Hair Loss Treatment

Excessive hair loss can affect men or women at any stage in life. Male pattern baldness is common but female hair loss occurs as well. Hair loss treatment can help reduce additional hair loss or even start the process of re-growing hair.

There are many causes of hair loss. Male pattern baldness, or androgenic alopecia, is common in men and results in thinning hair or a receding hairline. It may be caused by stress, some medications, and it is hereditary. Sensitivity to a male androgen hormone called dihydrotestosterone (DHT) is thought to cause a narrowing of the hair follicle, which results in hair loss in men.

Illness, injury or a major stressor can result in hair loss three or four months after the physical or emotional stress. Hair loss due to a major stress event is temporary.

Hormone imbalance can cause hair loss. Your hormones may become out of balance and cause hair loss. Imbalances of thyroid hormone, sex hormones or hormonal changes after pregnancy can result in hair loss.

Although not common, a diet low in certain vitamins or minerals, such as iron and B vitamins, can result in hair loss.

Hair loss can accompany certain disease such as lupus or diabetes. Hair loss is also a possible side effect of several drugs. Examples retinoids (used for acne such as Retin-A and Accutane), beta blockers and calcium channel blockers (used for hypertension), antidepressants (such as Prozac, Zoloft and Paxil), NSAIDs (such as ibuprofin and naproxin) and chemotherapy drugs.

Depending on the cause of hair loss, certain hair loss treatments may be available. If disease, infection, illness or nutrient deficiency is causing hair loss, your doctor can treat the underlying condition to resolve the hair loss.

The most commonly prescribed hair loss medicines are minoxidil (Rogaine) or finasteride (Propecia). These treatments are usually in the form of a shampoo.

Female hair loss, or female pattern balding, is more difficult to treat, and the hair loss pattern in women is different than in men. Typically, it's more diffuse, occurring over the entire top of the head. In men hair loss affects the temples, crown, and back of the head. Treatments used for male pattern baldness can be used in some female hair loss cases but not all. The cause of female hair loss is often hard to determine. Underlying nutrient deficiency, hormone imbalance and life stresses should not be ruled out.

Male Pattern Baldness Article

For more information about hair loss, visit http://www.americanhairloss.org/.

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