Hair Loss Cure

People have been searching for a cure for baldness for a long time, but to date, none has been discovered. However, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has in recent years approved finasteride and minoxidil, and there are also thousands of other products, remedies, and hair loss prevention techniques that make this a billion-dollar-per-year industry in the U.S.

Cause of Baldness

• It has been found that a metabolite of testosterone called dihydrotestosterone (DHT) is the main culprit in causing baldness in men and women. DHT acts on hair follicles in the scalp, rendering them dormant. Genetics play a large role in baldness, and there has been significant research that has revealed a link between the androgen receptor gene on the X chromosome and androgenetic alopecia, or male pattern baldness. Other genes on the X chromosome have also been identified to be factors.

Minoxidil (a.k.a. Rogaine)

• Perhaps the most well-known product on the market is Rogaine, the trade name for the FDA-approved drug minoxidil. Studies have shown that regular use of this product, which is now available in many generic forms, shows measurable improvement in hair growth, though that improvement disappears a few months after its use is discontinued. There are also variations of the product designed specifically to treat baldness in women.

Finasteride

• Finasteride was originally used as a treatment for prostate enlargement, but it was later approved by the FDA for treatment of male pattern baldness. Studies have shown that nearly 50 percent of men who used the product experienced some regeneration of hair growth, but, like minoxidil, any improvements disappear shortly after discontinuation of use. Finasteride has been found to cause erectile dysfunction in a small percentage of men who take it and is not recommended for women because it may cause birth defects.

Other Remedies

• A drug currently being studied by pharmaceutical firm GlaxoSmithKline is dutasteride, which is also sold under the trade name Avodart and works similarly to finasteride. Results of studies have not been released, and its status for approval by the FDA is uncertain.
  Ketoconazole is a drug used in the treatment of fungal infections that may help slow the process of balding and stimulate new hair growth.
  Hair transplants have improved in quality over the years, and there are many companies that specialize in this treatment for immediate and lasting replacement hair to cover barren regions of the scalp.
  The HairMAX LaserComb is a low-level laser phototherapy treatment that has recently been cleared by the FDA for marketing. The device looks like a brush and shoots low-level laser beams directly at the scalp. The company claims it generates new hair growth, though there is little supporting clinical data.
  Finally, stress has long been believed to be a factor in hair loss, and a person's diet may be a factor, as well. Although a healthy lifestyle is not a cure for baldness, it can certainly be a factor in the prevention of hair loss.