Why is my hair falling out?
It’s a fact that men are more likely to lose their hair than women, mostly due to male pattern baldness. But thinning hair and hair loss are also common in women, and no less demoralizing. Reasons can range from the simple and temporary—a vitamin deficiency—to the more complex, like an underlying health condition.
Here are some common and not-so-common reasons why you might be seeing less hair on your head: Physical or Emotional Stress, Too Much Vitamin A, Protein Deficiency, Heredity, Anaemia, Hypothyroidism, Dramatic Weight Loss, Chemotherapy, Over-styling and Aging.
In many cases, there are ways to treat both male and female hair loss. It all depends on the cause. There are treatment centres like Vinci Hair Clinic, the world’s leading specialist hair restoration company, with 29 clinics in 13 countries, covering 6 continents, that has opened it’s first two African Hair Restoration Clinics in Lagos & Abuja. On the other hand there are some tried and tested medication that work just as well.
With many years of experience in the business of hair treatment, director Dimitrios Karoutis of the Swiss Luxury Clinic shares his expertise on the topic of hair loss medication. Swiss Luxury Clinic is a leading private hair clinic in Switzerland that offers a range of state-of-the-art hair loss treatments, including hair transplants.
Finasteride is an oral medication that has been introduced to the market in the past decade. It is available by prescription only and is only approved for use by men.
Through scientific studies, it has been shown to re-grow hair in a significant number of men and stop hair loss in an even higher percentage.
Finasteride works by decreasing the formation of DHT, a hormone responsible in large part for male pattern hair loss, while not reducing testosterone, the overall male hormone responsible for masculinity.
Therefore, any side effects that may involve male sexual function are mild and occur in less than 2% of all patients.
Finasteride has been available for over 10 years and has been shown to be safe and effective. Finasteride works best for early or moderate hair loss, but it may also help patients with more advanced hair loss to preserve their remaining hair.
Its use is suggested by hair restoration surgeons as an effective medication to slow down or reverse male pattern hair loss in many men.
It is often used as a complementary treatment for hair transplant patients.
Minoxidil is topically applied and has been around for over 15 years and is helpful in slowing down hair loss, but less effective in helping new hair to grow.
A higher concentration (5% solution) of Minoxidil is now available for men and has been shown to be more effective than the 2% solution.
5% Minoxidil solution is generally not recommended for use by women because it may stimulate the growth of facial hair, and also because at least one study suggests that it is not more effective than the 2% in females.
How do I choose?
Both Finasteride and Minoxidil must be used on a continual basis in order to sustain results, and if discontinued, the process of balding resumes. These medications may not work for everyone, but they have a proven track record that shows a significant benefit to many people.
In addition, combination treatment with Minoxidil solution and Finasteride may provide added benefit for men with Androgenetic Alopecia. The most important to thing is to consult a medical professional to be sure you understand the benefits and risks of each treatment.
Sources: Swiss Luxury Clinic