Hair loss prevention and treatment

Are you experiencing hair loss? Are you seeing your hair falling in the towel every time you dry it, or in your fingers, when you run them through your hair? Are you seeing your hair on your pillow cases? And the most important thing, are you noticing your head slowly becoming bald?...  

Just relax!!!

Yes, I am saying relax, because if you haven't noticed baldness yet, you are in time. If you have, than you will have to get used to it...
95 % of hair loss is due to Androgenic Alopecia, or otherwise known as the male pattern baldness. It is a genetic syndrome, so we can not do anything about it, except to postpone the hair loss. 

So let's suppose you have a genetic tendency to become bald in your thirties. If you take good care of your hair, than you can postpone it until your forties, or may be fifties or even sixties! And may be at that time, some magic cure against genetic problems would have been found, or may be you would not care so much...

If you are suffering from serious baldness, there is nothing you can do about your hair, because the hair follicles do not exist any more. The easy way out is just to embrace the fact... It will not grow any hair in that part of your head. Even hair transplantation may be difficult, although consult your doctor about the severity of your baldness.

In the medicine world, hair loss is measured by two types of scales: The HAMILTON-NORWOOD scale is more detailed on the intensity of hair loss, and the BOUHANNA scale that determines the type of hair loss (temples or vertex) and is mostly used by plastic surgeons. 

Like I said, you can not stop your hair from falling, if this is hereditary to you (sorry...), but you can postpone it or even let your hair grow for a while, before the balance between the fallen hair and growing ones, becomes again nasty, after some years. It is up to your care and in what degree you are affected by the above mentioned genetic disorder, that will determine the density of your hair.

I will list below some hair care advice for you. Follow carefully.

1 . Pat dry . 

Do not rub your hair with a towel. I am saying this because the towel is the number one enemy of your hair! When you rub your hair with a towel, it becomes tangled, and most importantly, your hair will break. Use the towel just to take out the excess water and than use hair dryer, to dry your hair. In the summer time always dry your hair with the hair dryer, or let it air dry. Wet hair makes the ideal ground for mucus to grow, and you don't want to get affected by some type of disease, like tinea capitis. 

2 . Wash your hair often. 

I would say that washing your hair often makes it stronger, gives more volume, cleans the scalp from the oils that stick your hair together and makes it thinner and weaker. But, do not wash that often, 3 to 4 times a week is ideal.

3. Don't use very hot water on your head! 

Hot water damages the scalp, affecting in this manner, the hair growth and its strength. There are many folks that love really hot showers, but I will recommend to you, to avoid hot water on your head.

4. Don't brush your hair when it is wet. 

Or make sure to use a wide-toothed comb and use it gently.

5. Don't use tight hats.

Using continuously tight hats, can damage permanently your hair, even if you are not suffering from Androgenic Alopecia. Continuous distress done to your scalp from your hat can damage your hair follicles.

6. Cut your hair.

The shorter your hair is, the stronger it will be, and less stress will occur in the hair’s follicle The longer your hair is, the harder it is for the follicle to feed the hair, or the keratin body with essential oils. So, try to keep your hair trimmed.

Treatment methods 

For the moment, there exist two types of cures for Androgenic Alopecia. The first drug is Finasteride, known under the generic names of Propecia, Finpecia etc. This drug is taken orally once, every day, for a long period of time. 

It is expensive if you consider that you will take it for a long period of time and e pill has an average cost of 1 to 2 dollars. But, this is not all, it has a side effect that is a man's nightmare. There are case reports of persistent diminished libido or erectile dysfunction, even after stopping the drug. 

Of course, this side effect is a rare thing, but usually a sexual dysfunction occurs in the first days of use and than it all goes back to normal. While taking this drug, you will see your hair grow normally, because that genetic malfunction doesn't occur anymore in the hair follicle. When you stop taking this drug the situation turns back the same, after some months. 

The second drug is called Meloxidil. It is an anti-hypertensive drug that has a really unusual side effect! When you apply it topically to the skin it stimulates hair growth! No one knows for sure its mechanism of action, but it is believed that this drug stimulates the blood flow under the skin and in this manner indirectly the hair follicle takes more ingredients for it needs. 

It is very ironic to know that this drug was invented in the same way as viagra. By watching the side effects of these drugs, which were originally used for other purposes, but when the side effects are better than the intended ones, than you can just switch the use of that drug for another purpose!