For a problem that a huge part of the population suffers from, androgenetic alopecia (pattern balding) has relatively few treatments that actually WORK. We’ll briefly talk about the available hair loss treatments in this blog post, and then cover them individually in future posts.
The first category of hair loss treatment is medications. The two medications with the greatest amount of research data and positive results are topical minoxidil (brand name Rogaine™) and the prescription oral medication finasteride (brand name Propecia™). Minoxidil (Rogaine™) is available over the counter as both a foam and a liquid. Finasteride (Propecia™) is available by prescription only. Both medications have excellent results with delaying further hair loss. This means that people that use these medications separately or in combination will keep their hair density longer than those who don’t. They generally do not cause an appreciable regrowth in already thin to bald areas. Start these medications as soon as you notice thinning to achieve the best results!
The second category is hair transplantation. Hair transplantation is a permanent procedure to correct thinness and balding . Currently there are two main types of hair transplantation procedures being done. They differ in how the hair is harvested for transplantation. The older technique is known as the strip method, where a strip of scalp is removed from the back of the head and dissected into individual hair units. Due to the linear scar that results from the strip technique, a new procedure known as automated FUE is quickly becoming the preferred method of transplantation. Automated FUE (Neograft), literally can remove a single hair at a time via a 1 mm or less skin punch. No linear scar results.
The final category involves artificially camouflaging thinning and balding.One popular way to accomplish this is with toupees and wigs. Today’s toupees and wigs can use real donated human hair and are quite sophisticated. When done well they can be virtually undetectable. However, they do require a great deal of maintenance and frequent replacement as they break down. Another popular and effective way to camouflage thinning is with scalp micropigmentation. Micropigmentation involves selective tattooing of the scalp in order to simulate the appearance of hair coverage. This is best accomplished using subtlety and artistic detail. It can be a very effective add on to a hair transplantation procedure.
There are many other advertised treatments out there. If they aren’t discussed here, than we don’t recommend them. That doesn’t mean that more treatments won’t be proven effective, but at this time, we recommend sticking to the treatments that we know work.
To schedule your FREE hair restoration consultation, call 847-995-9000 today!
-Christopher Bailey MD
Hair Loss Treaments that Work is a post from: www.chicagohairclinic.com
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