Male and Female Hair Loss: Causes and Remedies

Hair loss in men and women is common. Genetics, specific medical conditions, and certain medications can cause it. Patterned baldness is the most common type of hair loss. Men with this condition start losing their hair at the temples, then develop a receding hairline and eventually bald spots on the crown.

Hair Transplant Surgery

Balding spots can be covered up surgically with PRP hair restoration New York. It is most effective for men with a receding hairline, crown thinning, or a large bald spot on the top of the head. The surgeon removes the donor site, a thin strip of skin with hair follicles. They carefully dissect this strip into individual grafts, then transplant them to areas on your head that need thickness. The sutures from the donor area come out within ten days and are well hidden by surrounding hair.

Some grafts will not grow, and you may need a “touch-up” surgery to improve the results. Scarring may be visible, but these scars should gradually fade over time. Some patients with severe baldness will need to undergo flap surgery. A reconstructive surgeon lifts a flap of skin in the donor area and then stretches this tissue over a bald scalp using an implant shaped like a balloon (tissue expander). Over several weeks, the surgeon slowly inflates the tissue, stretching it until it covers the balding area.

Treatments for Men

Men experience a form of hair loss called male pattern baldness, an inherited trait. They typically lose 50 to 100 strands of hair daily, and new follicles usually grow to replace the old ones. But some people may lose more — especially if there’s a genetic trigger like hereditary baldness, stress or a medical condition like autoimmune diseases such as alopecia areata. Some treatments with the help of hair loss doctor NYC are effective at halting or slowing hair loss. These include over-the-counter medications like minoxidil (Rogaine) and prescription medicines such as finasteride (Propecia). Both drugs widen hair follicles, encouraging thicker, fuller strands to grow. Some home remedies and supplements may also work for some people.

Treatments for Women

Like the procedure performed on males, female hair transplant surgery entails taking hair follicles from the donor area in the rear of the head and grafting or transplanting them to the recipient area in the hairline and top of the head. Whether in men or women, FUT hair transplant surgery restores natural hair permanently. However, a woman’s pattern of hair loss differs slightly from a man’s. Women have a different experience with hair loss than men. They may find thinning of the hair to be more distressing because it is less accepted by society and can cause feelings of anxiety and depression. Some symptom-specific treatments for women include avoiding medications that can poison growing hair follicles (like chemotherapy), limiting stress, and using nonpharmacological methods like cosmetic camouflage and counseling. They may also use supplements that encourage hair growth, such as protein-rich plasma (PRP), made from your blood and injected into the scalp.

Antiandrogen medications are also used to treat female pattern baldness. These medications prevent testosterone from becoming dihydrotestosterone. Spironolactone is an oral medication that reduces telogen effluvium and stimulates regrowth in some women with FPHL. Another drug, flutamide (Eulexin), is FDA-approved for alopecia areata but not for FPHL. It works by slowing the progression of thinning and promoting the regrowth of thicker, longer hair.

Nonsurgical Treatments

Men and women experiencing thinning hair or bald spots turn to nonsurgical treatments. These may include nutritional supplements and other oral medications to encourage growth or reduce shedding. However, these are unlikely to reverse significant baldness. Topical medications such as minoxidil (available in liquid, foam and shampoo forms) can encourage hair growth or prevent further thinning, but they require daily use to be effective. Oral medications such as finasteride can also promote regrowth. Still, they can have severe side effects in some men, including a loss of libido, erectile dysfunction and orthostatic hypotension.