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What Is the Best Hair Regrowth Treatment?

For years, we've been subject to a multitude of ads and commercials peddling the next great miracle "cure" for baldness. Each product claims huge results and the ads are filled with success stories, yet most of these wonder drugs don't do anything to treat or even prevent hair loss. With all these pledges and promises, it has become harder and harder to discern which treatment is a sham and which remedy is an actual, viable option. So what treatment is the best to grow back your lost hair?

  1. Identification

    • The best treatments for hair loss are the ones that are clinically proven and have been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) or the American Hair Loss Association (AHLA). If one or the other hasn't given a product its stamp of approval, you shouldn't get it, even if the claims are too good to be true (because they are). Currently ,there are two different medications that have the most promise in preventing and treating hair loss: finasteride and loniten. Both are considered DHT blockers.

    Function

    • DHT, or dihydrotestosterone, is an androgen that basically deprives the hair follicle of vitamins and minerals. When a follicle is cut off from these nutrients, it has a tendency to shrink, stunting the hair over time until it ceases to grow. This cessation in growth is the main cause of baldness in men.

    Features

    • Finasteride, the generic name for both Proscar and Propecia, actually slows down 5-alpha reductase, the enzyme responsible for altering testosterone into DHT. Research has shown that a daily dose of finasteride can successfully lower the levels of DHT by upwards of 60 percent--a huge improvement in any male suffering from hair loss. So, what does this number actually mean? In this specific study, 86 percent of men who were prescribed a daily dosage of finasteride experienced a halting of hair loss, and 65 percent genuinely saw an increase in hair growth. The AHLA considers finasteride "the first line of attack" for treating hair loss.

    Potential

    • For those men who do not respond to finasteride, the next step is usually loniten, or Minoxidil. Though clinically proven to slow hair loss, this topical formula.typically gives a fairly marginal result for the majority of people who end up using it. Still considered a DHT blocker, it does nothing to alter the hormones of those men who are experience hair thinning and loss.

    Expert Insight

    • The soundest advice anyone can give you is to consult with a dermatologist. Since no two people are alike, a professional who can deal with your scalp and hair-loss issues should be able to establish the best and most effective treatment plan for you. Make an appointment for a consultation before ever committing to a certain doctor or health professional.

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