You’re waking up to strands of hair on your pillowcase or noticing them wash down the drain in the shower while washing your hair and are concerned about losing your luscious locks. More than 80 percent of men and 50 percent of women experience hair loss in their lifetime, and many of them start seeing the signs as early as in their early 20s. Although genetic hair loss, known as androgen alopecia, doesn’t have a cure yet, some various tips and tricks can help you tackle this heart wrenching phenomenon and slow down its effects and promote hair growth. We’ll list a few for you to go through and save that beautiful head of hair.
Keep your vitamins and minerals in check
A healthy body with sufficient nutrients and minerals is the best protection and prevention against any disease or deficiency. A balanced diet with proper vitamins and minerals can help weaken the effects of hair loss and strengthen your scalp to hold on to your hair longer. Vitamin D and Iron are two significant components in your body that are crucial in maintaining and keeping your hair healthy.
- Vitamin D is produced naturally in the body when the skin is exposed to direct sunlight. Your elders must have advised you to soak in the early morning sun for stronger bones when you were younger. Well, studies state that Vitamin D is a critical component that helps prevent hair thinning as well. You can include foods like milk and eggs in your diet, which are rich in Vitamin D, to ensure your body gets the required amount.
- Iron is yet another mineral that helps you sustain that healthy hair. It is generally acquired through foods like red meat or spinach. Low levels of iron lead to lower production of haemoglobin in the blood. Haemoglobin helps in carrying the oxygen for the growth and repair of cells in your body, which includes the cells responsible for hair growth.
Over-the-counter Medications
If your hair loss persists after taking all your vitamins and supplements regularly, then you might try over-the-counter medications like minoxidil and finasteride that have shown results in helping hair loss and even boosting hair growth.
- Finasteride is a popular oral medication used to treat hair loss and benign prostatic hyperplasia in men. It reduces the DHT (dihydrotestosterone) hormone levels which is the main culprit in causing pattern baldness in men. DHT hormone shrinks hair follicles and contributes to hair loss. It is important to note that regular use of finasteride has shown side effects like reduced sex drive and erectile dysfunction in men. Children and pregnant women are not advised to medicate themselves with finasteride.
- Minoxidil is a liquid medication used to treat pattern hair loss and high blood pressure. It is advised to be applied to the scalp twice daily, encouraging increased blood flow to the hair follicles and stimulating hair growth. It shows the best results on younger men who have been experiencing hair loss for less than five years.
Studies show that using minoxidil and finasteride together works better and gives better results than using either alone. It’s essential to keep in mind that it is necessary to keep using them to see results. Once you stop using either, you might see the effects of the medication reverse, and male pattern hair loss will pick up from where it left off.
Hair Transplant
If you’ve avoided hair loss for quite some time and are now seeing bald spots, then it might be a little too late to try over-the-counter medication. People facing such conditions should start considering hair transplant procedures to see long-term results. During pattern baldness, people experience hair loss on the top of the head or the crown area. Hair transplant procedures will basically try and make the most of your remaining hair by removing or grafting the hair follicles from the back or sides of the head, which still have hair, and transplanting them on the bald spots. Hospitalization is not required after the procedure, but it’ll be painful, so painkillers would be prescribed to ease any discomfort during recovery. Although some risks that you might come across are bleeding, swelling, bruising, and infection. Thus, choosing a good hair transplant clinic is critical to avoid all the inconveniences and risks. You can check the hair transplant cost in Los Angeles on their home website to help you budget your treatment better.
Laser Therapy
One can only wish to solve all their hair loss problems by waving a magic wand over their head. As fictional as it might sound, it may have some ounce of reality to it, according to scientists. Low-Level-Laser Therapy (LLLT) is an FDA-approved method to treat hair loss in which a wand-shaped device emits constant high-frequency red LED light, which is pointed toward your scalp directly or through a cap that you wear. It is said to trigger the hair follicle’s stem cells, resulting in hair growth.
DHT Blocking Shampoos
Several DHT-blocking shampoos contain ketoconazole which, according to researchers, reduces the effects of DHT on your hair follicles. These might not be as effective as minoxidil or finasteride, but they might work for some. Although researchers believe that when combined with minoxidil and finasteride, DHT-blocking shampoos can disrupt DHT’s damaging effects. So, including them along with your other hair loss treatments can show some good results.
Platelet-Rich Plasma Treatment
Briefly known as the PRP treatment, this procedure involves drawing small amounts of blood and placing it in the centrifuge to separate the plasma from the blood. This plasma is then injected into your scalp once extracted. The theory suggests that platelet growth factors can spur hair growth when injected into the hair follicles. This treatment can show results when used alone as well as when combined with other hair loss treatments.
Conclusion
With advancements in technology and medical sciences, more methods are being introduced every year that help manage and reduce hair loss faced by many worldwide. In coming times, hair loss and thinning might also become a thing of the past. But till then, you can implement the abovementioned methods to tackle this troubling issue.
