Whether hair loss requires treatment or not depends to a great deal on the underlying causes and
the general psychological disposition of the man involved. In other words, if
losing your hair makes you feel miserable, you may want to consider treatments,
but if you are happy enough with it, let it go and keep smiling. Temporary hair
loss caused by medical treatments typically does not require help to sooner or
later grow back naturally. If infections or conditions like discoid lupus or
lichen planus, for example, have caused the loss, the conditions should be
treated, as opposed to dealing with the hair loss.
As far as natural ageing
and male pattern baldness are concerned, the best treatments currently
available are Finasteride or Minoxidil, neither of which are available on
prescription.
Finasteride
This treatment prevents
testosterone from being converted into dihydrotestosterone, better known simply
as DHT. This hormone induces hair loss by causing hair follicles to shrink. By
reducing the production of DHT, hair follicles are allowed to regain/ maintain
their regular size. According to studies, this treatment can increase hair
count and improve the way people think their hair appears.
As a rule, it will take
approximately two to six months before the effect of this treatment, which is
taken in the shape of a pill, becomes noticeable. Should the treatment be
stopped, the balding process typically resumes within approximately six to 12
months. It is uncommon for side effects to be noted, although a minute
percentage (less than 1%) of men taking Finasteride may experience erectile
dysfunction or loss of libido.
Minoxidil
This treatment comes as a
lotion to be rubbed into the scalp. Available from pharmacists, it is available
in solutions containing 2 or 5 % of Minoxidil. While it is unsure as to exactly
how this treatment works, evidence has show that it can encourage re-growth of
hair. Opinions as to whether the 5 % solution is more effective than the 2%
version differ, but it is believed across the board that the former may cause
itchiness or dryness of the scalp to a greater extent than that of the latter,
although side effects are generally fairly uncommon.
This product also needs
to be used continually, as stopping usage will result in re-grown hair falling
out again within around two months of stopping the treatment.
Hair Transplants
For a more permanent,
non-chemical solution, it is best to look for hair transplant surgery.
Typically regarded as the most effective and long-lasting solution, this type
of treatment an, however, be expensive. As baldness is not regarded as an
illness, it is not available through national health services, and prices can
vary depending on where surgery is provided and the extent of the required work
involved.
In some cases, segments
of scalp carrying healthy hair follicles at the back of the head are moved to
frontal areas of baldness. In other instances, a process known as scalp
reduction is performed. This involves removing sections of scalp with defective
hair follicles and stretching scalp sections featuring healthy follicles.
Resources: Solutions to Men's Hair Loss
