Over-The-Counter Hair Loss Treatments: What Works And What Doesn't
Coping with hair loss can devastate your physical and emotional well-being and affect your mental health. It can impact your confidence and self-esteem. But don’t worry. If that’s you, this article is for you and entails hair loss treatments. This article is a comprehensive guide to all the hair loss treatments so you don’t fall prey to the many scams in the market that claim to grow your hair back within a month. Let’s begin!
What Are The Causes for Hair Loss?
Before delving into the realm of over-the-counter hair loss treatments, it's essential to understand the underlying causes that contribute to this common concern. Hair loss, medically known as alopecia, can be triggered by an array of factors ranging from genetic predisposition and hormonal imbalances to lifestyle choices and external influences. By gaining insight into these root causes, we can better comprehend which OTC treatments hold promise in addressing the specific issues, and which ones may fall short in delivering effective results. Let's explore the various reasons behind hair loss and how OTC solutions attempt to tackle them. So let's take a quick look at them:
- Genetics
- Chemotherapy
- Ageing
- Stress
- Harsh hair practices
- Hormonal imbalances
- Medical Conditions
Genetics
You might already be familiar with the male pattern baldness or female pattern baldness. It’s pretty common and is, in fact, hereditary. The condition is medically called androgenic alopecia and affects the hair follicles, causing them to shrink and stop producing hair. This can impact many people and begin losing their early as early as their teens, leading to a receding hairline and thin hair. However, women don’t have such noticeable hair loss until their 40s. While they may experience hair thinning, extensive hair loss only occurs at the crown.
Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy or radiation to the head or neck region within a few weeks of treatment can significantly reduce hair growth. This type of hair loss is called anagen effluvium. But the good news is that hair usually grows again a few months after the therapy. Wear a cool cap before and after your therapy session to prevent further hair loss.
Ageing
Hair development slows down as we age. Our hair follicles either slow down or stop generating hair as we age. This can cause thinning hair and receding hairlines. You also experience loss of hair colour as you age. But this is completely normal. If you’re still worried about the influence of ageing on hair loss, several treatment options exist to fight it.
Stress
Stress is a major factor that can lead to hair loss. A traumatic event, such as losing a loved one, childbirth or any other stressful experience, can be a catalyst for hair loss. You’ll start noticing excessive hair shedding on your pillow and comb after a brush. But, the good news is that hair loss will cease after 6-9 months once the issue is addressed.
Harsh hair practices
While there is nothing wrong with changing your hair colour or going to the salon for another hair treatment, too much of it can cause trouble for your hair. This is because most of these treatments use harsh chemicals that can potentially damage your hair follicles. This can result in the thinning of hair and making it look brittle. Plus, tightly pulling your hair in a ponytail or any other hairstyle that pulls your hair back in a tight manner can lead to bald spots too. You can easily regrow your hair after the root problem is resolved. While these factors don’t lead to baldness, they can cause permanent bald spots.
Hormonal imbalances
Hormones can significantly impact your hair loss or growth. Some conditions, such as Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), can lead to hair loss. Many birth control medications also have hair loss as a side effect in women. Plus, imbalanced levels of androgen hormones in men and women can also influence hair loss in individuals.
Medical Conditions
Several medical conditions can significantly impact hair loss. For instance, many conditions like eating disorders, thyroid disease, diabetes, anaemia and lupus can influence the loss and thinning of hair. Like other conditions, hair can regrow back healthily once the infection is effectively treated. But, in case of follicular damage or any other damage caused by the condition, it can be hard to regrow healthy hair.
Hair Loss Treatments: What Works and What Doesn’t Work
Let’s look at some hair loss treatments that work and don’t.
What Works
Here are some of the hair loss treatments that work. These also include some over-the-counter products.
