What Are the Treatments for Female Hair Loss?

There are a several reasons women experience hair loss. Physical and emotional stress can be a factor. So can chemotherapy. The most common cause of hair loss in women is Androgenetic alopecia, also known as alopecia areata. Hair-loss treatments range from medications to surgery. Hair growth is possible after a few treatments.

Transplant Surgery

• Women who are losing their hair may be candidates for transplant surgery. In this procedure, your own hair is used. The surgeon will do some tests to determine if you are a candidate for a hair transplant. One requirement is a dense amount of hair in the back of your head. The procedure is done in minigrafts. Grafts are taken from the densest part of the hair and transplanted onto the thinning areas of the scalp. In time, the hair begins to grow and will look fuller and longer.

Non-Surgical Replacement

• Women who have lost all of their hair can feel insecure. If you who don't want to undergo surgery you can use a wig or a hairpiece. Wigs today are synthetic or made of real hair. They come in many colors, styles and thicknesses. Real-hair wigs can be styled to your liking. If you have only minimal hair loss, you can choose hair extensions or a hairpiece.

Laser Hair Rejuvenation

• Laser rejuvenation is a nonsurgical and safe procedure and an alternative for women who don't want to undergo hair transplantation. In laser hair rejuvenation, which was developed in Europe, a device is used that emits low-level lasers to cosmetically treat thinning hair. Your hair will look fuller, thicker and healthier. Unlike surgery, no healing time or side effects are associated with this treatment.

Medications

• Medications are also used to treat female baldness or thinning hair. Corticosteroids, cortisone-like medicines, are injected into the scalp once a month. New hair begins to grow within four weeks.

Topical Therapies

• There also are topical treatments for hair loss, some of which have led to hair growth. Tricomin is a spray that is applied to the scalp. Copper, its main ingredient, reportedly is beneficial to hair growth. You use it twice a day for 24 weeks.
  Retin-A is another topical treatment. It can be used alone or with Rogaine. Retin-A is applied to the scalp with a cotton ball, in a thin layer, at bedtime. Retin-A has been known to cause hair growth in female pattern baldness.