Are you suffering with hair thinning, hair loss, or receding hair? Consider these options to help reduce your hair loss and encourage hair regrowth.
If you struggle with hair thinning, hair loss, or receding hair, you may feel insecure about your condition. Fortunately, there are many effective solutions on the market today that can help lessen the severity of or eliminate your problem altogether. In this short guide, you will learn the common causes of hair loss, the different treatments, and procedures available, alternative, or supplementary options, and the costs of each of these processes.
Common Causes of Hair Loss
There are many potential causes of hair loss. Typically, hair loss does not occur all at one time. However, major life changes can cause significant shifts leading to sudden, massive hair loss. That said, in most cases, it occurs gradually. Since this is the case, it can be hard to pinpoint one exact cause. It may even be a combination of causes.
The most common causes are:
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Hereditary: Male or female pattern hair loss, or androgenic alopecia, is hereditary. In this case, you have hair follicles which get smaller as time passes. Eventually, they stop growing hair. This type of hair loss may begin as early as adolescence but generally starts in middle-age.
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Aging: As you age, your hair follicles may stop growing hair which leads to hair loss and receding hairlines.
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Alopecia Areata: If you have alopecia, your body attacks your hair follicles as an immune system threat. Typically, it causes hair loss in patches from all over the body including the scalp.
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Illnesses and Treatments: Certain illnesses can cause significant stress on your body causing hair loss. Likewise, some treatments, such as chemotherapy and radiation, can cause hair to fall out.
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Hormonal Changes: Childbirth causes major shifts in hormones, often leading to hair falling out 1 month to 1 year postpartum. Moreover, certain disorders or diseases may cause hormonal imbalances and shifts leading to hair loss.
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Hairstyles: If you wear your hair in tight ponytails or buns, or frequently wear wigs, weaves, or hair extensions, you may damage your hair and cause significant breakage.
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Nutritional Deficiencies: Malnutrition and vitamin deficiencies can cause your hair to thin, break, or fall out over time.
Hair Loss Treatments and Procedures
There are many different medications, treatments, and procedures for hair loss. It is best to talk to your doctor before trying a new treatment as your hair loss may be a symptom of a greater underlying problem that must be treated. Additionally, it is important to diagnose why your hair loss is occurring so you can directly target the issue. Your doctor and you may decide to proceed with one of these top-rated treatments:
Minoxidil: Minoxidil is available in liquid or foam forms. You can apply it to your scalp easily once per day, for at least six months. Minoxidil is well-known for slowing hair loss and regrowing hair. However, you must keep using the treatment to keep seeing positive results. Typically, minoxidil treatments cost around $50 for a three-month supply. However, the costs vary depending on which brand you are using and how much minoxidil is included within the product.
Finasteride: Your doctor would have to prescribe finasteride to you, as it is a daily prescription pill. It can help slow hair loss and contribute to hair regrowth in men. Like minoxidil, you must keep taking it to retain the positive effects. Finasteride may be more expensive than hair loss products, but it may partially be covered by health insurance. On average, the price is around $75 per month.
Hair Transplant: A hair transplant or hair restoration allows you to graft your own hair follicles to areas of your head where you are losing hair. Hair transplants are effective and long-lasting. Depending on the extent of your hair loss, you may pay between $4000 to $15,000 for hair transplant. Your health insurance may cover part of these costs.
Pharmaceutical Treatments: Furthermore, there are over-the-counter treatments you can find in a drug store, super center, or beauty supply store. You can use these products at home and many people have seen positive results from using them. Generally, these over-the-counter products are inexpensive, averaging $20-50 per product.
At-Home Hair Loss Treatments
If you prefer to look at what your local drug store or beauty supply store has for hair loss, there are many excellent options. You may like to invest in one of the following 5 popular products:
Rogaine: Rogaine is an over the counter minoxidil product. It is available for both women and men.
Keranique: Keranique is specially formulated to fight hair loss and promote hair regrowth for women.
Keeps: Keeps offers a subscription-service for their hair loss and growth treatments for men. They also have specialty services for hair transplants.
Vegamour: Vegamour is a vegan-product company offering hair serums to help your hair grow.
Virtue Flourish: Virtue Flourish provides complete hair kits, with or without minoxidil, for women.
Alternative or Supplementary Methods
Depending on your hair loss situation, you may like to try alternative methods of stopping hair loss and restoring hair growth prior or along with other treatment options.
If you suspect your hair loss may be the result of a nutritional deficiency or health condition, you may like to try a specially formulated vitamin and mineral supplement. In general, it is a good idea to look for supplements containing iron, biotin, selenium, zinc, vitamin C, and vitamin D. Prior to taking any new vitamins, it is important to consult your doctor. However, you can pick up most formulas from your local drug store or health food store. Depending on the brand, you may pay between $20 and $150 for your supplement per month.
You may benefit from these top-rated products:
Shedavi: This herbal vitamin supplement not only promotes hair growth, it helps keep your hair thick, healthy, and strong and encourages a healthy, dandruff-free scalp.
Viviscal: Viviscal offers hair products and hair growth supplements for women and men.
Hims: Hims has effective hair products and hair growth supplements for men. They also offer their supplements in gummy-format so that taking your vitamins is not such a chore.
Keranique: Keranique has hair and scalp supplements that many women recommend for slowing hair loss and encouraging hair regrowth.