Many women, losing their hair, suffer in silence and try to hide the problem by changing their hairstyle. But the sooner medical assistance is provided, the greater the chances of successful treatment.
Most often, women experience not androgenetic alopecia, to which men are more susceptible, but a diffuse form, when after eliminating the cause of hair loss, hair begins to grow again. This explains why hair restoration methods for women differ from those indicated for men.
Every day a person loses 50–100 hairs; exceeding this norm is a dangerous symptom.
Hair loss is not as rare a problem as many people think. The disease occurs in 5% of women under 30 years of age and in almost half over the age of 70 years.
Hair loss not only causes serious emotional stress, but can also be an indicator of health problems. Deficiency of iron, vitamin D, zinc, stress, autoimmune disorders, thyroid disorders are all possible causes of hair loss.
Hair loss in women is treated in several ways; we will look at the most effective ones today.
Minoxidil
Minoxidil is a hair drug that is a vasodilator that effectively stops hair loss and increases the growth rate of new hair shafts. Minoxidil, for example, is the main component of the drug "Rogaine" or "Regaine", which is actively used to get rid of androgenetic alopecia and treat hair growth. Among the drugs that also include Minoxidil are eucapil, procopil, and alerana. It is used as an additive by many cosmetic lines that produce shampoos to strengthen hair.
Minoxidil directly affects hair follicles, activates cell nutrition by dilating blood vessels and improving blood flow. For ease of use, Rogaine is available in the form of a spray and hair foam.
Minoxidil is actively used to treat hair loss in women. Correctly, a drug with a 2% concentration is used. In turn, “Regaine” for men has a 5% percentage solution concentration. The product is especially effective in the initial stages of hair loss with aggressive processes, and gives less pronounced results with a large area of baldness.
Features of application
The mechanism of action of Minoxidil is such that hair density is visually restored with regular, long-term use. If we talk about the frequency of use, then Rogaine should be used twice a day. The first tangible results can be detected after 2-3 months of use.
Rogaine has an intensive effect on the hair follicles, but does not remove the causes of androgenetic alopecia, which are the unfavorable, damaging effects of testosterone breakdown products on the hair follicles. If you stop using the drug, the hair becomes so thin that it takes on the appearance of a light fluff. As a result, a bald spot is formed. That is why it is not recommended to stop using the product.
The effectiveness of Minoxidil for hair treatment is proven by numerous reviews from both patients and attending physicians. For example, 30% of patients who used Rogaine experienced complete cessation of hair loss and restoration of hair thickness. To achieve similar results, you need to use Rogaine for 1 year or more, taking into account the nature and intensity of the problem.
Cost of the drug
The average cost is from 800 rubles. Depending on the place of sale, the price can reach 1200 rubles per bottle. One bottle lasts for a month.
Today there is a similar drug on the market at a more affordable price (between 400 and 600 rubles), but it is more likely that it is a fake. The original is produced in Canada, so its price is quite high. But thanks to the development of the pharmacological industry, today you can find a cheaper, but no less effective analogue.
Side effects
The drug Minoxidil, according to the manufacturer's instructions, is recommended to be used continuously to stop hair loss, activate hair growth, and get rid of baldness. If treatment is interrupted, new hair that has grown after starting to use the product will begin to fall out within 3-6 months.
For better and faster results, Minoxidil can be used in conjunction with other hair restoration products, for example, massages, hair loss masks and special medications.
Minoxidil is well tolerated, but has some side effects:
- burning, itching of the eyes;
- hives, rash;
- swelling;
- tachycardia;
- dizziness;
- labored breathing;
- dandruff, up to the appearance of seborrhea and seborrheic plaques.
If negative consequences occur after taking the drug, you should immediately see a trichologist.
Finasteride
Another effective treatment for alopecia is the drug Finasteride (or Propecia). Finasteride is specifically formulated for the treatment of hair in men, including the treatment of male pattern baldness. This is the only specialized treatment for androgenetic alopecia that effectively helps stop hair loss.
Instructions for use of Finasteride:
- The drug is used to reduce the size of the prostate gland and treat baldness.
- The drug is taken once a day, 5 mg. Finasteride can be used as a single drug for the treatment of hair loss, or in combination with other special medications, for example, Minoxidil. Eating does not affect medication intake.
- The drug should not be used in case of liver failure.
