Tips to Stop Baldness

Hair loss can occur for a variety of reasons. Your diet, environment and genes can all affect your hair. Androgenetic alopecia, also known as male or female pattern baldness, is the leading cause of hair loss in men and women, according to the American Hair Loss Association. This condition occurs when enzymes in the body convert testosterone into dihydrotestosterone (DHT). DHT then attacks the follicles, causing the hair to fall out. You can reduce the amount of hair you lose by using a treatment which lowers your DHT levels.

Medications for Men

• Finasteride, which is marketed under the brand name Propecia, is an F.D.A. approved treatment for male pattern baldness. It stops hair loss by curbing the production of DHT. According to the American Hair Loss Association, Propecia can prevent further hair loss while significantly increasing new hair growth.

  Minoxidil (Rogaine) was the first medication to receive approval from the F.D.A. to treat male pattern baldness. It was initially a treatment for high blood pressure. Then people noticed their hair began to thicken after they started taking the medication. Due to this discovery, Minoxidil is now available as a topical hair loss treatment. Minoxidil may only offer limited results since it does not affect DHT levels.

Medications for Women

• Minoxidil 2 percent is the only F.D.A. approved medication for androgenetic alopecia in women, according to the American Hair Loss Association. Minoxidil works better for women than it does for men. It works best for women with mild to moderate hair loss. If you have severe hair loss, you may be able to get a prescription for Minoxidil 5 percent from a dermatologist.

  A handful of other medications are known to stop hair loss in women but they are not approved for this purpose. Blood pressure medications, diuretics, histamine blockers, and anti-fungal medications prevent DHT from attacking the hair follicles. Hormone replacement therapy and birth control pills can also thicken your hair. Talk with your physician before using any of these medications to treat hair loss since they are not approved for this purpose.

Herbs

• If you are wary of using medications to stop your hair from falling out, you may want to consider using herbs. Saw palmetto can reduce hair loss because it prevents enzymes in the body from converting testosterone into DHT. Gotu kola also reduces the production of DHT. Ginseng helps strengthen the strands by improving their ability to absorb protein.

Vitamins

• Certain vitamins can also help reduce hair loss. Vitamin B helps the hair grow and stay healthy. You can get vitamin B by eating nuts, eggs, soybeans and peas. Other forms of vitamin B such as biotin, B5, and B3 are also necessary for hair growth.

  Vitamins E and C stimulate hair growth by increasing blood flow to the scalp. An adequate supply of blood must reach the hair follicles in order for them to thrive.