A lot many things were said and written about hair loss treatments. But most of them might relate exclusively to men. So the question is: do the same treatments apply to women or are there any separate remedies available? It is found that the common causes of hair loss that affect men are same for women too. Hence, the treatments available for them are also pretty similar.
Three most common causes of hair loss in women are female pattern baldness, alopecia areata and telogen effluvium. Now we will take a look at each of these and examine the best treatments available.
Treatments for female pattern baldness
Minoxidil (Rogaine) is the first treatment in most cases.It is an FDA approved hair loss treatment, and is the only one approved for use by women. It does not target causes of hair loss. Also, it will not work for everyone.
Finasteride (Propecia) is a popular drug for treating male pattern baldness. It is not advisable for women of childbearing age to use this drug. It has severely damaging effects on unborn male fetuses. Before using Propecia it is advisable to consult your physician. If needed, your doctor may ask you to use a different androgen blocker like spironolactone to stop the hormone activity that is causing hair loss. Spironolactone is generally used as a diuretic and may give variable results.
Many commercial products are available in the market. Most of them are aimed at men but may also be suitable for women to use. Some products having ingredients like saw palmetto, pygeum, stinging nettle and green tea are found to be useful for women also.
Treatments for alopecia areata
The following female hair loss treatments are found to be useful:
Apply of minoxidil (Rogaine) daily.
Inject cortisone into patchy areas of your scalp. Creams and lotions that have cortisone can also be used. But they may give variable results. Apply Dithranol to the scalp, in mild or early cases.
In mild or early cases apply Dithranol to the scalp
Application of aloe vera gel
Massage your scalp with lavender and rosemary essential oils in a jojoba base.
Use a hair loss product that contains the Chinese herb, He Shou Wu
Use the product Calosol -it is giving positive results
However, please note that none of these are guaranteed to work perfectly because of the unpredictable nature of alopecia areata. And, you should also know that there are no miracle treatments if alopecia areata becomes advanced.
Treatments for telogen effluvium - A cause of female hair loss
This hair loss condition generally won't require any specific treatment. Once the effects of trauma that are the causes of hair loss are subsided, the hair starts growing. Some may try to encourage this growth process by using minoxidil. But it isn't necessary. A good nutritional regime and using B-vitamins are helpful for creating a hair friendly environment.