In search of the most effective remedy for baldness
These are, first of all, direct trichogens based on minoxidil, antiandrogens - finasteride and cyproterone acetate, flutamide and spironolactone are used less frequently. According to indications, glucocorticosteroids, cyclosporine, PUVA therapy, anthralin, diphenycyclopropenone, and squaric acid dibutyl ester are used. But even among these relatively small list of drugs, only two (minoxidil and finasteride) have been officially approved by the European Medicines Agency (EMEA) and the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for use in trichology.
Trichologists are well aware that the effectiveness of minoxidil does not apply to all patients; deficiency of the enzyme sulfotransferase is one of the established factors of individual low sensitivity in this stimulant. Young women planning pregnancy belong to the category of patients for whom the recommendation to use minoxidil is not relevant. Up to 20% of patients experience known side effects - contact dermatitis, itching, excess facial hair growth, facial swelling, headache and/or dizziness even at low concentrations of minoxidil.
Many people are “scared” by withdrawal syndrome, severe hair loss within a few weeks after stopping minoxidil-containing medications. From a practical point of view, the biggest problem with minoxidil treatment is the inability to obtain a long-term stable effect.
It is worth being well aware of the fact that minoxidil does not eliminate the influence of pathological factors, but in fact, masks their destructive effect on the hair follicles. As a result, despite relative apparent well-being, degeneration processes continue in the cells of the hair papillae, root membranes and other structures of the hair follicles.
For this reason, the effect of minoxidil weakens quite quickly, making it impossible to maintain hair growth at an acceptable level for a long time. Although there are examples where the use of minoxidil made it possible to ensure relatively healthy hair for more than 10 years. Unfortunately, this is not any pattern. As for finasteride, the data accumulated in recent years are causing increased concern.
It has become known that at least 14% of men experiencing symptoms of decreased potency while taking this inhibitor of dihydrotestosterone synthesis (DHT through inhibition of type 2 alpha-reductase 5) continue to experience these symptoms after discontinuation of the drug. There is a growing body of evidence indicating an increase in the level of depression due to the inhibition of a number of neurosterides in the central nervous system by finasteride, which in some cases even leads to suicide.
In connection with these, the urgency of searching for alternative agents that do not have destructive side effects, but retain their activity, is growing. The effectiveness of a number of drugs is still only assumed and not always confirmed by double-blind, placebo-controlled studies.
Nevertheless, their use may be completely justified, at least as corrective agents against the background of drug therapy, and in some cases as independent agents. Additional therapeutic interventions are planned primarily in accordance with the etiopathogenetic mechanisms found in patients with hair loss.
As a rule, factors affecting the receptor apparatus of hair follicles, neurotransmitter and psychogenic disorders, microcirculatory and hemorheological changes, proinflammatory cytokines, growth factors and signaling molecules are used.
Currently, the attention of researchers is attracted by a substance such as IGF-1 (somatomedin or insulin-like growth factor).
The use of drugs with adenosine promotes hair growth, including by stimulating the production of IGF-1. Stimulation of the B-catenin pathway by adenosine leads to the production of fibroblast growth factor and vascular endothelial growth factor. Adenosine is contained in Dixidox DeLuxe Intense Shampoo No. 3.1
Dixidox DeLuxe intense shampoo No. 3.1 Dixidox DeLuxe intense shampoo
Another substance known as HIF1A (hypoxia inducible factor 1 alpha) prevents the early death of hair follicle cells under hypoxic conditions. An inducer of HIF1A production is ciclopirox, which is part of many anti-dandruff products.
Piroctoneolamine has a similar effect, which in experiments shows comparable effectiveness to ketoconazole not only in the fight against dandruff, but also in hair loss. For this reason, we recommend combining hair growth stimulating products from the DSD line (lotions 3.4, 3.4.1, 3.4.2, 3.4.3, 3.4.4, 3.4.5) with antiseborrheic agents containing piroctoneolamine (octopyrox) -1.1, 1.3, 1.4, 2.1, 2.4.
Further development of drugs with prostaglandins is promising - the founders of which in cosmetology are bimatoprost and its analogues. This substance is currently used in products to stimulate the growth of eyebrows and eyelashes.
