By: Benedict Smythe
Submitted: 2008-07-24 05:32:44 | Word Count: 541
For those who have lost their hair and those who are going through the dreaded experience of going bald, the unfortunate news is that baldness cannot be cured. Yes, you can no longer regain what you have lost from your medical treatment (ex. Chemotherapy and psychosis medications) or your pattern baldness condition known as alopecia. Whether your baldness is temporary or permanent, there is no known cure for it. But, you need not to fret for though you cannot regain what you have lost, you can easily replace it. Below are some techniques to restore your crowning glory.
Drugs
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Drugs used for hair replacement offer the chance to re grow hair directly from your scalp without surgical procedures. There are many medications that prop up hair growth. Some of the most popular ones are Minoxidil, Finasteride, Corticosteroids, and Anthralin. However, it should be noted that the more widespread the hair loss is, the less effective the medication becomes.
• Minoxidil also known as “Rogaine” is the most popular hair treatment drug available in the market. It is a non prescription drug used to treat androgenetic alopecia and alopecia areata. Minoxidil usually comes in the form of a shampoo, cream, or foam. In between two to five percent solutions, Minoxidil should be applied once or twice everyday, directly on the scalp. Strands of hair resulting from the use of Minoxidil are often thinner than regular hair strands. It usually takes two to three months before the medication shows visible results.
• Finasteride which is commonly known as Propecia is a prescription drug recommended for male patients who are diagnosed with male pattern baldness. It comes in the form of pills which should be taken on a daily basis. Unlike Minoxidil however, doctors prescribe the use of Finasteride at the earliest detection of male pattern baldness. This is because Finasteride rarely promotes new hair growth. Instead, it slows down the process of hair loss.
• Corticosteroids are usually in the form of injected drugs that show immediate hair growth in two to four weeks. The injectable treatment should be administered twice a month by professional experts. Corticosteroids may also come in the form of pills, tablets, creams, foam, and ointments. However, such forms are less effective than the injectable corticosteroids.
• Anthralin are available in the forms of ointment, cream, or liquid foams that should be applied directly to the scalp on a daily basis. Usually, its effects can be observed twelve weeks after the first application.
Surgery
Aside from drugs, lost hair can be replaced through surgical procedures such as hair transplantation. The usual process involves hair grafting. The cosmetic surgeon or the dermatologist takes grafts of hair from the scalp of the patient, usually at the bottom back or side portions of the regular hair. He then implants the hair plugs in the bald sections of the patient’s head. The hair transplantation process usually takes several sessions. Hair transplantation is recommended only to patients who are entirely unresponsive to non surgical options for hair re growth. This is because such surgical procedures are far more expensive than the non surgical ones. Surgical procedures are also far more painful than taking hair re growth drugs. Also, hair transplantation poses risks of scalp scarring and infection.
