Baldness Treatments
We do not die with the same bunch of hair that we were born with.
As we grow up, our hair keeps regenerating, shedding and growing.
When we become old, we begin to lose hair. It is a natural process
that that starts at the age of about 50. However, some people start
losing hair much earlier resulting in baldness. Treatment is now widespread
irrespective of age and gender. What was once considered “for
men only,” is now found among women and children also. Hair
loss occurs due to various reasons: endocrine conditions like severe
diabetes or thyroid disease, iron deficiency anemia, kidney and liver
diseases, genetic factors, side effects of certain medication like
chemotherapy, hormonal imbalance etc.
Now, the question is: is baldnes treatment possible? The answer
is yes if one’s hair loss is due medication, hormonal imbalance,
thyroid problems or some underlying cause such as diabetes. Years
of research have led to the appearance of certain drugs that have
proved successful for hair loss. Among these drugs are minoxidil
(more popularly known as Rogaine) and finasteride (known as Propecia).
Minoxidil, which is available in any chemist’s shop without
doctor’s prescription, is effective in treating male pattern
baldness when applied to the scalp.
To get finasteride, one needs a doctor’s prescription. It
is available in the form of pills to be taken by men only as it
is not suitable for use by women. One will have to wait up to 6
months before he/she can tell if one of these two medicines is working.
If your doctor finds that a hormone imbalance is the cause of your
baldness, he/she would suggest a course of appropriate drugs to
solve the problem. If excessive quantity of DHT (a component of
the male hormone) is the reason of your hair loss, you are likely
to be put on drugs that form a part of antiandrogen therapy. In
the case of women, the this baldness treatment is called CPA (cyproterone
acetate) with ethinyl-estradiol. The therapy in most cases continues
for one year.
Hair transplant
Hair transplant is a surgical method for the treatment of balding
and hair loss. It is often also referred to as medical hair restoration.
In this surgical operation, parts of the scalp from the sides and
back of the head where the hair grows well are extracted first.
Then, it is implanted on those regions of the head that are going
bald. Hair can re-grow because the hair follicles in the side and
the back of the head are immune to hair loss problems. This treatment
for baldness costs about $15,000 and takes 1-2 years to complete.
Hair weaving, on the other hand, is a cosmetic method that attaches
extensions of natural or synthetic hair. In tissue expansion method,
silicone bags are inserted beneath hair- bearing skin to expand
the tissues. This is then transferred to the bald areas on the head.
Laser hair replacement, although classified more as restoration
of hair, involves using lasers to declog existing follicles and
increase blood flow, and is now approved for use.
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