- Minoxidil
- Propecia/Finasteride Tablets
- Low-Level Laser Therapy (LLLT)
- Hair Transplantation
Minoxidil
Also known as Rogaine, Minoxidil is a topical treatment that aids in promoting hair growth. Minoxidil has proven to be highly effective in dealing with hair loss. It is one of the over-the-counter hair loss treatments that has demonstrated excellent results for men and women battling male or female pattern baldness. The treatment is available in the form of a foam or solution that can be applied twice a day on the spots of scalps with thinning hair. However, it must be applied regularly as the hair loss will begin again once the application stops. Using this treatment regularly can help reduce hair loss. Plus, the medication can also help in hair regrowth. The medication has been highly effective in treating hair loss in young men. Although it can slow down hair loss, the medication does not produce positive results in men with male baldness.
Finasteride
Unlike Minoxidil, this is a prescription drug that can be found under the brand name Propecia. This medication is one of the medical interventions for hair loss and is specifically manufactured to treat male pattern baldness. To do so, the drug works as a DHT blocker. Finasteride prevents the hormone DHT, produced when testosterone is converted to dihydrotestosterone (DHT) and can lead to hair loss. The hormone can effectively treat male pattern baldness and should be consumed once or thrice weekly. However, pregnant women should not use this medication as it can lead to congenital disabilities. Contact us to buy Finasteride tablets Online, and Propecia tablets buy online.
Low-Level Laser Therapy (LLLT)
LLLT utilises red light therapy to stimulate hair follicles and improve hair growth. It can be in laser combs, helmets, and hats. It can be a successful non-invasive approach for hair loss treatment.
Hair Transplantation
Hair transplantation is a good option for people with advanced hair loss or seeking more long-lasting treatment. During a hair transplant, the healthy areas of the hair are removed and transplanted into balding or thinning regions.
What Doesn’t Work
Here are some things that people often spend a lot of time and money on but don’t work.
- Home Remedies and Treatments
- Thickening shampoo
- Scalp Massage
Home Remedies and Treatments
Countless home remedies and folklore treatments claim to prevent or reverse hair loss. Some may report success, but scientific evidence still needs to be provided. It's important to approach these treatments with caution and seek professional advice.
Thickening shampoo
The market is full of scammers claiming to sell a product that can magically grow your hair back within a few weeks or months. Similarly, many popular shampoos and brands claim to do the same thing. However, these are unreliable options. This is because these shampoos don’t address the root problem, i.e. the damaged hair follicles. These tonics only offer a temporary cosmetic fix as the shampoos can improve your hair volume, thus giving it a healthy appearance.
Scalp Massage
Scalp massage and other techniques, such as brushing or using special devices, are often touted as hair loss remedies. Even though these techniques can increase blood flow and support healthy scalps, they do not directly address the underlying reasons for hair loss.
Tips to Preventing Hair Loss and Have Healthy Hair
Luckily, there are several ways you can avoid and prevent hair loss. With only a few changes in your lifestyle, you’ll observe a significant change in your hair health. Here are a few tips that can help you with it:
- Eat a healthy diet with a daily protein intake like fish, eggs, legumes, etc. You need at least 40-60 grams in your daily diet. If you’re a vegan or vegetarian, include protein-rich veggies in your daily meals.
- Avoid harsh chemicals on your hair, such as shampoos, conditions and other hair styling products. These ingredients include; sulfates, parabens, and synthetic fragrances that can do more harm than good to your hair.
- Protect your hair from extreme sun exposure by wearing hats or scarves to ensure that the hair is protected from harsh UV rays and pollution.
- Massage your hair weekly to improve blood circulation. You also need to schedule regular appointments to ensure that your hair loss is not a result of any underlying medical conditions.
Conclusion
This article comprehensively explains all that works wonders for hair loss. It can be effectively treated with low-level laser treatment, hair transplantation, and drugs, including Minoxidil and finasteride. Contact us to buyPropecia/Finasteride tablets online.
Authored By
HARMINDER ‘HARMY’ KAUR
BSc(hons) Pharmacy
GPhC Number: 2061107
Reviewed By
GURDEV SEHMI
BSc Pharm, MRPharmS, Independent Prescriber, Superintendent Pharmacist, Clinical Lead
GPhC Number: 2050925