New Hairloss Treatments

Half of American adults, both men and women, experience hair loss (alopecia) by the age of 50, according to dermatologist Dr. Doris Day in 2008 "Washington Post" article on hair loss. Hair loss can be devastating. Currently, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved some hair loss treatments, including finasteride and minoxidil. Others treatments include the off-label use of drugs that block androgens, the hormones associated with hair loss.

Hair Loss Treatments for Men

• There are effective nonsurgical treatments for male pattern baldness.

  Two drugs have proved effective for treatment of hair loss in men: finasteride and minoxidil.

  Finasteride is the generic name for Proscar and Propecia. Formulated to treat an enlarged prostate, one of finasteride's side effects is hair growth. The drug was approved for hair loss treatment in men by the FDA in 1997 and works for many men with male pattern baldness. Propecia lowers DHT levels by 60 percent. (Dihydrotestosterone, or DHT, is the hormone responsible for most hair loss.)

  Ioniten is the market name for minoxidil. Minoxidil is used to treat high blood pressure, but hair growth is one of its side effects. Topical application of minoxidil does promote hair growth but the medication doesn't affect hormone levels. For this reason, it is considered a temporary solution.

Minoxidil for Women

• Excessive and tight hairstyling can cause hair loss in women.

  Topical application of minoxidil seems to work better in women than in men. A 5 percent concentration works much better than the FDA-approved 2 percent solution, according to the American Hair Loss Association (AHLA).

Hormonal Hair Loss Treatments for Women

• A drug used to treat high blood pressure can promote hair growth.

  A number of medications can prevent DHT-induced hair loss in women but none of these are yet approved for that use by the FDA. Doctors can prescribe these drugs but these prescriptions are considered "off-label" use. Off-label treatments are usually not covered by insurance.

  Cimetidine is a histamine blocker used to treat ulcers. High doses are needed to promote hair growth in women, and it can cause adverse sexual side effects in men. Tagamet is the brand name version of Cimetidine.

  Cyproterone acetate reduces sex drive in sexually aggressive men. It is not available in the United States and is a last-resort treatment for hair loss in other countries because of its long-term side effects.

  Cyproterone acetate with ethinyloestradiol is sold under the brand names Diane 35 and Diane 50 in other countries. It is a European birth control pill that combines cyproterone and estrogen. It helps to prevent osteoporosis as well as hair loss. Breast tenderness, decreased sex drive and headaches are the possible side effects.

  Estrogen and progesterone creams and pills are commonly used as a hair loss treatment for female pattern baldness.

  Low androgen-level birth control pills can help prevent andorgenetic alopecia in women, but birth control pills have many possible side effects. Birth control pills that contain high levels of androgens can trigger or increase hair loss in women, according to AHLA.

  Ketoconazole is an antifungal medication that can reduce androgen levels. Nizoral shampoo contains ketoconazole and is available in over-the-counter and prescription strengths to help treat androgenetic alopecia.

  Propecia is FDA-approved for the treatment of hair loss in men but can also work for some women. Women cannot take Propecia while pregnant or if they are planning to conceive.

  Spironlactone is known on the market as Aldactone. It is a diuretic with androgen-inhibiting properties that can work as a treatment for hair loss in women.