Hair Loss (cont.)
What other options do I have for hair loss?
Hairpieces, etc.
Among the time-honored ways to add hair temporarily are hairpieces or hair
weaving, in which a mesh is attached to your remaining hair and artificial or
human hair of similar color and texture is woven with existing hair. Quality
varies considerably with price; also, hairpieces and weaves stretch, oxidize,
and loosen.
Surgery
Surgical approaches include various versions of hair transplantation (taking
hair from the back and putting it near the front) or scalp reduction (cutting
away bald areas and stitching the rest together). Transplant procedures have
improved greatly in recent years. They can produce much more attractive and
natural-looking results than older methods that sometimes left a "checkerboard"
look. Many transplant patients now take Propecia to keep what they've
transplanted. When considering a hair transplant, check the surgeon's
credentials and experience carefully.
Is hair loss in women different than men?
Female-pattern baldness
Women lose hair on an inherited (genetic) basis, too, but
the female pattern is more diffuse, with less likelihood of the frontal hairline
being lost. Although some women may notice hair thinning as early as their 20s,
the pace of hair loss tends to be gradual, often taking years to become obvious
to others. (It's common to hear women with what appear to have a full head of
hair exclaim, "This is nothing...You should have seen how thick it used to be!")
Notions about baldness being inherited through the mother's family, just like
stories about hats choking off follicles or long hair pulling on the roots, are
just folklore.
Hair loss "myths" of special concern to women:
- Longer hair does
not put a strain on roots.
- Shampooing does not accelerate hair loss; it just
removes those that were ready to fall out anyway.
- Coloring, perming, and
conditioning the hair do not usually cause hair loss. Styles that pull tight may
cause some loss, but hair coloring and "chemicals" don't.
Next: What treatments are there for hair loss in women? »
- Over-The-Counter Products -
- Lupus - Get information on lupus (SLE) disease treatment, signs, diagnosis, types of symptoms (butterfly, discoid rash), causes, pregnancy flares, prevention and statistics.
- minoxidil, Rogaine - Clarifies the medication minoxidil (Rogaine) a drug that increases hair growth . Article includes descriptions, uses, drug interactions, and side effects.
Latest Medical News
Skin RSS