Hair Loss Medications & Their Natural Substitutes

At the moment, there are only two medicinal treatments that have been approved by the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) in the US for treating hair loss - topical minoxidil (trade name Rogaine) and oral finasteride (Propecia).

Topical minoxidil is suitable for both sexes, whereas finasteride can only be prescribed to male patients. Minoxidil is a vasodilator, originally used to treat high blood pressure, which was later found to stimulate hair growth when applied topically to the scalp.

Finasteride is an antiandrogen that was first used to treat benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), also known as prostate enlargement. It acts by inhibiting conversion of the male hormone testosterone to the follicle-harming dihydrotestosterone (DHT).

The discovery of finasteride's positive effects on hair growth led to finding the true cause of hereditary baldness, which is the harmful attacks of DHT on our hair follicles. Since making this discovery, a quest for other alternative DHT blockers has begun, especially amongst antiandrogen drugs and herbs that have, in the past, been used to treat urinary problems.

Dutasteride (trade name Avodart) is an antiandrogen drug similar to finasteride in its chemical structure and mode of action and has been studied extensively for treating hair loss.

It has recently completed phase III clinical testing for efficacy and safety in the treatment of male pattern baldness and the study results are pending. Like finasteride it is also used for treating BPH.

Dutasteride is believed by many to be a more powerful hair loss drug than finasteride but also with more severe side effects.

Flutamide (trade name Eulexin) is a very strong antiandrogen used to treat prostate cancer. It works by binding to the androgen receptors and thus competing with DHT. Oral use of flutamide can cause serious side effects but it is believed that topical applications might have less adverse side effects and could be, in the future, used to treat hereditary hair loss. More research is needed to verify such claims.

Spironolactone (trade name Aldactone) is another antiandrogen that works by binding to androgen receptors, competing with DHT.

It is used in women to treat acne, hair loss and excess body hair and although there are some generic topical applications for the treatment of male pattern baldness which contain spironolactone, it has never been approved to treat hair loss in men and should be avoided.

For women, spironolactone can be considered as a reasonable alternative to the men’s best hair-loss pill, finasteride, which cannot be used in women.

As has been mentioned earlier, following the discovery of DHT attacks on hair follicles being the true cause of hereditary baldness, herbalists started looking for possible natural alternatives to finasteride among plants that have been traditionally used to treat urinary problems and, more specifically, enlarged prostates.

Saw palmetto has been used for decades to treat prostate enlargement and it is one of the few plants used in natural remedies that have been subjected to some sort of scientific research in regards to their potential for treating BPH.

Its supporters assume that it works by inhibiting the conversion of testosterone into prostate and follicle-harming DHT but no study has yet confirmed this assumption.

No clinical research has ever been conducted on saw palmetto's effects on hair loss. Despite that, saw palmetto is widely used by thousands of hair loss sufferers around the world as a safe natural alternative to finasteride.

Extract from the bark of the evergreen tree pygeum africanum is another popular herbal ingredient found in natural hair-loss treatments and many herbalists believe it is more potent in treating hair loss than saw palmetto.

Its rise to fame also comes from the general assumption that this plant, thought to be beneficial for treating prostate enlargement, must be also effective in treating hair loss. Pygeum africanum has been less well studied than saw palmetto and it has never been used in any clinical hair-loss study.

The third most popular herbal ingredient used in natural hair-loss cures is nettle root extract. This herbal drug is derived from the root of the stinging nettle, a popular healing plant found in temperate and subtropical zones of the northern hemisphere.

Its use in natural hair-loss remedies also stems from the fact that it is supposed to help shrink enlarged prostates and is thus believed to inhibit the conversion of testosterone to DHT. Like the two aforementioned herbal extracts, nettle has never been used in any clinical hair-loss study.

This list of hair-loss drugs and herbal extracts that are believed to mimic the actions of finasteride, the only approved pill for hair loss, is not exhaustive. There are many other ingredients, mostly of natural origin, that claim the ability to block DHT and thus reverse hair loss.

However, no clinical proof exists that any herb contained in the natural remedies promotes new hair growth. Whether you decide to try a commercial herbal remedy or just one or two herbs on their own, keep in mind that, besides there being no guarantee of their effectiveness, no daily dosage has been established and side effects might occur, despite the general belief that herbal hair-loss remedies are safe and free of them.

Will You Go Bald? - Futuristic Test Reveals Answer

It's typical for the average person to lose about 100 hairs from their head every day. What if you could find out if you were going to go bald, before visible hair loss started?

A new D-N-A test is giving those who want it, the power to see what their future holds.

Dr. Alan Bauman, MD is a Board-Certified Hair Restoration Physician in Boca Raton, Florida. He says the new test is a major breakthrough.

"This is exciting because it's the first lab test for hair loss."

