The rate of effectiveness of any type of medication used to treat baldness depends on a number of things, and these are the main cause of hair loss, the amount of hair loss, and person's response to treatment. Any form of treatment is not very effective in cases of extensive alopecia, compared with mild and moderate.
The Food and Drug Administration or FDA has approved several drugs for use in the treatment of alopecia. These drugs are as follows:
- Minoxidil
Minoxidil, commonly known as Rogaine, is a type of medication for alopecia available across the counter without a prescription. This drug is approved by the FDA for the treatment of types of alopecia known as androgenetic alopecia and alopecia areata and may be used by men or women.
Minoxidil, available at 2% or 5% of the solutions, comes in liquid form and is rubbed into the scalp twice daily to allow the hair to regrow and to assist in preventing further loss of hair. Some people who use minoxidil said to have experienced regeneration of hair or a decrease in the rate of hair loss, and sometimes both.
The hair that grows as a result of using minoxidil is thinner and shorter than the hair of age, however, there may be enough regrowth of hair to hide bald any points. The new hair that grows can also mix with any hair. Discontinued use minoxidil stops the growth of new hair. Using a different form of treatment can be recommended for those who experience only a nominal amount of results after six months of use.
- Finasteride
Finasteride or Propecia is a type of medication prescribed to treat male pattern baldness. Available in the form of a pill, Propecia finasteride or is taken once a day. The use of Propecia has been known to help reduce hair loss, while some say it has helped in the growth of new hair.
A few months after its continued use may be necessary to obtain any positive results. Finasteride or Propecia works by inhibiting the body's natural conversion of the male hormone testosterone to dihydrotestosterone, or DHT hormone that shrinks follicles and contributes to hair loss in men.
Similar to minoxidil, stopping the use of finasteride also stop the profits of treatment. This drug is not approved for use by women, since it represents a danger to women who are of childbearing age.
- Corticosteroids
Corticosteroids relate to an anti-inflammatory cortisone injected directly into the scalp for the treatment of a type known as alopecia, alopecia areata. This treatment is done monthly and sometimes doctors can prescribe the use of corticosteroid pills for hair loss attributed to alopecia areata. Cortisone creams and ointments can also be used, however, these may not be as effective as injections of cortisone. Topical corticosteroids work best when used in combination with other treatments for hair loss, as minoxidil.
- Anthralin
Anthralin, available in brands like Drithocreme and Psoriatec, can come as a cream or ointment and applied to the scalp every day for approximately 20-60 minutes and immediately washed off. This type of drug is generally used to treat psoriasis, however, doctors can prescribe this drug to stimulate the growth of new hair for hair loss caused by cases of alopecia areata.
A person with alopecia can also choose to undergo surgical procedures to treat this disease hair loss. Procedures such as hair transplants and scalp reduction can treat androgenetic alopecia. Surgical procedures can be costly and can be extremely painful. In such procedures also exposes people to infection and scarring.
To treat baldness, of course, one can choose simply to hide bald spots using pieces of hair and wigs. The use of such elements to hide, either permanent or temporary hair loss is a great alternative to medical treatments.
