Losing your hair can be a challenging and embarrassing experience. Coming up with the right solution to address hair loss is also a complicated matter. If you’ve been debating a toupee, that may be a viable option. But before you commit to a hairpiece, you may want to consider all the options available to you. Here are three alternative solutions for hair loss.
1. Medications
Many people choose medication as the first course of action for dealing with hair loss. There are multiple types of medication available for balding, but minoxidil and finasteride are two of the most popular. These medications have a great track record of success and have changed many people’s lives for the better.
Minoxidil
Minoxidil is also offered under the popular brand name Rogaine. It’s a topical product that should be applied as instructed directly to the scalp. Interestingly enough, minoxidil was originally prescribed as an oral medication to combat high blood pressure. However, doctors discovered that the medication also induced hair growth.
Scientists developed a topical version of minoxidil that would help combat androgenic alopecia in males. It’s thought that minoxidil prevents hair loss by shortening the hair’s resting phase while extending its growth phase. It also sends increased blood flow to hair follicles, which helps stimulate growth.
Finasteride
Like minoxidil, finasteride is a hair-loss medication that also treats a completely separate condition. It’s FDA-approved for treating both hair loss and enlarged prostate. Though both the oral and topical versions of finasteride are effective hair loss treatments, many people prefer the topical version. This is because oral finasteride is associated with a variety of adverse effects, including the risk of sexual dysfunction. Topical finasteride, on the other hand, doesn’t cause these issues.
Finasteride works by reducing the production of dihydrotestosterone (DHT) in the body. This androgen hormone is derived from testosterone. It plays a key role in the development of male characteristics such as reproductive organs and body hair. However, it’s also responsible for male pattern baldness. Finasteride stops the body from converting testosterone into DHT.
2. Lifestyle Changes
You don’t have to just sit back and wait for hair loss medication to start working. There are other things you can do to support healthy hair growth. They include changing your diet and reducing stress in your life. These may sound like simplistic solutions to a complicated problem. However, they can potentially make a big difference in the health and appearance of your hair.
Dietary Changes
Hair loss has many potential causes, including genetics and hormone imbalances. But there are diet-related factors that can also lead to baldness, including nutrient deficiencies. Some of the most common nutrient deficiencies associated with hair loss include iron, vitamin D, and zinc deficiencies. To boost your intake of these nutrients, consume more dark leafy greens, cruciferous vegetables, fatty fish, and legumes.
Many people are surprised to discover that their favorite supplements could be contributing to their hair loss. Just as certain nutrients are important for boosting hair growth, others should be avoided if you struggle with baldness. Consuming nutritional supplements with high doses of vitamin A, vitamin E, and selenium could harm your hair.
Reducing Stress
A limited amount of stress isn’t a bad thing. In fact, it’s the body’s way of helping us stay motivated to get things done. Stress is also a natural temporary reaction to illness and danger. It can help energize us and keep us safe. However, many people today deal with chronic stress, which wreaks havoc on the body’s systems. Chronic stress can contribute to frequent illness, sleeplessness, and hair loss.
To reduce stress in your life, consider what’s causing it. Are you working overtime at a job you hate? Or maybe you’re dealing with a chaotic personal relationship that’s fraught with emotional distress. Once you identify your stressors, take steps to reduce or eliminate them from your life in healthy ways. Once you do, your body will have more energy to focus on improving bodily processes it’s neglected — such as hair growth.
3. Surgery
If the solutions above don’t provide the results you’re looking for, surgery may be the next best option. Hair transplants are fairly common and can quickly change the appearance of your scalp. There are several hair transplant surgery types available, but two of the most popular are grafting and scalp reduction.
Grafting
Grafting is the most common type of hair transplant procedure. A healthcare provider performs this surgery by cutting out tiny portions of the scalp containing healthy hair. These tiny portions of skin typically contain between 10 and 15 hairs each.
The surgeon takes the removed portions of the scalp (also commonly referred to as hair plugs) and grafts them into balding areas. This painstaking procedure can take a few hours to complete, but it delivers instant results. For minor baldness, your surgeon may use micro-grafting, which is similar to grafting but uses smaller hair grafts.
Scalp Reduction
During a scalp reduction, the surgeon removes a small, bald area of the scalp. Then, the surgeon loosens and stretches nearby skin with hair over the bald area. To keep the scalp in its new position, it’s stitched in place.
This surgery does not require general anesthesia because the surgeon thoroughly numbs the treatment area. You may need to receive several surgeries to get the results you want. Between procedures, your scalp will need a few months to fully heal.
If you have nightmares of loose toupees flapping in the wind, you’re probably thrilled to learn about alternative treatments for baldness. Try one or more of the above solutions to see if they address your hair-loss woes.
