A friend might have told you a home remedy or solution that has helped thicken their hair and prevent hair loss; you should be wary about taking other people's advice about hair loss treatments because it could be purely coincidental.
The proven methods are the best ways to slow and halt hair loss. We want to highlight what medications work and dispel the myths you might hear elsewhere.
Busting Hair Loss Treatment Myths
Just hoping that your hair will grow back once hair loss has begun isn't advisable. Hair loss is a genetic condition that, if left untreated, will worsen progressively over time, so fighting hair loss early is the best approach.
Don't be fooled by marketing campaigns that promise to instigate hair regrowth; these products alone won't regrow your hair, even though a DHT-blocking shampoo can help maintain your hair before loss occurs. Supplements work in the same manner; if hair loss has already started, there is only so much Biotin or other vitamins can do to help.
As great as exercise and stress reduction are, they won't fight hair loss. Living a healthy lifestyle will put your body in the best position to keep your immune system high so your hair can grow optimally before loss starts. Your hair loss is likely genetic, so exercise or meditation won't prevent this.
Other hair care tips you'll see online, like being gentle with your hair, limiting styling products use, and massaging shampoo into your scalp, are great maintenance techniques for healthy hair, but sadly, they won't stop hair loss.
Hair Loss Treatment that Works
Finasteride and Minoxidil are proven effective in slowing or stopping hair loss in most men; the former is an oral tablet, and the latter is a topical formula. Both prescribed medications work in over 80% of men who take them, assuming the instructions have been followed consistently.
Finasteride prevents the body from converting testosterone into DHT, a naturally occurring hormone known to cause hair loss, thus protecting your hair follicles.
However, Minoxidil is a serum that is applied to the scalp twice daily to generate increased blood flow and more oxygen to the areas, revitalising your scalp by reversing the hair miniaturisation process. Consuming Finasteride should increase the growth stage of your hair cycle, too.
Minoxidil and Finasteride require consultation and prescription before you're issued them. Consultants will assess the severity of your hair loss to determine whether these are appropriate measures for you.
You can either take one prescribed product at a time or both, with proven rates of increased effectiveness when taken simultaneously. There are several hair loss plans to discover that combine the most effective forms of treatment to combat the effects you've noticed.