Hair loss, also known as alopecia, can affect just the scalp or the entire body and can be temporary or permanent. It can be the result of genetics, hormonal changes, medical conditions, or a normal part of the aging process. Hair loss can happen to anyone, but it is more frequently found in men.
Also women can suffer hair loss, if it’s your case, talk to your doctor about early treatment to prevent severe and permanent hair loss. Also, if you notice sudden or patchy hair loss, or more hair loss than usual when brushing or washing your hair, let your doctor know.
Hair Loss treatment checked by doctors
There are several effective treatments for hair loss. You may be able to reverse or at least slow down your hair loss. These are the best 4 medications to treat baldness, just keep reading:
- Minoxidil
Over-the-counter minoxidil comes in liquid, foam, and shampoo forms. For best results, apply product to scalp once a day for women and twice a day for men. Many people like to apply mousse while their hair is wet.
Minoxidil products promote hair growth or reduce the rate of hair loss in many people. At least six months of treatment is needed to prevent further hair loss and for hair to grow back. It may take a few more months to determine if the treatment is working for you. If it works, you must continue to use it indefinitely to maintain the benefits.
Possible side effects include irritation of the skin and unwanted hair growth on the adjacent skin of the face and hands.
- Finasteride
It is a prescription drug for men. Finasteride is a tablet taken every day. The fact that many men use finasteride indicates a decrease in hair loss, and some may grow new hair. It may take a few months to find out if it’s right for you. You will need to continue taking it to keep the benefits. Finasteride may not work for men over 60 years of age.
Rare side effects of finasteride include decreased libido and sexual function and an increased risk of prostate cancer. Women who are pregnant or may become pregnant should avoid contact with these tablets.
If you are taking finasteride to treat male pattern hair loss, it may take at least 3 months before you notice any improvement, as hair loss and growth slow down over time. However, you should see improvement within the first 12 months of treatment. If you have been taking Finasteride for 12 months and do not see any improvement, you may not be able to continue treatment. Talk to your doctor if you need to continue treatment. Do not stop using it without talking to your doctor. It is possible that in the first 12 months after you stop taking the medicine, your hair grows back when it got better.
- Spironolactone
An antiandrogen such as spironolactone slows down the production of androgens, also known as male sex hormones. When there is hair loss in women, the main androgen to be inhibited is testosterone. When it comes into contact with 5-alpha-reductase type 2, an enzyme present in the sebaceous glands of the hair follicles, testosterone is converted into DHT, which is responsible for the reduction in the size of the follicles that leads to hair loss, according to the American Hair Loss Association.
The American Hair Loss Association says that this is not the only way that spironolactone can treat hair loss. The most obvious benefit of spironolactone is the decrease in testosterone levels, which inevitably lowers DHT levels. With less DHT in the scalp, less hair is lost. Due to DHT’s inability to bind to hair follicles, it can slow down hair loss and even stimulate regrowth. It should be noted that this treatment is most effective before menopause, according to the American Osteopathic College of Dermatology.
- Oral dutasteride
Dutasteride is a drug that also acts as a 5-alpha reductase inhibitor and promotes the thickening of hair follicle units, which helps prevent hair loss.
Dutasteride for hair should always be prescribed by a specialist hair surgeon. This is the most appropriate specialist to assess the condition, origin and cause of hair loss and prescribe an effective treatment for hair loss.
Dutasteride treatment increases capillary density, strengthens hair and stabilizes hair loss, as it slows down and reverses hair loss that causes alopecia. Patients begin to notice results within a few weeks of applying the treatment.
Furthermore, a comparison between dutasteride and finasteride, showed that the former had a higher degree of efficacy and a shorter response time. Results appear in a shorter period of time.
As with most hair loss treatments, it must be remembered that we are talking about the long term. Dutasteride has a half-life of several weeks, so mesotherapy is usually applied every 3-6 months, if appropriate. When taken orally, an initial injection is usually recommended to speed up the process.
Here are the best medications checked by doctors to treat hair loss in men and women. It’s important to visit a specialist before starting one of these treatments.
“Disclaimer: This article is just information and was not written to give any advice or replace any professional indication. Any doubt you have please consult a doctor”
