The most important issue for treating women with hair loss is to get the correct diagnosis of why they are losing their hair. Is the woman losing her hair because of medication, because of hormone imbalances, because she just had a baby, or because she is 60 years old and her mother started to lose hair at that same age.
If there is an underlying physical problem that's causing the hair loss, than that problem should be corrected first. If the problem is fixed, hair treatment may not be needed.
There is no cure for female pattern hair loss. Medications are the most common treatment but none of them provide complete return to full hair growth.
The drug, minoxidil which is Rogaine and its generic versions, is the most common treatment used for hair loss especially for men. Over-the-counter minoxidil is FDA-approved for treating hair loss in women. It can produce some new growth of fine hair for some women. It doesn't restore the full density of hair and it you usually don't see results for at least 2 months following daily application.
Minoxidil is certainly not a miracle drug. Some women find it leaves a deposit on their hair that dries and irritates their scalp. Sometimes the new hair has a different color than the old hair. Some women also complain that they grow excessive hair in the wrong places such as the cheeks and forehead. The other problem is that if minoxidil treatments stop, even after several years of use, the hair that was new because of the medication will start falling out.
Another treatment is the anti-androgen receptor-blocking drugs such as the brands Aldactone and Propecia. These are not recommended for women.
For some women, iron supplements may be the treatment because they are iron deficient. If you're a vegetarian or have a history of anemia, or have heavy menstrual bleeding you may want to consider having your iron levels tested although there's no reliable evidence that iron supplementation will grow hair on women.
Hair transplantation does work although it is expensive and is a surgical procedure. It's been going on for 50 years and involves removing a strip of scalp from the back of the head and using it to fill in a bald spot. Some women, however, do experience inflammation at the sites where the tiny grafts of hair are implanted. If the bald spot is large, the patient may not have enough hair to cover the area. And the transplant procedure, not covered by insurance, may cost from $4000 to $15,000.
There are some shampoos formulated for thinning hair. Again, none work miracles. Some promote follicular health and others contain protein and fibers to coat the hair shaft and make it look thickened.
You may have seen advertisements for hair clubs that seem to give someone a full head of hair overnight. These are really hairpieces that are blued to your scalp with surgical flue. When your natural hair grows out the hairpiece is pushed away from the said so these are better suited for men because women usually have some continued hair growth.
Wigs are always an option if you hair loss is severe. You may also want to wear hats or scarves. Both can be very attractive.
In the end, it's not what's on top of your head that really counts. Keep it all in perspective. You are the person you've always been, with or without hair, and it's what's inside your head that most important to yourself and to others.
Give us a brief description of what you did to treat your hair loss and whether you were successful. Your story could save many women losts of frustration and money. Scroll down to comments and start typing.
To your success in aging.
Ruthan Brodsky