And he says it's very simple. It starts with a saliva swab. The sample is then taken back to the lab where the D-N-A is analyzed. Researchers look for a genetic variation on the x-chromosome that's linked to hair loss.

Tom Mastanduono decided to have the test along with his teenage son.

"There's something psychological about having your hair. It's not totally getting old."

It turns out his test results showed he is low risk for hair loss. Low-risk means you have an 80-percent chance of holding onto your hair by age 60. High risk means there's a 60-percent chance of severe hair loss by 40. Tom's 15-year-old son Eric wasn't so lucky with his results.

"I can see here that I'm high risk. It's a bit shocking to find out at such a young age."

100 million Americans have hair loss -- about 60-million are men and 40-million are women. Doctor Bauman says the gene test puts the power of prevention in the patient's hands.

"This just gives another piece of information and then you decide with your doctor what you want to do."

Drugs such as Finasteride and Minoxidil can help slow baldness and promote hair growth.

Doctor bauman says the test -- which is available for men and women -- costs less than two-hundred dollars and should be done through a board-certified hair restoration specialist. The results take two to four weeks.

Tom is low risk, but will keep getting hair preservation therapy. And high-risk Eric won't seek preventive treatment, yet.

"I don't really care, like, right now. It's not of that much importance, because I have a full head of hair and it doesn't really matter that much."

But Eric admits his opinions on his appearance may change in the future.

Homeopathic Techniques for Regrowing Hair

Did you know there are physical exercises that you can do to naturally speed up hair growth? It's true, perform these exercises at your leisure and you'll notice a speed increase in your hair's growth.

1. Rub your fingernails against each other, there are certain nerves connected to your fingernails that generate stimulation to your hairs, and helps them grow faster and thicker.

2. Massage your neck, good hair health is also related to having a comfortable neck. A healthy neck gives ways to give more blood to your scalp, instead of slowing down blood flow, this helps your hair grow as well.

3. Back stretch, grab your arms behind your back, slightly larger than shoulder width apart, then bend down. This exercises helps move blood all over your body. This also benefits you when you're sick, since it promotes natural healing of the body and speeds up blood flow.

4. Sleep without a pillow, studies show that when you sleep without a pillow, you wake up more energized. Your body is also fully horizontal, increasing blood flow and actually increases hair growth and health.

As you can see from these four incredible exercises that fighting baldness isn't always about mixing together certain things to form a hair loss treatment. A lot of times it involves some of the simplest things that many never think of.

Stress is something that can really cause you to lose a lot of hair very fast. Download your free copy of my exclusive FREE report "Real Relationship Between Stress & Hair Loss" below for how to combat this problem with ease.

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Hair Transplants - Do You Need to Invest In One?

By now you've heard about hair transplants and all of the hype of how these hair loss treatments can really turn you from looking like Mr. Clean, to a Brad Pitt type hairdo in just a matter of months. Science seems to be really advancing in this area.

Maybe you have wondered about getting this type of hair surgery performed for yourself in order to make those amazing transformations take place. You should really give it some thought and here's why. Hair transplants DO NOT work for everyone.

It's a fact that these work well for some, but fail for the majority. Besides that you have to follow up with your surgeon about every three to six months to maintain your hair growth process. This means more money and more time spent.

It's critical to know too that if you have very little amounts of hair on the sides and back of your scalp, you may be in for a rude awakening. Many find that they just aren't fit for these types of treatments because of this. You see hair is usually taken from the sides and back and used elsewhere on the scalp during this procedure.

By taking a natural step towards fighting hair loss, you may find that you achieve some remarkable benefits that outweigh anything else you've ever tried. Sounds like a fairy tale but it's being done by many people everyday.

While so many so-called "professionals" claim hair loss to be a major cause due to genetics, it's often a result of such things as the various shampoo products you use, how often you shampoo, and even your own diet. Definitely educate yourself before taking those big risks to improve your looks.

Conventional Treatments for Fighting Hair Loss

Male pattern baldness, also called alopecia, is characterized by hair receding from the lateral sides of the forehead, known as a receding hairline; an additional bald patch may develop on top. It's much easier to prevent the falling out of healthy hairs than to regrow hair in follicles that are already dormant. Baldness is simply the state of lacking hair where it usually grows, especially on the head.

Many women notice hair loss about three months after they've had a baby; during pregnancy, high levels of certain hormones cause the body to keep hair that would normally fall out and when the hormones return to pre-pregnancy levels that hair falls out and the normal cycle of growth and loss starts up again. If the thyroid gland is overactive or underactive, hair may fall out; treating thyroid disease will help remedy this. Poor digestion, parasites and nutrient deficiencies such as iron or biotin deficiency shouldn't be overlooked as possible causes.

