Hair Restoration: Options That Work!

Until the 1990s, hair restoration meant surgery: you had to have hair transplants taken from somewhere else (usually the back and sides of your head), then grafted onto your bald spot. Before hair replacement surgery , however, replacement options were limited. Thankfully, there are many different options available today for both men and women!

Out with the old myths and in with the new solutions!

Many old time hair loss remedies usually focused on increasing circulation to the scalp, by massaging or rubbing; moistening the scalp with oils and herbs; or covering up the loss with wigs. And who can forget the instant hair in a can spray paint that you squirted on your head to cover your bald spot? That particular treatment ranks right up there with restoration remedies like sleeping on stones and rubbing goose poop on your head. It's a desperation move; and as your doctor can tell you, that kind of desperation is no longer necessary.

The modern reality of Propecia and Rogaine

Today we have not just one hair loss treatment that really works, but several hair loss remedies and procedures are available! Transplantation surgery performed by a competent doctor is more effective than ever, but nothing beats the effectiveness of drugs like Propecia (finasteride) and Rogaine (minoxidil). These treatments can not only stop hair loss, but in some cases can result in true hair replacement. Transplants may be painful, so if you can get the original hair back without treatment surgery, why not try a more natural hair loss remedy first?

How do these products work?

Propecia was discovered in the early 1990s, when clinical trials of a new medical drug used for male hormone therapy showed that many of the test subjects had stopped balding. Propecia, which comes in pill form, works for restoration of hair loss by inhibiting follicular shrinking, which ironically enough results from excessive concentrations of male hormones. This is called androgenetic alopecia. Propecia can only be used by men; as a steroid derivative, it's dangerous to pregnant women. The second drug, Rogaine, encourages restoration of hair in the same way: by decreasing shrinkage of the follicles. However, Rogaine is usually applied directly to the scalp and it's safe for use by both genders.

Are there specific factors that pre-determine hair loss?

For reasons we don't fully understand, many human males are genetically destined to become bald or suffer from some hair loss as they age. It's a sex-linked natural process that men can thank their mothers for. The genes for hair loss and baldness are located on the X-chromosome that the mother contributes to a child's genome. If the child is a girl, she has an extra X-chromosome, and if it's normal it masks the effect of the baldness genes and she never has to worry about losing her hair. But if the child is a boy, he gets an X-chromosome and a Y-chromosome, and has no genetic protection against baldness. If nothing's done, he'll be bald or suffer from some loss of hair later in life. Baldness is hormone linked; when male hormones reach a certain level, scalp follicles respond by shrinking until the hair is lost. Because of the sex link, men are almost ten times more likely to develop baldness than women.

So what's baldness for?

While there are many theories - there are no solid conclusions to the hair loss mystery. Some people think it's the next step in our evolution, as people become less furry. Others argue that loss of hair is intended as a visual clue that the bald individual is mature and virile, or, conversely, that he's getting too old to breed. The jury's still out on that one. The good news is that with modern restoration treatments, from transplantation to Rogaine, there's no reason to give up your locks without a fight.