Your balding head can not only make you uneasy but may also affect your social life as you may end up being the butt of everyone’s jokes. Though you can’t cure permanent or temporary baldness, you can surely use a wide variety of drugs and supplements for hair fall treatment to check hair loss.

Though your hair may resume its growth without any treatment in case of some types of alopecia, you will need to opt for drugs and supplements as recommended by your doctor to deal with the situation in other cases.

In case you feel clueless about the entire scenario, here are some cues to help you know about a few effective drugs, which are approved by the Food and Drug Administration, and can come to your rescue when you search for effective hair fall treatment.

Minoxidil

This over-the-counter (non-prescription) medication is available under its brand name of Rogaine. This medication is available in the form of a liquid or foam, which you will need to rub into your scalp two times every day to grow hair and arrest further loss of hair.

Minoxidil is known to increase the blood supply to the scalp and revitalize shrunken follicles, thus reversing hair loss. However, the results may vary from person to person. While some people may experience lower rate of hair loss or see hair regrowth, some others may experience both.

Minoxidil is available in a 5 percent solution and a 2 percent solution. Though many people vouch that its effectiveness is best for women who have thinning hair in the crown area or those showing early signs of hair loss, it has been used primarily by men with great results.

With the use of Minoxidil, it can take almost 12 weeks for new hair to start growing. Many doctors recommend discontinuing its use if their patients experience minimal results within six months. However, your new hair will stop growing as soon as you discontinue the use of this medicine.

When it comes to side effects, some users have reported slight irritation of the scalp though it subsides with time. So, there’s nothing to worry about.

Finasteride

The brand name for Finasteride is Propecia. It is a prescription medication, which is taken in the pill form daily to treat male-pattern baldness. One of the main causes of male hair loss is the dihydrotestosterone hormone (DHT), which shrinks hair follicles.

Since Finasteride acts as a DHT blocker as it stops the conversion of testosterone into dihydrotestosterone, it can reduce the production of the hair follicle killer DHT. However, like Propecia, this drug too stops showing benefits once you stop its intake.

Since the FDA has approved Propecia for hair loss in men, it is mainly used as a hair fall treatment for men though some doctors may prescribe it for women who are past their menopause. The reason not to use this drug for women of the childbearing age or pregnant women is that it can cause serious birth defects in male fetuses.

Pregnant women are often asked to stay away from handling broken or crushed Finasteride tablets as the absorption of this drug may cause serious damage to male fetuses. Reduced sexual function and sex drive are some of the rare side effects of Finasteride.

Sometimes Propecia and Rogaine are suggested as a combo solution for hair fall treatment. Though either of these drugs or both may work for some women and show effective results, they are far from being a sure-fire solution when it comes to treating hair fall problems in women as both these drugs are primarily more suitable for men.

Corticosteroids

For people experiencing hair fall in bald patches measuring almost the quarter size, an effective hair fall treatment can be the injections of cortisone. Such anti-inflammatory injections are given to the scalp on a monthly basis, and people usually see new hair growth four weeks after the first injection.

Doctors may sometimes prescribe corticosteroid pills to combat extensive hair loss due to alopecia areata. Though patients may even use creams and ointments, they are found to be less effective as compared to injections.

Anthralin

In case your hair fall is diagnosed as alopecia areata, you may be prescribed Anthralin, which is available either as an ointment or a cream. You will need to apply this synthetic, tarry substance to your scalp and wash off every day. It may take up to 12 weeks for Anthralin to stimulate new hair growth.  Though Anthralin has no reported side effects on pregnant and lactating women, it’s best not to use it until the same is advised by the doctor.

Biotin, B-vitamins and other vitamin supplements

Intake of proper supplements in the right doses can also offer an effective hair fall treatment. Though you can’t replace a healthy, hair-friendly diet with supplements, they are nevertheless a good idea to combat the problem of hair fall.

Many dermatologists often prescribe the intake of extra biotin (vitamin B7), where the recommended daily intake (RDI) is 300 mcg. However, a few may vouch for even higher dosages as they are being touted as more effective.

Your diet can trigger hair fall if it’s inadequate in protein, iron or B vitamins. However, in your enthusiasm to combat hair loss, don’t consume to much of these elements as many research results show that even a high protein diet can act as a culprit.

Consumption of fish oils pills can also offer benefits and help in hair fall treatment. However, you should not depend totally on such pills and supplements as eating a healthy and balanced diet that include lots of vegetables, soy products, and fish will help you to grow hair and keep it healthy.

Conclusion

The market has many drugs and supplements for hair fall treatment, where each is touted as more effective than the other. Only a medial practitioner can select the one that will suit your condition and help you to grow hair and maintain it without any dangerous side effects.

So, rather than popping pills at your will, it pays to consult a doctor or a dermatologist to get the right prescription for the drugs or supplements that you should buy.

Photo Credit: Hairlosstreatmentspro.com