2008年1月5日星期六

Hair Loss Remedies - Dont Suffer - Get Help Now

The normal cycle of hair growth normally lasts from about two to six years. Male pattern baldness, which is 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 the top also. An interesting bit of trivia of note: the word alopecia is formed from the Greek word meaning fox; the origin comes from the fact that the fox sheds its coat twice a year.

Some drugs, medicines or medications can cause hair loss, which improves when you stop taking the medicine; medications that can cause hair loss include blood thinners, medicines used for gout, chemotherapy drugs used for cancer, too much vitamin A supplementation, birth control pills and antidepressants. Wearing a hat generally shouldn't cause baldness, though it's a good idea to give your scalp a rest and let it breathe for several hours each day. And hair loss may occur as part of an underlying disease, such as lupus or diabetes.

About three or four months after 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. Fungal infections of the scalp can cause hair loss in children, which is easily treated with topical antifungal medications. Since hair loss may be an early sign of a disease, it's important to find the cause so it can be treated properly and fast.

In the past it was believed that baldness was inherited from the maternal grandfather; while there's some basis for this belief, both parents contribute to their offspring's likelihood of hair loss. If a medication 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. And some mycotic infections can cause massive hair loss.

Propecia (Finasteride) and Minoxidil (called Rogaine in the U.S and elsewhere as Regaine) are drugs that have reported having shown some success in partially reversing loss but consider the side effects. Propecia is only 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. Stress reduction can be helpful in slowing hair loss too.

The topical application of Ketoconazole, which is both an anti-fungal and a potent 5-alpha reductase inhibitor, is often used as a supplement to other approaches. Surgery is another method of reversing hair loss and baldness, although it may be considered extreme. While drastic, broad spectrum anti-androgens such as Flutamide are sometimes used topically, Flutamide is potent enough to have a feminizing effect in men, including growth of breasts.

Be aware there are side effects and serious side effects sometimes with the drugs that are commonly used for hair loss. Hair loss remedies and treatments with prescription drugs are long term commitments and not short term exposure. Know that very little testing has been done on the long-term effects of Minoxidil on women.

You can try lying on a slant board with head down for 15 minutes a day for increased circulation to the area, but clear it with your doctor first. Garlic as a hair loss remedy - an hour before bedtime, slice open a clove of garlic and rub it on the hair loss area, wait for an hour then massage the scalp with olive oil, put on a cap, go to bed, shampoo your hair in the morning, repeat for a few weeks, and hopefully hair will stop falling out and regrowth will be showing. Also try rubbing vitamin E oil into the scalp nightly.

You can try massaging of the scalp with the fingers daily. For the Russian cure with the honey and vodka remedy for hair loss - combine one tablespoon honey with one jigger of vodka and the juice of a medium-size onion; rub mixture into the scalp every night, cover with a cap and shampoo in the morning. Beta Sitosterol, which is a constituent in many seed oils, can help to treat BHP (benign prostatic hypertrophy) by lowering cholesterol; but consuming large amounts to get the small quantities of beta sitosterol is likely to exacerbate male pattern baldness.

The vodka and cayenne remedy for loss - mix one jigger of vodka with a 1/2 teaspoon of cayenne pepper (test on skin first for sensitivity) and rub it on the scalp; blood rushes to the hair follicles stimulated by the vodka and cayenne pepper - be careful if you try it. Make sure to test any home remedies on a small area first and check with your hair loss doctor or skin doctor before trying any natural home remedy if it includes any irritating ingredients. Saw Palmetto is an herbal DHT inhibitor often claimed to be cheaper and have fewer side effects than finasteride and dutasteride. Unlike other 5alpha-reductase inhibitors, saw palmetto induces its effects without interfering with the cellular capacity to secrete PSA (protein specific antigen).

Try using double-strength herbal sage tea as a hair rinse or apply to the scalp every day as a tonic. Apple cider vinegar used as a hair rinse also may stimulate hair growth.

Keep in mind that hair loss should be continually treated, preferably natural however, even after the loss stops. Concentrate on boosting the immune system to give your hair the best chance to regrow. And keep your scalp in good condition at all times.