Balding or hair thinning is a difficult experience for men and women even if hair loss is a common occurrence as it is a usual part of ageing. In fact, the evidence is increasing that losing hair affects one’s mental health.
People who suffer from hair loss feel that they no longer conform to society’s norms of physical appearance. As such, their balding head or thinning hair becomes a source of stress which eventually leads to the development of anxiety or depression.
The growing number of studies on the psychological effects of alopecia has prompted scientists to work doubly hard to find hair loss cure for men and women. But this is not to say that there are currently no treatments available for alopecia. It’s primarily all about finding a permanent fix to balding or the conditions that cause it like pattern baldness.
Effective Hair Loss Cure for Men and Women
Unlike the olden days when people, particularly men, relied on bizarre concoctions like pigeon droppings and red ochre to treat their hair loss, different clinically proven treatments are now available.
There are medicines that are formulated to stop hair from falling out and/or promote hair growth. These are usually prescribed to those with androgenetic alopecia – popularly called male pattern baldness in men and female pattern hair loss in women.
While these medicines are proven to be effective, they are not magic pills that deliver results overnight. Depending on the patient’s condition, it may take at least six months before their effects become noticeable.
Another treatment used for hair loss is laser therapy. Here, devices like helmets that irradiate photons into the scalp tissue are worn by patients. The weak cells on the scalp absorb the photons. This process is primarily meant to improve blood flow to the follicles and consequently, promote hair growth.
Aside from medications and laser therapy, hair transplant surgery is another treatment option available for hair loss sufferers. It involves removing hair from the scalp and transplanting it to the bald area.
Hair Loss Cure: What’s New for 2021?
As mentioned earlier, scientists are hard at work to find a cure for alopecia. While medicines, laser therapy and hair transplant surgery are effective, they are not considered cures because they do not ‘eliminate’ the condition.
To be more specific, the medicines are formulated to slow down hair loss and/or promote hair growth. They do not cure conditions such as male pattern baldness, female pattern hair loss and alopecia areata.
Similarly, despite getting laser therapy and hair transplant surgery, hair loss patients, especially those with the hereditary type, are still going to eventually go bald or have thinner hair.
Simply put, there is still no cure for alopecia which is why scientists are looking for a breakthrough – a treatment that can reverse balding or hair thinning. While this may still take years (or even decades), things are looking up with the discovery of stem cells which are essential for hair regeneration.
Many experts are touting stem cells as the future of hair loss treatment. Plans to conduct clinical research involving the application of these cells to people with male pattern baldness are already underway.
According to scientists, the animal testing phase was already finished. The next step was to do human clinical trials, but its start was delayed because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
While hair loss research is said to be moving in the right direction, a lot of work still needs to be done. In the meantime, hair loss sufferers can turn to trichologists or dermatologists to find out which amongst the available treatment is best for them.
Are you suffering from balding or hair thinning? Talk to our trichologist to determine which hair loss cure is right for your hair loss condition. Call us now on +353 (0)1 6793618 to schedule an appointment.
