Hair Loss Treatment – What Causes Hair Loss?
Hair loss can be a sign of a medical condition or just a normal part of aging, and the cause of your hair loss may influence your treatment options. Your dermatologist can help you determine the cause of your hair loss and recommend an effective treatment.
Most hair loss isn’t noticeable because new hair grows to replace the lost hair. However, it can become a concern when you notice thinning or bald spots, especially in the front of your scalp (androgenic alopecia) or on top of the head (female pattern alopecia). Many people choose to use wigs or other hair enhancement products, such as gels and sprays, to cover their hair loss. Others choose to try natural remedies, such as essential oils, a topical solution called minoxidil or other medications and supplements.
Effective hair loss treatment depends on your particular condition, so it’s important to see a board-certified dermatologist with expertise in the different causes of thinning and balding. Your dermatologist can examine your scalp with a dermatoscope and ask questions to get a clear picture of what’s happening.
A dermatologist can recommend a variety of treatments for your hair loss, depending on what’s causing it. Most types of hair loss are nonscarring, and include conditions such as hereditary baldness in men or female pattern alopecia. These types of alopecia usually begin gradually, and include a receding hairline or bald patches on the scalp and thinning hair on top of the head.
Other types of hair loss are scarring, and can include alopecia areata, alopecia totalis or traction alopecia. Hair loss due to scarring is usually permanent, but in some cases it can reverse. Hair loss from scarring can be triggered by stress, surgery, thyroid problems, nutritional deficiency and certain medications.
There are two main types of hair loss treatment: hormonal and nonhormonal. Hormonal hair loss treatment is used to treat hereditary alopecia in both men and women, as well as telogen effluvium, or abnormal hair shedding. The most common hormone-based medications are finasteride and minoxidil, which are FDA-approved to treat male pattern baldness and female pattern alopecia.
Nonhormonal hair loss treatment includes the use of antiandrogens, which prevent androgens, or sex hormones, from damaging or destroying hair follicles. 부산탈모 This type of hair loss is usually seen in women, and can be triggered by pregnancy, childbirth, rapid weight loss, nutritional deficiencies, stress or certain medications.
Surgical hair restoration, or hair replacement surgery, is usually a cosmetic procedure that can be effective for some people with thinning or balding hair. 부산탈모병원 During this type of hair loss treatment, a dermatologist or cosmetic surgeon removes hair from areas that have healthy hair, then transplants it to the bald area. Various hair replacement procedures are available, including micro-grafting, slit grafting and punch grafting.
Some autoimmune diseases cause hair loss by triggering the body’s immune system to destroy healthy hair follicles. For this type of hair loss, corticosteroids, which are medications that suppress the immune system, can be helpful. These medications can be applied to the scalp as creams, pills or injections and are only available with a doctor’s prescription.