Hair Loss - Hair Growth Products
There are many of products on the market that claim to help with hair loss, but most of them are just marketing hair supplements that have no real medical basis or real rigorous testing by an independent group like the FDA. Most men will try any hair loss treatment at any price because hair is so important to their appearance, but don't be fooled by fake claims and doctors that have been paid to sponsor a hair growth product. If it has not been tested by the FDA, it's probably not going to help you.
The only two medical products that we have found that work for hair loss are Finasteride (sold under the brand names Propecia and Proscar) and Minoxidil (sold under the brandname Rogaine as well as generics). Only these two hair loss treatments have gone through serious testing by the FDA testing to ensure that they are safe and actually do what they say the do.
Propecia is a drug developed by Merck for the treatment of male pattern hair loss on the vertex and the anterior mid-scalp area. Propecia inhibits of a steroid that converts androgen testosterone into DHT, which is know to be the main cause of male pattern hair loss. This drug does directly to the source of the problem and it has been tested on 1800 men ages 18 to 41 with good success. The total study was 5 years longs and showed real hair growth and not just preventing the loss of hair. It is definitely worth checking out this drug, but you should check with your doctor to make sure it is right for you and to fully understand the possible side effects.
Rogaine (or any generic Minoxidil solution) is an FDA approved solution to preventing hair loss that is applied to scalp that has been seriously tested. It now sells over the counter and under generic names. It works by increasing the blood flow in the scalp. This is not going after the source of the problem like Propecia, but it does help with the problem. You have to keep using it regularly or it will not work. If you stop using it, you might see some more hair loss temporarily, because all the hairs that would have fallen out without Rogaine will start falling out all at once. Even though it is over the counter, it is still worth talking to your doctor about using it.
If you are not comfortable with the side effect of hair growth drugs or you have already lost a lot of hair, a good option could be hair transplants. Hair transplants are also a good option for women, since most hair loss drugs are designed for men. Hair transplants are no longer very expensive and thus a real option. It's not a permanent solution for hair loss, but will give you good results that can last many years.
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