Evolving Hair Loss Treatments On The Firmament

There are no miracle cures to hair loss that will change your condition over night, but there are several treatments that will halt and even reverse this condition. For people who are experiencing hair loss first hand, there is both heartening and disheartening news. The FDA has not approved a single drug treatment since 1997. Currently, hair transplantation is the most successful hair loss therapy but it comes with a heavy price tag. As reported in the August 2008 issue of the Harvard Health Letter, improved surgical techniques and fresh biotechnological breakthroughs have made it possible to get increasingly satisfying results with less invasive treatments.

FDA, the regulating body in the US, has approved two effective hair loss drugs, namely, Minoxidil (Rogaine) and Finasteride (Propecia). Propecia comes in the form of tablets, is more effective than Rogaine, and is also more expensive. However, the major downside of both the drugs is that you need to continue taking them on a regular basis to sustain the achieved results permanently.

Innovative technology is however helping thousands of hair loss sufferers to restore their natural hairlines. The ‘Follicular Unit Extraction’ method uses micrografting to achieve unbelievable results. This procedure involves the extraction of individual hair follicles from an area on the scalp, mainly the sides, and reinserting the hair follicles into the hairline, giving it a more natural appearance. Many individuals may want to undergo this procedure, but are discouraged by the hair transplant costs ranging anywhere from 4000 to 20,000 dollars. The cost of the hair transplant depends mostly on the number of grafts needed and/or the number of sessions needed to complete them in.

As the hair transplantation techniques continue to evolve, it results in a more natural aesthetic appearance, and allows for the creation of a natural hairline as well. As the procedures evolve over time, several promising drugs have also been earmarked for the future that will help protect the health of hair follicles. In addition, companies are looking forward to discovering new ways to fashioning new hair follicles from scratch. One prospective method involves using a coarse gel to gently break the skin and then apply a topical cream that will switch on the follicle-generating genes. Yet another technique involves extraction, multiplication, and replantation of hair-forming cells into the scalp.

Internet being a good means of abundant information, gives us detailed information with regard to the plethora of hair loss treatments. Several being “specially formulated” shampoos, oils and herbal supplements. However, these hair loss products have not become very popular because it is difficult to substantiate the efficacy and legitimacy of these products.