Alopecia areata is an autoimmune disorder also known as "spot baldness" that can result in hair loss ranging from just one area to every hair on the entire body. If a medicine is causing your hair loss, your doctor may be able to prescribe a different medicine or you may find you really don't need the medicine at all. About 3 or 4 months after an illness or a major surgery, you can suddenly temporarily lose a large amount of hair; this hair loss is related to the stress of the illness.

Hair loss may occur as part of an underlying disease, such as lupus or diabetes. In the past it was believed that baldness was inherited from a person's maternal grandfather; while there's some basis for this belief, both parents contribute to their offspring's likelihood of hair loss. Tumors and skin growths can also induce localized baldness.

There are prescription drugs, herbal remedies and topical applications for hair loss. Go a more natural way with treatment if possible; taking hair loss drugs require many months of exposure to chemicals. There are natural home remedies and many recipes for making mixtures to apply topically to the scalp.

Please be aware there are side effects and serious side effects sometimes with the drugs that are commonly used for hair loss. Immunosuppressants applied to the scalp have been shown to temporarily reverse alopecia areata, though the side effects of some of these drugs make this therapy questionable. Stress reduction can be helpful in slowing hair loss.

Minoxidil is a drug that's used daily to prevent hair loss but may create heart problems; the hair it grows is very fine, only on the top of the head and may fall out again soon after the drug is stopped. Minoxidil is a very expensive drug, costing about one hundred dollars per month for daily treatment. Propecia is available with a prescription; comes in pill form, is only for men and may take up to six months before you can tell if it is working.

Onion juice and honey remedy for hair loss: prepare a hair-growing elixir by combining 1/4 cup of onion juice with one tablespoon of honey; massage the scalp with the mixture every day. Massage the scalp nightly with an oil mixture made of one part rosemary oil and two parts almond oil. Asian remedy for hair loss - rub sesame oil on your scalp every night, cover with a cap or old towel; in the morning wash with an herbal shampoo, rinse with a solution of one tablespoon of apple cider vinegar in one quart of water.

Olive oil and rosemary remedy for hair loss - use equal amounts of olive oil and oil of rosemary; combine them in a bottle, shake vigorously, massage into the scalp, put on a cap and shampoo in the morning. Garlic oil remedy for hair loss - at bedtime, puncture a couple of garlic pearles, squirt the oil on the scalp, massage, cover with a cap, shampoo and rinse in the morning. Try using double-strength herbal sage tea as a hair rinse or apply to scalp every day as a tonic.

Rub vitamin E oil into the scalp nightly. Try scalp massage every day. Polygonum Multiflorum is a traditional Chinese cure for hair loss; whether the plant itself is useful, the general safety and quality control of herbs imported from China can be questionable.

Circulation to the scalp is important. One patient reported that he used coconut oil on his hair and scalp for a year and during that time his hair became thicker and he hade more of it on the top of his head where he had been receding a bit; good as a hair gel too. Apple cider vinegar used as a hair rinse may stimulate hair growth.

Remember that regrowing hair is a slow process, so don't look for results overnight for any remedy or treatment you try. Remember that any drugs you take for hair loss will be a long term commitment; consider the risks to your health before doing this. Keep in mind that hair loss should be continually treated, preferably natural however, even after it stops.

What's The Deal With Biotin & Hair Growth?

People are now taking biotin for hair loss in considerable number as so much as been said about this vitamin, but does it really work and if so how does it work? Well biotin is not really a hair loss treatment in itself but it is essential for healthy hair. The reason that on its own it is not a treatment is because it does not target DHT, testosterone or 5 alpha reductase, which are the key ingredients that make up genetic pattern baldness. But what it does do is help in healthy hair growth, and it also promotes healthy nail and skin growth too.

Biotin works by metabolizing fatty acids which are essential to hair growth, and it is even more potent when combined with B vitamins which metabolize protein and get more oxygen into the blood stream, which again is important for hair growth. In fact if someone is deficient in both biotin (which is vitamin B7) and also the other B vitamins then they may have no eyelashes or eyebrows either.

You can source biotin from various foods including kidney, beef and cheese but the quantities you need to make a difference would mean you eating a lot of these foods so you are better off taking a supplement. There are no known negative side effects of this vitamin, unless that is you are deficient in it then of course you will experience hair loss. If you have male or female pattern baldness then certainly take biotin and B vitamins to encourage healthy hair growth, but in addition to that you should also look at the following to combat the hormones and enzymes that cause balding.

Nettle - This helps to reduce the amount of free testosterone in the blood.

Saw Palmetto - This helps to inhibit 5 alpha reductase which creates DHT

Zinc - This mineral also helps to reduce 5 alpha reductase and is particularly potent when used with B vitamins.

Biotin can help with hair loss but only really if the person is deficient in it in the first place otherwise take it to promote healthy hair skin and nails. However if suffering from genetic hair loss taken with the other vitamins minerals and herbs mentioned biotin could have a positive effect in preventing hair loss.