You need this information if you are starting on the path to treating hair loss. There is so much mis-information out there most people don’t know what to believe. This article is written as a basic resource for people with thinning and balding hair. Before you spend hundreds of dollars on something that may not work, be sure to read this informative post.
The first step is to understand what causes hair loss. For men, about 95% of early balding cases can be traced to male pattern baldness. This is a medical condition that is actually hereditary in nature. It is also known by its medical name Androgenic Alopecia. Recent pictures found in an Egyptian tomb indicate it has been a problem for over 5000 years.
This balding problem can be passed down from either the father’s or the mother’s side of the family which counteracts the old wives tale about your mother’s brothers determining if you will go bald. Male pattern hair loss will sometimes skip a generation or two because the gene is recessive, also, it may not affect all siblings equally. This apparently random affect made it seem like magic for years until the mechanism of recessive genes was understood.
Women actually suffer hair loss from this medical condition just like men. In fact, if you look at the number of doctor visits for hair loss you will find that more women than men have the problem. This is interesting because millions have been spent on male hair loss research and hardly any on female hair loss. Women were usually expected to just cover up the problem with a wig or a hat.
One treatment that has been approved by the US FDA is the drug Minoxidil. This topically applied drug is absorbed through the scalp and protects the hair roots from the main culprit of hair loss, DHT. It has been found by the US government that if DHT is limited or inhibited from attacking the follicles then the hair growth will be extended longer. This seems to be the key to hair loss treatments.
DHT is a metabolite of the male hormone testosterone. It is called the male hormone but it actually can be found in both men and women. DHT actually covers the hair follicles (hair roots) and causes them to stop producing keratin the hair shaft material. In fact, limiting DHT and its effects is the key to hair restoration procedures.
If you are looking for a natural hair restoration product then you want to look at Saw Palmetto. The extract of this plant has been used by the native people of the South Eastern US for centuries to treat many different ailments. It is derived from a three foot tall bush of the palm family. Saw Palmetto is known as a natural occuring DHT blocker with means it actually inhibits the metabolizing of testosterone into DHT.
There is a DHT blocker that is also very effective for men. Unfortunately, it is not recommended for use by women because of the possibility of birth defects in unborn male fetuses. In particular, it seems to cause a problem with the proper development of the male sexual organs. Because of this concern, women are not even recommended to touch the broken tablets.
If none of these hair restoration products give you the results you desire then it is time to look at hair implants. The hair implantation method of hair restoration for women was not used for years because women had thinning hair over their entire scalps. Men, who had great success with the procedure, usually have a good growth of hair at the back of the head even if the top is completely bald. This provides a very good donor site which means the hair follicles can be removed from this area and transplanted to the balding area.
When hair implants were first used the results were very sub-par. Over the years the techniques have improved to the point that a hair restoration procedure offers a very natural looking head of hair for both men and women. In fact, there are now tens of thousands of clients who have had the procedure and have a full head of hair to show for it.
If you are suffering the embarrassment of hair loss you are not alone. Whether you are looking for ideas on hair restoration for women or restoring hair on a bald mans head, you can find what you are looking for at our Hair Restoration Blog.
categories: balding,hair loss,mens health,womens health,hair growth,beauty,bald,hair,hair growth,hair restoration,hair implants,self help,dating
