WHAT CAN YOU DO TO TREAT HAIR LOSS?

Just like men who suffer from hair loss, many women with hair loss lose their self-esteem, yet suffer in silence because they either do not know what to do or due to the high cost of treatment in a hair care centre. However, there are various methods, products and home remedies that you can try to counter the effect of hair loss. Some of the most popular and effective therapies are:

1. Scalp massage

To reduce hair loss, massage your scalp daily. Using hair oil will ease the strokes. It is actually the massage, rather than the oil, which helps to combat hair loss. The massage movements helps to increase blood circulation to the hair follicles and hence stimulates hair growth, enhance and strengthen the hairs’ roots as well as relieve hair-dropping tension. Massaging your scalp is easy that you can do it yourself; work your fingers around your scalp in the shower or while watching television. You can use any peppermint, rosemary, almond, coconut, castor, amla, wheat germ or emu oil in your massage.

2. Over-the-counter topical treatment

The only over-the-counter hair loss solution available at present is Minoxidil. The particular drug, marketed under the brand name Rogaine, can be bought at the pharmacy either in mousse, liquid or foam formulas (2% or 5% solution) without the need of doctor’s prescription. Minoxidil is to be applied on the scalp twice a day. However, the drug has been known to reduce blood pressure and therefore, women should only use the 2% drug concentration to avoid a drastic dip in blood pressure that can cause dizziness, fatigue and fainting spells.

If non-prescription Minoxidil doesn’t work for you, you can ask your doctor to prescribe some medication to treat hair loss. The most common prescription medication used to treat hair loss are anthralin, which is used to treat alopecia areata (patchy hair loss) and anti-androgens to combat female hair loss caused by the action of androgens (group of hormones that play a role in male traits and reproductive activity) on the hair follicles.

3. Saw palmetto

Saw palmetto is a traditional herbal remedy generally used to treat urinary tract condition among men. Saw palmetto not only boosts men’s health but their self-esteem as well by tackling hair loss. Many women take saw palmetto too in the recommended dose of 160mg.

4. Natural juices

Some of the most common food found in the kitchen may be effective in treating hair loss. Garlic, onions and ginger are present in almost every household, so you can easily obtain garlic, onion and ginger juices to treat hair loss. Onion juice helps to improve blood flow to the hair follicles due to its high sulfur content. Garlic juice helps by stimulating blood flow to the scalp and removing harmful toxins and bacteria that could contribute to hair loss. Garlic is so good that even those who do not suffer from hair loss use the juice on their scalps to enhance their hair’s body and shine. Just like garlic and onions, ginger helps to increase blood flow to the scalp but that’s not all – ginger is rich magnesium, phosphorous, potassium and vitamins that makes your hair healthier, stronger and shinier. Its fatty acid contents even help to prevent hair from thinning.

Use only one of the above remedies at any one time. Leave the juice on for 20 minutes before rinsing your hair with a mild baby shampoo.

5. Hair loss surgery & transplant

If your body fails to respond to the above mentioned treatment, you may want to consider surgery to treat hair loss. You can opt for a hair transplant surgery where a dermatologist or cosmetic surgeon will transplant small grafts from areas of your scalp with full hair to bald or thinning spots of your scalp. Alternatively, a scalp reduction surgery can also be considered in which a significant amount of bald scalp is surgically removed and replaced by stretching a section of the scalp with growing hair).

With many treatment options suggested, hair loss need not be endured anymore with shame and lack of confidence. Remember that regardless of the treatment you choose, persistence is the key to allow hair growth to resume.