New hair loss treatment alternatives are being discovered at an increasing rate. The driving force behind the search for these treatments is the need to find a low cost alternative to conventional treatments that is still effective. Preventing hair loss would be the best option, but, for most of us, that realization comes too late.
Unless your hair loss is the result of some medical problem, the most likely culprit is DHT, or dihydrotestosterone. An enzyme known as 5-alpha reductase transforms testosterone (the male sex hormone) into DHT. DHT kills hair follicles by blocking their blood supply, starving them.
For many years anyone wanting to stop hair loss had few options other than expensive medical treatments. Even then, positive results were rare. The world of hair loss treatments drew all manner of “hucksters” that preyed on the pain of others.
Hair transplants provided patients with a higher likelihood of positive results. Many people, however, found that the high price of these transplants put them out of reach. Between the price and general discomfort of these transplants, finding alternative treatments became essential.
Currently, the only FDA approved alternative treatment is Minoxidil (aka: Rogain), which is now available in a number of over-the-counter products> Of course, many of the “original” hair loss treatments are still being touted, but, beware spending your money on anything that has not been independently proven to work. Other options may prove to be very effective, but you should do your homework before spending your money.
IMPORTANT NOTE: This posting is based entirely on information readily available in the popular press and medical journals that deal with alternative treatments for hair loss. Nothing herein is to be or construed to be any sort of medical advice. For medical advice you should visit with his or her personal doctor or other medical specialist.