Often, hair loss begins with just a few extra hairs lost each day, but eventually may lead to a bare scalp. Both men and women have to deal with hair loss. There are many ways to counter hair loss, and what works for one person may not work for the next. After determining the cause of the hair loss, your doctor can suggest a treatment option. The Mayo Clinic advises that there is no cure for baldness; however, treatments may slow or hide hair loss or encourage new hair growth.
Diet
Hair loss could be the result of dietary issues, advises Elizabeth Whitmore, M.D., assistant professor of dermatology at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. Be sure you consume enough protein each day. You need to eat two to three servings, which equals 3 to 4 ounces of fish, chicken or other lean protein, each day. Without enough protein, the body cannot produce new hair. You also need to maintain proper iron levels. Anemia can cause hair loss. Include sources of iron in your daily diet, including dried fruit, soybeans, broccoli, lean red meat or cream of wheat. Whitmore also advises consuming 100 milligrams of vitamin B6 each day to decrease shedding.
Medical Procedures
Hair transplants involve removing hair from one area of the head and placing it on another area. There are several hair transplant techniques to choose from, including punch grafts, minigrafts, micrografts, slit grafts or strip grafts, advises the Mayo Clinic. Scalp reduction procedures involve removing part of the scalp or folding hair-bearing scalp over balding scalp to decrease the size of the balding area.
Medications
There are several medications available to counter hair loss. An over-the-counter treatment like Minoxidil (Rogaine) may help regrow hair or prevent hair loss, advises the Mayo Clinic. Men may also choose to use Propecia (Finasteride). New hair growth tends to be thinner and shorter than the other hair on the scalp, but the medications provide enough hair growth for some people to hide their hair loss. If treatment stops, new hair growth also stops. It takes 12 weeks before new hair growth begins for some people. If cortisone injections are used, new hair growth appears within four weeks, but monthly injections may be required to continue hair growth. Finally, a prescription for Anthralin (Dritho-Scalp) may be given to counter hair loss. Usually those suffering from psoriasis use this treatment, but it can also help stimulate new hair growth when used daily.
Disguise
On a budget, many people opt to disguise their hair loss. This can be done using hair weaves, hair pieces or changes of hair style. However, do not have a hair piece sutured into your scalp, advises MedLine Plus. This can cause scarring or infections and make hair loss worse.
Disguise
On a budget, many people have to cure their hair loss by disguising it. This can be done using hair weaves, hair pieces or changes of hair style. However, do not have a hair piece sutured into your scalp, advises MedLine Plus. This can cause scarring or infections and make hair loss worse.
