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Proven Medical Treatments for Hair LossProducts that claim to stop hair loss have been around almost as long as concern about hair loss. Until scientific research discovered the cause of androgenic alopecia (hair loss), medical treatments for hair loss were hit-or-miss or sometimes pure quackery. Even today there are countless products on the market that claim to reverse hair loss, but only two medications and one medical device have been FDA approved. One medication has unexpectedly shown effectiveness in improving hair growth in well-designed clinical trial, and it is being further investigated. Minoxidil is available over-the-counter and applied topically to the scalp skin in areas of hair loss. Minoxidil is available in both 2% and 5% strengths. The 5% strength has been shown to be more effective in both men and women in slowing hair loss and promoting new hair growth. Results of Minoxidil's effectiveness in slowing or halting hair loss to some degree in men have ranged from 50% to 80% of men treated. A lower percentage has reported new hair growth. Minoxidil is ineffective for some men and women who continue to lose hair. While it is available without prescription it is used most effectively in a physician-guided program of hair restoration, after the cause of hair loss has been diagnosed. Minoxidil's mode of acting is not completely understood. It appears to act to prolong the anagen (growth) phase of the hair follicle. Finasteride is available only by prescription and is taken orally daily. Its mode of action is well understood thanks to research that documented the hormonal cause of hair loss in androgenic alopecia. Finasteride inhibits the enzyme that converts testosterone to dihydrotestosterone (the dreaded DHT everyone with hair loss is ware of) in the follicle. Finasteride has proven highly effective in clinical trials and in medical practice for slowing hair loss in almost all men and stimulating new hair growth in some men. It can be used alone or in conjunction with other hair loss treatments, including surgery. A hand-held laser device with comb teeth that distributes low-level laser light to the scalp (LaserComb®) is approved by the FDA for use in promoting hair growth in males who have Hamilton-Norwood Type II to Type V androgenetic alopecia (see Hair Loss and Its Causes). A randomized clinical trial over a 26-week period showed the device to be effective in men and women in slowing hair loss and promoting hair growth without serious side effects. Pyrithione zinc, an ingredient in some anti-dandruff shampoos, has been shown to improve hair growth in men with Hamilton-Norwood Type III or Type V hair loss (Click on About Your Hair Loss). The improvement in hair count (hairs per square centimeter) was modest but sustained over a 26-week randomized clinical trial using a 1% solution of pyrithione zinc in an anti-dandruff shampoo. The finding is being followed up by further investigations. Pyrithione zinc or anti-dandruff shampoos have not been approved by the FDA as hair loss treatments. Who We Are: Our Mission: Contact: |
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