What is the most effective treatment for women's hair loss?
Minoxidil (Rogaine).
To be most effective, apply the product to the scalp skin once daily for women and twice daily for men. Many people prefer the foam applied when the hair is wet. Products with minoxidil help many people regrow their hair or slow the rate of hair loss or both.
Sometimes simply addressing a medical condition prompting hair loss will be enough for the hair to regrow. In other instances, a woman might consider a medication like minoxidil (Rogaine), which helps with certain types of hair loss, or another treatment to replace or regrow lost hair.
“Vitamins are essential for healthy hair growth and may help in preventing hair shedding and thinning,” says Michele Green, M.D., a cosmetic dermatologist in New York. “The best vitamins for hair growth include B vitamins, vitamin D, vitamin E, zinc, biotin and iron.
Medications are the most common treatment for hair loss in women. They include the following: Minoxidil (Rogaine, generic versions). This drug was initially introduced as a treatment for high blood pressure, but people who took it noticed that they were growing hair in places where they had lost it.
Mayo Clinic Minute: Treatment for hair loss in women
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Can a dermatologist do anything for a female hair loss?
Injections of corticosteroids: To help your hair regrow, your dermatologist injects this medication into the bald (or thinning) areas. These injections are usually given every 4 to 8 weeks as needed, so you will need to return to your dermatologist's office for treatment.
Family history (heredity). The most common cause of hair loss is a hereditary condition that happens with aging. This condition is called androgenic alopecia, male-pattern baldness and female-pattern baldness.
Biotin. Biotin, also known as vitamin B7, stimulates the production of keratin to increase follicle growth. Biotin deficiencies tend to be rare, with those diagnosed with Biotinidase Deficiency being the most common.
As with male pattern baldness, female pattern baldness comes from hormone imbalances, specifically dihydrotestosterone imbalances, or DHT. This hormone is similar in structure to testosterone, but it is significantly more potent [3]. DHT can attach to receptors on the hair follicles, causing the follicles to shrink.
Sometimes, the best-known product is best-known for a reason. Rogaine contains the active ingredient minoxidil, which has overwhelmingly been shown to effectively treat hair loss in clinical trials. And the clinicians I spoke to recommended it for women as well as men.
How is female hair loss treated? Minoxidil (Rogaine) 5% is the only topical medication approved by the FDA for female-pattern hair loss. The once daily use foam treatment regrows hair in 81% of the women who try it. Liquid options of 2% and 5% solutions are available over the counter.
Before making a diagnosis, a dermatologist will likely perform a physical exam, ask about family and personal medical history and maybe run some tests, including a blood test or even a scalp biopsy, a procedure where a small sample of skin and hair are removed for laboratory testing.
Cedarwood essential oil is thought to promote hair growth and reduce hair loss by balancing the oil-producing glands in the scalp. It also has antifungal and antibacterial properties, which can treat different conditions that may contribute to dandruff or hair loss.
