Are you noticing your hair thinning? Or are you worried that you might have hair loss because your father and grandfather are bald? There are several ways to pre-emptively or take back control of your hair!
Male Pattern Baldness is defined by a pattern of receding hairline and hair thinning on the crown, and is caused by hormones and genetic predisposition according to the National Library of Medicine.
There are several products on the market that claim to help promote healthy hair growth but which remedies are effective and provide a long term solution for hair loss treatment?
Natural
Biotin is an element that has the reputation of being beneficial for hair and nail growth. Biotin is important for the synthesis of fatty acids, glucose, and other amino acids. It helps increase the flexibility of the cortex of strands of hair minimizing hair breakage. Therefore it’s common belief that if you increase the amount of biotin your diet (by eating things like carrots, bananas, liver, and halibut), it will prevent hair loss and will help your remaining hair grow thicker and fuller.
But what it’s important to understand is that you should only increase the amount of Biotin in your diet if you are suffering from Biotin deficiency. Taking a large amount of Biotin over time (i.e. taking a Biotin supplement for hair loss treatment), can result in an overdose causing skin rash, Vitamin C deficiency, Vitamin B6 deficiency, and high blood sugar!
If you suffer from hair loss, Biotin is not a feasible long term solution.
Over the Counter
There are other over the counter solutions that are known to help with hair loss. Rogaine is a popular brand of shampoo that contains Minoxidil. It has been clinically proven through trials to help restore and promote hair growth. It’s important to know that Rogaine takes about 4 to 6 months to see any results. And in fact, during the first 2-3 months of treatment, you might notice more hair loss. This is due to the fact that the hair follicles are being stimulated and they are removing broken and damage hair and replacing it with new healthy hair.
It should also be noted that if you plan on using Rogaine, you will need to do it for the rest of your life. Once treatment is stopped, you will begin to lose your hair again. This is due to the fact that Minoxidil doesn’t treat the main cause of hair loss, which is hormone related. The main cause of hair loss is DHT, a derivative of testosterone. DHT binds to hair follicles, making it impossible for healthy hair to survive.
Therefore, Rogaine is also not a feasible long-term solution.
There is another product on the market called Nioxin. Unlike Rogaine, this shampoo actually helps prevent testosterone from converting to DHT and binding with hair follicles. It also helps with removing excess sebum (an oily substance that is secreted from the skin), which can build up around hair follicles. There have been mixed reviews on whether or not Nioxin is effective. Many reviews claim that all it does it build up protein around hair follicles giving your hair a fuller thicker appearance. Similar to Rogaine, you will have to use this product over long periods of time to see any results, and once treatment is stopped, your hair will revert back to its previous state.
Cosmetic Treatments
For many years, people have considered hair transplant as an option for hair loss treatment. Usually this involves taking DHT resistant hair from the back of the scalp and transplanting it into the balding area. A dermatological surgeon will give you local anesthesia and remove part of your scalp. This portion of the scalp is than subdivided into smaller sections where they transplant the hairs. Then the scalp is surgically sewn back on. The entire procedure takes around 4 hours. Usually a week or two later, the bandages and stitches are removed. Depending on how much hair loss you are suffering will determine how many transplant sessions you will need.
Although this might be a long-term solution for some people, there are several side effects from a hair transplant procedures such as:
- bleeding
- infection
- swelling of the scalp
- bruising around the eyes
- a crust that forms on the areas of the scalp where hair was removed or implanted
- numbness or lack of sensation on the treated areas of the scalp
- itching
- inflammation or infection of the hair follicles (folliculitis)
After completing your hair loss transplant, it takes about 6-9 months to notice fuller and thicker hair.
But due to the advancement of science over the past few years, there are other cosmetic procedures now available that aren’t as intensive as hair transplant and also provide a long-term solution.
One of these methods is using stem cells. Around the bottom of hair follicles are dormant stem cells. Many medical spas offer a hair loss treatment that takes adipose stem cells to help awaken the natural stem cells found in your hair. The treatment is applied by using tiny rolling pins that help inject the protein mixture directly into the follicle. The treatment is usually not painful and doesn’t require anesthesia.
In about a month, people who have tried this treatment have seen their hair begin to regrow. It’s usually recommended to do six treatments over the course of six months for long-lasting permanent results.
Please also be weary of cosmetic surgeons who offer liposuction and then take the removed fat and massage it into your scalp. Although using your own stem cells (rather than using third party stem cells) might help promote new hair growth faster, there are many risks when it comes to an invasive surgery like liposuction.
If you are seeking a long-term hair loss solution, then consider finding a medical spa that can provide you with a stem cell protein mixture. It will give you the results you want in the shortest amount of time and is the most cost efficient long-term hair loss treatment.
