Top 5 Thinning Hair Treatments
Thinning hair is a concern that affects most Americans. Normal hair loss is different from clinical hair loss. In normal hair loss, the lost hair gets replaced by new hair whereas in clinical hair loss, the number of hair a person loses a single day far exceeds the number that is replaced. Hair loss is considered normal unless you lose more than 150 strands a single day.
Hair Growth Cycle
Each hair follicle undergoes a growth cycle that consists of three phases: anagen (growth phase), catagen (intermediate phase) and telogen (resting or shedding phase). The anagen stage for the hair follicles in the scalp typically lasts about 3 to 5 years. At the end of the growth period, hair follicles enter the intermediate phase. This stage of the hair growth cycle usually lasts about 1 to 2 weeks. During the catagen phase the deeper portions of the hair follicles start to collapse. This is the resting period (telogen) of a hair follicle. It is usually 3 to 4 months in length and at the end of this period older hairs that have finished their life will fall out and newer hairs will begin to grow.
Hair Loss Treatments
With the awareness about common causes and solutions of hair loss growing, there have been significant improvements in the way people deal with hair loss. Today you can have several hair thinning treatment options ranging from topical hair loss solutions to prescription drugs and laser therapies to hair transplants like FUE. While drugs and topical solutions are affordable to average individuals, hair transplants and laser treatments may not be so.
Topical hair loss solutions:
Some of the popular hair loss solutions are hair loss shampoos, hair massage oils, ayurvedic hair loss solutions and anti-dandruff solutions. Hair nourishing solutions contain active ingredients such as biotin which are essential for hair growth. Most anti-dandruff products contain DHT inhibitors.Prescription/OTC drugs:
finasteride (Propecia) is a prescription drug to treat androgenic alopecia while minoxidil (Rogaine) is an over the counter drug to treat the same. However, finasteride drugs are reported to cause serious side effects in men; hence their use is restricted.LaserComb:
This is an advanced hair loss treatment that uses laser therapy to treat hair thinning in men and women. LaserComb utilizes laser phototherapy to stimulate hair follicles. When the hair follicle suffers from poor blood flow or a hormone by product called Dihydrotestosterone (DHT), the hair follicle progressively diminishes until it's permanently gone. By bathing the scalp with gentle, nourishing laser light, the follicles are infused with the energy necessary to stimulate growth factors, extend the growth phase and help restore a healthy hair cycle.Hair Transplant:
The most effective way to treat hair loss is hair transplants. Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE) is the most advanced method of hair transplant. This hair transplant method is gaining popularityas it yields natural looking hairline. Nowadays the hair transplant procedure also uses advanced techniques like ARTAS system, which simplifies the process of hair transplant.
Stem Cell Treatment:
Stem cell-based treatment is the most advanced treatment for hair loss. One such treatment called biostem method uses a combination of the patients own blood, utilization of growth factors, laser treatments for bio-photo stimulation, and a nutraceutical designed to stimulate hair follicle growth. It is a minimally invasive, painless procedure that gives a permanent solution to common types of hair loss like androgenic alopecia.Treatments for hair thinning are many. Before choosing any of these treatments you must consult a hair or skin expert.
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