Hair Loss Treatment Options
More and more alternative treatments for hair loss are being discovered as time goes by. Having a lower cost is but one of many benefits of these treatments. The best option, of course, is to prevent hair loss to begin with.
Absent a medical condition, most hair loss is caused by DHT, or, dihydrotestosterone. An enzyme known as 5-alpha reductase transforms testosterone (the male sex hormone) into DHT. DHT then destroys hair follicles by blocking their blood supply and starving them.
For anyone that wanted to stop or reverse this process, expensive medical treatments have long been their only option. And, many times, the results were far from satisfactory. The world of hair loss treatments drew all manner of “hucksters” that preyed on the pain of others.
When the use of hair transplants became an option, positive results became more certain. Even so, the total cost of treatments could easily surpass $20,000.00. The high price, general discomfort involved, and the length of time necessary for these procedures made finding alternatives more and more attractive.
For now, Minoxidil is the only OTC treatment for hair loss that is FDA approved. Many other treatments are out there, but most have not been independently tested, so buyer beware should be your word of the day. This doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t consider other options, only that you should be careful what you choose to buy.
Disclaimer: This article is based entirely on information readily available in the national press and medical journals concerning alternative treatments for hair loss. Nothing herein should be or understood to be any kind of medical advice. For medical advice the reader must talk with his or her personal doctor or other medical specialist.
Another thing to consider is the fact that hair loss can result from a problem that has nothing to do with hair. As an example, it’s been shown that deficiencies of vitamin B6 and folic acid can cause total hair loss. In these cases, using supplements to return the vitamin levels to normal have restored hair growth, as well.
There are some other things that you may want to try before spending your hard-earned money.