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Why are you losing hair?
There are two main disorders that cause the majority of age-related hair loss.
Androgenetic alopecia, commonly known as male- or female-pattern hair loss, is the most typical type. The first indication is thinning hair. "Hair follicles shrink, resulting in finer hair strands. Some hair follicles completely stop growing hair.
Genetics or hormone changes brought on by ageing may play a role in this form of hair loss. It happens gradually and in different ways for men and women." Men's front hairlines typically recede, and they may also experience thinning at the temples or crown of the head. It can affect the majority of a woman's scalp or specific parts like the middle, the temples, and the frontal scalp area. Women do not, however, experience androgenetic alopecia in the same way as men do.
Telogen effluvium, also a prevalent kind of hair loss, is a medical term. This kind of thinning happens abruptly and frequently in response to mental or physical stress. It may occur following a high temperature, a urinary infection, or surgery. Taking a new drug or reacting to an underlying medical issue might both cause shedding.
Where to find assistance with hair loss
In order to determine whether your hair loss is brought on by an underlying condition, medication, hormone changes, or ageing, consult your primary care physician. The doctor might recommend therapies or issue blood tests. Visit a board-certified dermatologist who specialises in hair loss therapy and is knowledgeable about the various alternatives available to help grow hair if you wish to see a specialist.
Keeping your hair safe
Depending on the reason for your hair loss, your doctor will recommend a certain type of treatment. Once the underlying reason is cured or on its own, telogen effluvium goes away. " Usually, telogen effluvium improves within three to six months.
The goal of treatment for people with androgenetic alopecia is to strengthen the hair follicles so that the hair strands grow thicker and seem denser overall. The following treatments might be useful:
Topical medicines. For both men and women, the over-the-counter medication minoxidil (Rogaine) has been licenced by the FDA as a treatment for hair loss. It encourages hair lengthening and thickens hair follicles. It is applied to the scalp as a liquid or foam. If you have a lot of hair, applying the liquid form might be simpler. However, compared to the foam, more people suffer from irritability with the liquid. To observe progress, you must use it consistently for at least nine months.
Drugs taken orally. Recent research suggests that using the medication minoxidil, which has long been used to treat high blood pressure, to cure hair loss is both safe and beneficial. The use of oral minoxidil for hair loss has increased over the past 12 months. It's beneficial for those who don't get enough benefit from topical minoxidil or who experience scalp discomfort from the topical form.
Other oral treatments for hair loss include spironolactone (Aldactone) and finasteride (Propecia, Proscar). Drugs taken by mouth may have unwanted effects. For instance, oral minoxidil may result in palpitations or low blood pressure. Because of this, the patient's treatment plan is carefully tailored.
Injections of platelet-rich plasma. High concentrations of your own blood's constituent parts are injected into your scalp during this operation to promote hair growth. Each therapy may cost between $500 and $1,500. The procedure is usually repeated once a month for three months, and you need follow-up treatments once a year. It has not yet been established whether platelet-rich plasma promotes hair growth.
Therapy with laser light. Low-level LED laser-emitting devices could encourage hair growth. They can be found in combs and helmets that you frequently use at home (without a prescription). Prices start at a few hundred dollars and go up to a few thousand.
Supplements. Supplements can be costly, and there isn't any proof that they actually promote hair growth. However, it's probably safe to test them if they won't conflict with your prescription.
Starting with these treatments as soon as you notice hair loss is crucial for all of them. Hair transplant surgery is the only way to restore your locks once the follicles cease producing hair.
