Category Archives: Hair Loss Treatments

There are numerous hair loss treatments available now, some of which we have looked at already. Some of them may work for you, whilst some may be a waste of time and money. The best way to find out is to consult your doctor and to do as much research on each as possible.

To point you in the right direction, here are a few pros and cons of one more hair loss treatment. This treatment is suitable for people with more than 50 per cent hair loss.

UVB treatment

This is similar to PUVA treatment, except that it uses a different wavelength of ultraviolet (UV) light. It is often used to treat people with more than 90 per cent hair loss, as well as those with skin conditions.

Pros: This treatment is often free on the NHS.
Cons: It is time-consuming, as you have to stand in a UV cubicle (or sun bed) for two to three times a week. Each session will need to be increasingly longer.
Cons: You are likely to experience painful burning of the skin and an increased risk of skin cancer, like with PUVA.
Cons: This treatment has rarely proven to be effective at improving hair growth.

We’ve already looked at a couple of the most commonly used hair loss treatments for people with less than 50 per cent hair loss, but what about more severe cases?

As with treatments for milder conditions, there are many options available for people with more than 50 per cent hair loss. These options can often be expensive, invasive and ineffective, so it is useful to know the pros and cons of each before making a final decision.

PUVA treatment

PUVA (psoralen + UVA) treatment involves taking a light-sensitive drug then undergoing a brief exposure to UVA light.

Pro: This treatment only takes three to six weeks to complete
Con: It is quite time consuming, as two to three sessions a week are required
Pro: It can be effective for more recent hair loss
Cons: The treatment does not have a very encouraging success rate at just 6 -12 per cent

Immunosuppressive medication

Pros: The treatment is designed to suppress the immune system so that the hair will have a chance to regrow
Cons: As it suppresses the immune system, the risk of infection is higher
Pros: This treatment is available on prescription via the NHS

If you notice your hair is starting to thin or fall out, the first thing to do is to go and see your doctor to get a formal diagnosis. Your doctor may refer you to a hair loss specialist, or they may prescribe or recommend a treatment.

There are a lot of treatments for hair loss now available, but not all of them may be worth the time and money for everyone.

If you are diagnosed with having less than 50 per cent hair loss, the following treatments may be available to you. Here are their pros and cons:

Topical Minoxidil (also known as Regaine or Rogaine)

Pro: This medicine has been known to be relatively effective on people with patchy hair loss
Con: It does not normally work for people with alopecia totalis or universalis
Pro: Although not available on prescription, a 5% solution of this medicine (lasting one month) costs around £20 online
Con: Side effects may include scalp irritation, itching or scaling.

Corticosteroids

Pro: This treatment, administered via lotion, cream or injection, is generally very effective in mild cases of alopecia.
Con: If taken for a long time, corticosteroids can lower the body’s ability to fight off infections
Pro: This medication is available on prescription
Pro: It takes around 4 to 6 months to show noticeable improvement

There are many different kinds of hair loss treatment available these days, some of them painful and expensive (i.e. certain kinds of hair transplants) and others less so. These treatments have varying success rates, as they depend of course on the patient and their particular hair loss condition.

Not everyone wants to put themselves through hair loss treatment, however, which is why there are many alternatives available. These include:

• Human hair wigs – These wigs have come a long way in the last few years, meaning they are now so realistic that no one will be able to tell you’re wearing one. They are comfortable to wear and you can choose from hundreds of styles to suit you.

• The Intralace System – This is a hair replacement treatment, but one that works similarly to hair extensions. A breathable mesh is fitted between your existing hair and your scalp, allowing additional human hair to be added. It looks natural, is made of breathable materials and can be washed and styled as normal.

• Medi Connections – Similarly to other methods, Medi Connections are a kind of very fine hair extensions used to cover smaller areas of thinning or balding.

• Head bandannas and wraps – Some people prefer to keep things as simple as possible, choosing a colourful, attractive wrap or bandanna to cover their heads whilst their hair grows back.

There are many ways in which you can lose your hair during your lifetime, especially when you are receiving invasive treatment for cancer by way of chemotherapy or radiotherapy. But there are also a wide range of hair loss conditions that can be suffered by anybody regardless of their age or their health. Most of these conditions can be treated by medication that you receive from your doctor, however others are more complex and require further tests and examinations to ensure that you are receiving the right treatment.

If you have recently noticed that your hair is thinning or you have bald patches on your scalp, you need to make sure that your visit your doctor. Your doctor is best placed to offer you advice about your hair loss and tell you whether or not it is treatable. If your doctor is unable to help you, they will refer you to a specialist who will be able to test your hair loss and give you a more in depth diagnosis. If you are unsure about any of the treatments that you are receiving or the advice that you have been given, you can always ask for a second opinion or for things to be explained further so that you have a better understanding about the condition you are suffering with.

Hair loss might not be something that you have ever thought about before, especially if you are a woman. For a woman, there are so many other things going on in your life, hair loss might be the last thing you are thinking about. However, female hair loss is a common occurrence and it is surprising how many women suffer with it during their lifetime.

There are many different forms of female hair loss and some of the most common hair loss conditions are caused by stress and anxiety. However, some women suffer with hair loss when they are receiving treatment for cancer.

If you are unhappy with your hair loss and you don’t want people to know what you are going through, why don’t you think about getting yourself a wig or two. There are many different forms of wig on the market that would be suitable for you to wear. All of the wigs that are available have been made from human hair so they look completely realistic. You can style your human hair wig into whatever type of style you are after. Nobody will be able to tell that you are wearing a wig because they look so good.