Medications
It may be true for you that hair loss pills do the trick and give you that full head of hair you’ve always wanted — or lost and wanted to regain. There’s really only one way to find out and that’s to visit the best hair restoration team in NYC at Linkov Hair Surgery. You’ll discover a wealth of information about the various ways to regrow hair. You’ll find out if you’re a good candidate for hair loss medication. Call the Manhattan clinic today for a consultation to begin your journey to a full head of healthy hair.
Can Medications Treat My Hair Loss?
Hair loss is a common issue among aging adults — and many younger people as well. Luckily, there’s a wide variety of treatments and medications available that counteract this malady. If your hair loss is due to an autoimmune disease, for example, prompt diagnosis and treatment may be able to counteract your hair loss. On the other hand, if your hair thinning or balding is a hereditary issue, there are specific hair loss medications that may help rejuvenate your hair growth.
Hair loss can also be a side effect of other medications you’re taking to treat various conditions, in which case your doctor may advise you to refrain from taking it if possible or change the dosage. If you’re looking for a solution that’s not surgically invasive and still provides you with results, the top doctors in New York City at Linkov Hair Surgery offer a number of solutions to get you the results you want.
What Hair Loss Pills Are Commonly Used?
The most well-known medication for hair loss is minoxidil, commonly sold as Rogaine. This is a common treatment for male pattern baldness, and for female pattern hair loss as well. Most medications for hair growth stimulate new hair development and slow the balding process. The best candidates for medication are men and women under 40 years of age in the early stages of balding, so that current hair is preserved and strengthened.
Other medications are available to encourage hair maturation. Choosing which medication will work best for you can be difficult. The best way to discover your ideal treatment plan is to consult an experienced physician who measures your symptoms and hair loss progression to make the most effective recommendation for your specific needs. Common hair loss medications proven to improve your hair growth rate include:
- Minoxidil A solution of foam known as a vasodilator, minoxidil is a medicine that makes your blood vessels expand. Applied once daily to the area of thinning hair, it’s effective and painless.
- Finasteride Sold under the brand name Propecia, this hair loss medicine is in the form of pills taken to slow hair loss. They work by stopping testosterone and dihydrotestosterone (DHT), two male hormones known to cause hair thinning and balding.
- Spironolactone A steroid derivative, this hair loss medication prevents your body from absorbing an excessive amount of salt and regulates your potassium levels. Spironolactone is an anti-male hormone that reduces the levels of testosterone, which may be causing your hair loss.
- Nutraceuticals These are substances with physiological protection agencies that combat chronic diseases. The most popular brands of nutraceuticals are Nutrafol and Viviscal.
How Do Medications for Hair Loss Work?
It may seem too good to be true to take a pill and all of a sudden have a healthy head of hair, but certain medications have proven to be quite successful in encouraging new hair growth. Although change won’t occur overnight, many men and women notice results within the first couple months of taking these medications.
Hair loss pills and topical creams work in a couple different ways. Discovering whether your condition is genetic or simply a side effect from a different medicine or disease helps your doctor narrow down the best treatment for you. Once that’s determined, hair loss medication works to:
Halt the production of male hormones Spironolactone slows down androgens, which are male hormones, slowing the process of balding in men and encouraging hair regrowth in women.
Speed up the growth cycle Minoxidil shortens the resting phase of the hair follicle’s growth cycle, thereby speeding up the process in which hair begins to grow back.
Inhibit enzymes Finasteride and dutasteride inhibit the enzyme from converting testosterone into DHT, a male hormone known to cause balding and thinning.
What Other Treatments Are Available for Hair Loss?
If you’re hesitant to try hair loss medication or are currently on other meds that may prevent their effectiveness, you have other options available. Whether you want to regain a youthful appearance or receive further assistance as you transition, the best doctors in Manhattan offer a number of other treatments to fit your lifestyle and medical needs, including:
- Laser therapies Laser therapy irradiates photons in your scalp, strengthening weak cells and encouraging them to grow hair. This treatment is fairly painless and less invasive than a hair transplant surgery.
- Hair transplants for men This surgical procedure is most commonly offered to men with bald spots who want to regain a youthful appearance.
- Hair transplants for women Women with female pattern hair loss typically just need to have transplanted graphs on thinning areas in the back and top of the head
While many people would like to solve their hair loss dilemma without the invasiveness of hair transplant surgery or risks of injections, hair loss medication is not for everyone. The medications have been known to affect fetal development, so remain off hormone-altering medicines if you’re pregnant or trying to conceive. They’re also known to work best if you’re under 40. They may not be the best option if your pattern baldness is already well established.
Contact the experts at Linkov Hair Surgery to find out if you’re a good candidate for hair loss pills. If you’ve tried over-the-counter products with little success, prescription medication may help your body heal and regrow hair, giving you the mane you’ve always wanted.
