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Some chemotherapy patients wear a wig or hat to hide their hair loss until their hair grows back. In most cases, hair growth returns to its previous state once you’ve stopped taking a medication that causes hair loss. But finding the right formula isn't a matter of simply choosing a product off the shelf and hoping that it works. Understanding the underlying cause of your hair loss is absolutely necessary in determining the best approach to halt and reverse any further damage to your hair and scalp.
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Sometimes, hair loss medications are not always the right route for treatment. Speak with your healthcare provider about determining the exact cause of your hair loss. Sometimes hair loss can be reversed by changing the medication dosage, prescribing the brand-name drug (or an alternative drug), or adding B vitamins or folic acid. Still, even after the source is identified, it could take six months for the hair to begin growing back.
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Hair loss is a complicated topic and the role of nutrition in preventing or treating hair loss can be somewhat controversial. Telogen effluvium is a type of sudden hair loss that results from emotional or physical shock, like a traumatic event, period of extreme stress, or a serious illness. It’s also the most common cause of hair loss, affecting up to 50% of people. There are several types of hair loss, some are common and some are rarer, and each with different underlying causes. Other supplements meant to help with hair loss tend to contain a lot of one nutrient.
What would a dermatologist prescribe for hair loss?
Male pattern baldness typically involves progressive hair loss above the temples and thinning at the crown of the head, creating an “M” shape. Hair loss related to androgenic alopecia tends to happen gradually. While some people might experience hair loss as early as puberty, others might not notice symptoms until their middle ages. Studies indicate that laser therapy is safe and painless but requires many treatment sessions.
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A review study published in 2022 found that it significantly increases hair diameter and hair count in patients with several types of alopecia. It typically isn’t covered by insurance, and it can be expensive, Mirmirani says. Alopecia areata is an autoimmune disease that causes hair to fall out in nickel- or quarter-size patches.
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It works by binding to the 5-alpha reductase enzyme and stopping it from converting testosterone into dihydrotestosterone (DHT). This medication is FDA-approved to treat and manage heart failure and high blood pressure. However, doctors can also prescribe it for FPHL if other treatments have not worked. "Your hair will grow back three to six months after your treatment ends," she adds, "although it may temporarily be a different color or texture (i.e., curly instead of straight)." While these medications are powerful enough to kill rapidly growing cancer cells, they can also destroy healthy growing cells, like those in your hair roots, Dr. Massick says.
Side Effects of Ozempic, Wegovy, Similar Drugs Under Investigation for Suicide and Hair Loss Risks: FDA - AboutLawsuits.com
Side Effects of Ozempic, Wegovy, Similar Drugs Under Investigation for Suicide and Hair Loss Risks: FDA.
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There are different types of hair loss, but androgenic alopecia is the most common type that can be treated with medication. Rogaine and Propecia are medications approved by the FDA, whereas Avodart and spironolactone are prescribed off-label. See your doctor if you are distressed by persistent hair loss in you or your child and want to pursue treatment. For women who are experiencing a receding hairline (frontal fibrosing alopecia), talk with your doctor about early treatment to avoid significant permanent baldness. Many people receiving chemotherapy experience hair loss as a common side effect.
If you’re not getting enough protein, your dermatologist can tell you how to boost your intake. More studies are needed to find out who is most likely to benefit from this treatment and whether these devices cause long-term side effects. It’s important to understand that not everyone who used a laser saw regrowth. Should you see regrowth, you will need to keep using it every day.
There are several telehealth companies offering hair loss medications. The table below compares each of the hair loss medications in this article. In another 2017 study, researchers reviewed the effects of dutasteride and finasteride in men with androgenetic alopecia.
A person may wish to discuss if other other medication options are available with their doctor. Other professional treatments include laser devices and microneedling. Steroid injections, hair transplants, and platelet-rich plasma procedures may be options to consider, although these are more common treatments for inflammatory hair loss. With so many medications available for people experiencing hair loss, it is not easy to declare which one works the best overall.
The only way to reverse hair loss from medication is to stop the medication, Dr. Massick says. But this may or may not be possible, depending on the medication you are taking. The birth control injection Depo-Provera can also cause hair loss, since it contains the hormone progesterone, Dr. Jaliman says.
