Is it time to start exploring hair loss treatments? If so, you're not alone! Nearly half of the entire population deals with hair loss.
However, there are a LOT of options for hair loss treatments. Digging through all of the options can be confusing and even overwhelming. Which hair loss treatments are safest? What about most effective? Which ones will give you the best results? And not to be forgotten, which ones are the most cost-effective?
That's why we did all of the research for you, and compared 4 different hair growth treatments.
1. Finasteride
Finasteride is only available by prescription and should NEVER be used by women, especially pre-menopausal women. This medication focuses on minimizing the production of DHT, a male hormone infamously known as the number one culprit for hair loss. Since women have hormone levels that drastically differ from men, women can develop severe health problems by taking finasteride. Despite the evidence surrounding this, some doctors controversially prescribe finasteride to post-menopausal women. While not as dangerous for men, it does cause several side effects, including rashes, allergic reactions, and low libido. According to clinical studies, men can expect an average 12.2% increase in hair count over the course of 12 months while taking finasteride. However, once you stop the medications the effects reverse and newly grown hair falls out without regrowing.
2. Minoxidil
Minoxidil is an over-the-counter (OTC) hair loss treatment that addresses androgenetic alopecia (genetic baldness) in both men and most recently women. If you’re lucky, you’ll make it through minoxidil treatments with only scalp stinging, burning and dryness, while skipping over the potential (and more serious!) side effects that include unwanted body hair, along with dizziness and chest pain, just to name a few.
So how effective is it really? Discounting all side effect possibilities and the shedding that often results, one clinical study claims that over a period time of 8 months, minoxidil can boost your hair count by approximately 15.4%.
Beware: you’ll need to use minoxidil for the rest of your life and apply it on your scalp every day, else your new hair will rapidly shed away.
3. Platelet-rich Plasma Injections
Another, newer hair growth treatment currently administered in some hair restoration clinics consists of Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP) injections. Platelet-Rich Plasma is a concentration of blood platelets that are critical for clotting. Platelets release bioactive proteins (growth factors) which gives them regeneration capabilities.
A provider collects PRP from the patient's blood and inserts it into scalp areas affected by alopecia. Results vary; patients who are good candidates and have no medical contraindications (such as platelet dysfunction syndrome, anticoagulant therapy, and/or blood disorders) can see hair restoration results between 1 to 3 months. One particular study has reported a 31% increase of follicular density over a period of 2 months.
Due to the fact that PRP is harvested by a patient’s own blood, PRP injections for hair loss can be considered a natural solution designed to work effectively with the body’s own mechanism; however, there is no consensus for the frequency of PRP injections or the concentration of platelets. Furthermore, as a relatively new hair loss therapy, this treatment is not backed up by decades of clinical trials and is still considered somewhat experimental.
4. Laser Phototherapy Hair Loss Treatments
A fourth hair growth treatment involves harnessing the power of laser light. You may know it as Low-Level Laser Therapy (LLLT), Laser Phototherapy (LPT), or laser hair therapy. In this case, coherent laser light is generated from a device for a long enough period of time (usually about 20 minutes) for the lasers to work not their magic but their science.
A particular LPT clinical study indicates a hair count increase of 39% over 4 months. Unlike minoxidil, finasteride, and PRP injections, there are virtually no contraindications to undergoing laser hair growth therapy; it’s also been around for decades, first accidentally discovered by Hungarian Physician Dr. Endre Mester back in the 1960s, and there are hundreds of published clinical studies that examine its efficacy.
Amongst all four hair loss treatments, you’ll find that choosing an optimal laser hair growth device to treat hair loss is the best way to go. It’s affordable, effective, has no side effects as a natural solution, and will never interrupt your lifestyle if you pick a high-tech, wearable and cordless device.
Here, find out the cost of hair loss treatment and determine which treatment option is suitable for you.
Your path to luscious, fuller hair begins with Theradome's laser helmet. Act decisively and grab the opportunity for hair rejuvenation. Don't wait – seize the chance for a better tomorrow!
