Hair loss treatments have literally been around for millennia. Hippocrates himself developed a treatment back in ancient Greece. His treatment, which included pigeon droppings, did not however cure his baldness. Men and women have gone to great lengths to cover thinning hair and baldness. Hats, hairpieces, wigs, extensions, comb-overs, hair thickeners, transplants, and various other methods have been employed over the years to overcome thinning hair or baldness. Despite coming a long way from using pigeon droppings, doctors and scientists have still yet to come up with a cure. In fact the majority of people purchasing hair loss products today are getting little to no results for their hard-earned dollars.
When deciding on a treatment, you need to be very careful. Many of the "miracle" products you see advertised in magazines and on television are worthless. Their guarantees of preventing male pattern baldness or providing hair restoration are usually too good to be true. Either they are not designed for your type of hair loss or more often they simply just don't work. Unfortunately that is rarely explained to the consumer. Be sure to do your research first. Check if the treatment is FDA approved. Ask your doctor if the treatment is recommended. See if other organizations recommend that particular product. The American Hair Loss Association is a great resource for this topic. They provide a lot of excellent information regarding hair loss and available treatments on their website.
Since an absolute cure is not available, early detection and treatment is essential to hair loss prevention and regrowth. One of the most effective treatments for men is the FDA approved drug Propecia (generic name - Finasteride). The vast majority of men who use Propecia no longer suffer from the loss of hair. A high percentage of them have also experienced hair growth while using Propecia. Though much less effective, minoxidil is another treatment approved by the FDA. This topical treatment, most popularly known as Rogaine, has had mixed results at best. However, if other hair loss treatments have proven ineffective, then minoxidil might be worth a try.
Unfortunately for women there has been less success with treating female hair loss. Since it is less common in women, pharmaceutical companies are less inclined to devote research dollars towards finding a cure. The only FDA approved treatment that is readily available for women is minoxidil. The good thing is that it is somewhat more effective for women than men. There are also a number of other drugs that were designed for other purposes, but have shown some effectiveness when used to treat women. Aldactone, Tagamet, Cyproterone Acetate, hormone replacement therapy, birth control pills, Ketoconazole, and Propecia are some of these options. Before using any of the aforementioned treatments, however, be sure to consult with a doctor first. And remember, regardless of what some advertisements claim, minoxidil and Propecia are the only treatments approved by the FDA.
Hair Loss TreatmentsB. Ferguson invites you to visit http://grayhairdye.net/ and learn more about the choices available to those dealing with gray hair or suffering from hair loss. If you found this article interesting, then you may also enjoy Top 10 Hair Loss Myths.