What Are the Treatments for Receding Hairlines?
Many men and a significant number of women suffer noticeable hair loss. While some individuals decide to go bald, others are unwilling to do so. There are a number of over-the counter treatments available for receding hairlines. Other treatments to address hair loss involve commercial processes or even medical procedures. Does this Spark an idea?
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Medication for Men
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In 1997, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the medication finasteride for the treatment of male pattern baldness. Originally developed to treat enlarged glands, test results showed that it also produced renewed hair growth on the scalp for a large majority of men. Finasteride is marketed under the name Procecia. While Propecia can be very effective for men, it is never used for women. In fact, women of childbearing age are strongly cautioned not to handle finasteride pills at all because of the significant danger of birth defects in unborn children.
Medications for Women
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Currently, the only medication approved by the FDA to treat hair loss for women is minoxidil (marketed under the name Rogaine) in a 2 percent solution. However, a number of other drugs are sometimes prescribed "off label" to treat hair loss---that is, they have been approved by the FDA for other purposes. These drugs include diuretics (water pills), Cimetidine (marketed under the name Tagamet), Cyproterone Acetate, Estrogen/Progesterone (hormone replacement therapy, or HRT), and low-dose oral contraceptives.
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Topical Treatments
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Minoxidil, or Rogaine, is also approved by the FDA to be used in topical form for both men and women. It is applied directly to the scalp and is available over the counter. Good results have been reported with topical Rogaine treatment, however, if users stop using it, any hair that has regrown will eventually fall out again.
A number of commercial topical "treatments" that promise to regrow hair are widely promoted in print and television ads, and even in late night "infomercials." However, the effectiveness of these treatments is subject to serious question. Additionally, the safety of these products is not always proven.
Surgical Hair Replacement
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Besides FDA approved medications, hair transplant surgery is the only means of actually replacing growing hair on the scalp. Early versions of hair transplant surgery worked by transplanting "plugs" of hair from the back or sides of the head to the top of the scalp. However, more natural looking results are achieved by "micrograft" surgery, which attaches small groups of individual hairs to the scalp. This procedure is much more painstaking, however, good results have been reported for both men and women.
Non-Surgical Hair Replacement
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Non-surgical hair replacement procedures work by anchoring a full or partial hair replacement to the scalp or to hair that is present on the scalp. The replacement is secured with glue or by "weaving" the replacement in with the hair that is present on the scalp. Hair replacement systems can be worn by both men and women. While they do not present a permanent solution, when the procedure is done by skilled practitioners, the results can have a natural appearance.
Laser Treatment
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In the late 2000s, surgeons began to use low-dose lasers to stimulate blood flow to the hair follicles on the scalp, and encourage hair growth in patients who have suffered hair loss. The treatment was often used in conjunction with Rogaine or Propecia, especially in men. In 2007, the FDA cleared a home laser comb device called the HairMax for use to regrow hair.
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