Take Action to Prevent Hair Loss Doldrums
Author: Sam Razi

Ask anyone who has been treating their hair loss with any form of treatment regimen and you'll undoubtedly hear that the more complicated the regimen, the more difficult it is to consistently stay with the program. That's why I have repeated the following mantra whenever this topic comes up:

Keep It Simple!

The goal is to do the most effective things that take the least amount of effort necessary to treat your hair loss so that you reduce your anxiety level about it and reduce it's impact on your self-esteem and confidence.

The two only FDA approved treatments for hair loss are Propecia and Rogaine. If you don't want to think any further about or do any more research on hair loss, you can stop reading this article right now and just go get Propecia and Rogaine and start using them. Two treatments, nice and simple. Now, if you want to read to the end of this article I'll try to give the short version of why you should use these and/or their alternatives. Yes, there are alternatives to Propecia and Rogaine, but more on this later. For now, let's focus on what these treatments do.

Propecia:

Propecia is the drug brand name for Finasteride in a 1mg pill form. It has been shown to be very effective in maintaining hair in most men, and regrowing some hair in some men. It is not recommended nor normally prescribed for women. Finasteride also comes in a 5mg pill in the name of Proscar. Proscar is meant for use in a condition called Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia or BPH for short, whereas Propecia is meant for use in treating Androgenetic Alopecia (hair loss). Since they are the same actual drug you can use Proscar instead of Propecia by getting an off-label prescription from your doctor. All you need is a pill cutter and you can cut the 5mg Proscar tablets into quarters, taking a quarter tablet (1.25mg) per day. Finasteride works by inhibiting an enzyme called 5-alpha-reductase that when combined with the hormone testosterone, forms DHT (dihydrotestosterone) which then attaches to the androgen-receptors in your hair follicles and--lo and behold--you have hair loss. So Finasteride works as an anti-DHT treatment, which basically tackles the problem of hair loss at the source. Anti-DHT and anti-androgen treatments essentially try to stop hair loss by keeping DHT away from the androgen receptors of hair follicles.

Rogaine

Rogaine comes in 2% and 5% solutions that are meant to be applied topically to the scalp in the areas where you are losing hair. The medication itself is called Minoxidil and was originally used to treat hypertension, but when people who were treating their hypertension started growing hair then doctors quickly caught on, and a topical was made. Here's the cool part about Minoxidil--you don't have to use Rogaine to get it. In fact, I would recommend that you check out Dr. Lee's Xandrox which can be ordered in very high concentration Minoxidil solutions of up to 15%. You can pick it up from www.minoxidil.com. I am using this as my primary regrowth and maintenance treatment. There are several theories as to how Minoxidil works, but nobody knows for sure what the exact mechanism is. It has been FDA approved in 2% and 5% versions, but is safe to use at higher concentrations, and since the results from Minoxidil are dose-dependent it makes sense to use a higher dosage version if you want the most potential for regrowth. Just make sure you see a doctor before starting it to make sure it's the right thing for you. Minoxidil does not (as far as is currently known) treat the underlying cause or causes of hair loss like Propecia does, but it strengthens existing hair and helps keep more hair in growth phase for longer than the hair otherwise would be. So Minoxidil is primarily a growth stimulator.

So we have two separate modes of action, (1) anti-DHT and anti-androgens like Finasteride, and (2) growth stimulators like Minoxidil.

The reason I went into this diatribe is so that you are aware that it is precisely these modes of action that are important when coming up with your own regimen. Some people choose not to use an internal treatment like Propecia or Proscar because they are not comfortable with the potential for side-effects, however slim. If you fit into this category, it doesn't mean that you can't still get a similar modality of action from other treatments that are topical. In fact there are several other topical treatments that act to inhibit DHT and androgen action against the follicles. A couple of popular such treatments are Spironolactone and Revivogen. I use Revivogen myself. And when it comes to growth stimulators, by far the most effective proven treatment is Minoxidil. So take your pick of what brand you want to use. The higher the concentration the better (but with higher risks of side-effects). Just make sure you cover both modes of action with an effective treatment for each and you're set! My two punch combo is Revivogen and Xandrox 15% (Xandrox is Dr. Lee's 15% Minoxidil and 5% azaleic acid combination treatment).

The point is that it's a simple regimen that covers the important bases. It's easy to stick to this regimen so I'm more likely to reap the benefits -- less hair loss and possibly a moderate reversal in my level of hair loss. The more treatments you add, the harder it will be for you to stick with the program for a long period of time. For now, unless you want to get a hair transplant, there are no treatments that you can use for a while and then just stop using them. If you use something and it works, then you have to use it for life (or until you get a transplant). So it makes sense to keep things managable by not going overboard in your enthusiasm, and by setting realistic expectations for yourself. By taking a consistent approach to managing your hair loss and your expectations your self-esteem will improve.

Do your research, pick a handful of items for your regimen and STICK TO THEM! Make minor adjustments to your approach as you learn what works for you and what doesn't, but you have to give each treatment at least 3 months to see if it is effective for you (unless you have an allergic reaction to a treatment in which case you have to discontinue the treatment). Good luck.

Oh yeah, and you may want to look into the Hairmax Lasercomb as an addition to your regimen. It is approved in Canada as an effective tool in treating hair loss. Again, do your research first. I am currently not using the Lasercomb in my own regimen, but I definitely plan on doing so when I get the dollars together to purchase one. It's expensive!






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Sam Razi is the author of the award-winning hair loss information and education site, www.morphollica.com. He spent several years researching the best treatments for hair loss and has written many editorials and articles on the subject.

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