What's
the best hair loss treatment?
A:
There is no simple answer to this. No one treatment
offers spectacular hair growth for all
people who use it. However, there are a few
treatments that yield decent
results
for a majority of people. (Decent is defined here as
cessation of further hair thinning and perhaps some
regrowth, ranging from a little to moderate.) Some
people do respond unusually well--but then some don't
respond at all. Most fall somewhere in between. Since
there are multiple factors in male pattern hair loss,
it is wisest to approach the problem from several angles
to maximize
results, as some treatments are complementary and address
different underlying causes. A common fundamental approach
is to use an "antiandrogen" of some kind, whether systemic
(such as finasteride) or topical (such as spironolactone
or azelaic acid), and a growth stimulant such as minoxidil
(Rogaine). To this basic program many add a topical
SOD. Other options include therapeutic shampoos, such
as
the antimicrobial
and growth stimulant shampoos. Still other approaches
that may help include dietary and nutritional considerations
and even lifestyle modifications. There are many adherents
to such a "kitchen sink" approach. You can also start
with a single hair loss treatment, though due to the
long lag time before you can actually verify efficacy,
this
can be very hit and miss and may bring less than optimal
results by only addressing one aspect of a larger problem. |