Natural 5-alpha reductase inhibitors include substances such as zinc, azelaic acid, β-sitosterol, polyunsaturated fatty acids, curcumin, green tea catenins and many plants, in particular: Angelicakoreana, GardenBalsam, Turnip, turnipmustard (Brassicarapa), Dodder (Cuscutareflexa) , Euphorbiajolkinii, Lingzhimushroom or Reishimushroom (Ganodermalucidum), ChineseKnotweed (Polygonummultiflorum), BlackPepperleafextract (Pipernigrum), RedStinkwood (Pygeumafricanum), SawPalmetto (Serenoarepens), the active substance of which is lauric acid, Pine, KuShen or Bitterroot (Sophoraflavescens), Japanesehedge parsley (Torilis japonica) , EasternArborvitae, NorthernWhitecedar (Thujaoccidentalis), SporeofJapaneseclimbingfern (Lygodiumjaponicum).
Nettle is comparable in its effect to another known 5 alpha-reductase inhibitor - Pygeumafricanum (African plum).
Precursors of nitric oxide NO—amino acids arginine and citrulline—play a significant role in hair growth. Sulfur-containing substances such as MSM (methylsulfonylmethane) and vitamin H (biotin) have a positive effect not only on keratin synthesis, improving hair structure, but also affect hair growth and reduce pathological hair loss.
Plants such as the coffee tree, tea, mate, guarana, cola and some others contain a well-known purine alkaloid - caffeine. This substance is synthesized by plants to protect against insects that eat leaves, stems and grains. Caffeine has multiple effects on the human body. According to modern data, a significant role in the mechanism of action of caffeine is played by its inhibitory effect on the enzyme phosphodiesterase, which leads to the intracellular accumulation of cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP).
Under the influence of cyclic AMP, glycogenolysis processes are enhanced, metabolic processes in various organs and tissues are stimulated, including hair follicles. Caffeine reduces platelet aggregation and increases blood flow. When applied externally, caffeine has the effect of stimulating hair growth.
A 2007 study by Fischer used immunohistochemistry to show a statistically significant increase in hair growth under the influence of caffeine in an ex vivo experiment on hair follicles of patients suffering from androgenetic alopecia.
Also, the positive role of caffeine is confirmed by studies conducted at the University Dermatology Clinic Hamburg-Eppendorf. Caffeine has a synergistic effect when combined with minoxidil and other stimulants.
In 2007, the FDA approved the use of the HairMax laser comb to treat androgenetic alopecia in men, and 4 years later, in 2011, in women. In a double-blind, placebo-controlled study of 110 volunteers with AGA, use of HairMax was shown to result in a significant increase in average terminal hair density compared to the control group. According to the current consensus, LLLT wavelengths between 650 and 900 nm, with a power of 5 mW, are an effective treatment for patients with alopecia.
This not only restores growth, but also improves the quality and texture of the hair shaft.
In our experience, a combination of small minoxidil with azelaic acid and caffeine (azelomax or azelofeine in small concentrations, with a low frequency of use - once a day or even every other day) combined with cosmetics based on adenosine, caffeine, dwarf palm, zinc, copper , B vitamins, inositol, capsaicin, gamma-butyric acid contained in the DSD line preparations (lotions of the Dixidox, Krexepil, Capixil series) and the HairMax laser allows you to obtain a significant effect in androgenetic alopecia, which, with continued treatment, persists for many years, which distinguishes this approach from minoxidil monotherapy. We recommend avoiding the use of finasteride, except in rare cases.
Advantages of Finasteride in the treatment of hair loss
- Reviews about Finasteride are positive. The drug leads to a quick stop of hair loss. This has been proven by millions of men who have used the drug to treat alopecia for several years.
- The product is suitable for monotherapy and for use in combination with other drugs. Finasteride is most active in the initial stages of hair loss, and produces less pronounced results as alopecia progresses. A good effect is achieved if you use the product after hair transplantation.
- Finasteride, reviews of which indicate its maximum effectiveness, leads to a reduction in testosterone activity in the hair.
Non-drug methods of hair restoration
Diffuse hair loss is a reversible process. You can achieve good results with medication methods, as well as laser treatment. It is based on the principle of photo-biotherapy, in which the scalp is exposed to a cold laser. Skin cells absorb laser radiation, which stimulates blood circulation and cellular metabolism, and activates the functioning of follicles.
With laser treatment, 45% of patients experience improvement within 8 weeks, and 90% within 16 weeks.
Hair transplantation as a treatment method is indicated only for androgenetic alopecia; for diffuse alopecia, it is performed for aesthetic purposes:
- when you need to correct a hairline that is too high;
- hide scar changes after injuries or burns.
Thanks to the methods of modern medicine, the problem of hair loss is successfully solved. The main thing is not to delay contacting a specialist who will conduct the necessary research and choose an effective method to solve your problem.
