then treatment for that will automatically stop the hair loss. Similarly, change of medication and a fresh look at the on going treatment can also prove helpful However, it has been seen that some medication for hair loss has shown certain bad side effects.
A brief overview on the problem and its solution is given below:
Hereditary hair loss
It is in the genes. However, the treatment and medication can help here to certain extent, but do not expect it to give you a head with full-grown hair.There are medication treatments available which include the following.
Minoxidil (Rogaine)---- It is available without a prescription and is sprayed on and/or rubbed into the scalp twice a day
Finasteride (Propecia)--- is available by prescription and can be taken once daily in pill form. However, Finasteride has not been proven effective in women and is not approved for women by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Women who are or may become pregnant should not take or handle crushed or broken tablets, because finasteride can cause birth defects.
Surgical treatment includes the following
• Grafting or hair transplantation...Grafts are called small pieces of skin with hair. The surgeon will remove small grafts from areas of your scalp with full hair to areas of your scalp that are bald or thinning. The grafts may include single hairs or up to 30 hairs in one graft. This is the most common type of surgery used to treat hair loss.
• Scalp reduction... Scalp reduction involves removing large areas of bald scalp from the head. Sections of the scalp with growing hair are then stretched and sewn together to fill in the bald areas.
• Scalp flaps. ..Scalp flaps involve moving a large section of scalp containing hair from the side and back of the scalp to a bald area. One side of the flap remains attached to the scalp as the section of scalp with hair is used to cover a bald area. The complication rate of this procedure is higher than other procedures because of bleeding, scarring, and infection after surgery.
Cosmetic approach to hairloss includes the following
• Wearing artificial hair packs or pieces as well as hair weaving.... Hairpieces are made from human or synthetic hair that is implanted into nylon netting. These can be attached to the scalp with glue, metal clips, or tape. Hair weaving involves sewing or braiding pieces of long hair into existing hair
• Using hair care products and styling techniques. Hair care products or perms may make hair appear thicker. Dyes may be used to color the scalp. However, continual use of perms or dyes can cause chemical reaction sometimes resulting in more hair loss.
Treatment for hair loss caused by factors other than inheritance
Hair loss can be caused by recent surgery or diseases like cancer etc. and even by wrong medication also. The causes also include. high fevers, emotional stress, lack of protein or iron etc. Often, treating the underlying cause stops the hair loss, and hair grows back. In some cases, other treatment is necessary.
Hair loss caused by radio or chemotherapy for cancer treatment requires special care. Hence, use mild shampoos and do not use a hair dryer.
This overview has other observations also that will be discussed in another article