Baldness is a common problem especially with men, but this can be prevented by frontal hair loss treatment. This form of hair loss is characterized with a receding hairline and loss of hair near the temples. Frontal hair loss occurs before crown hair loss or vertex hair loss. The balding top gradually extends to the top of the head and may cause distress and a lack of confidence in the man.
Frontal Hair Loss Treatment – Causes of Frontal Hair Loss
Frontal hair loss may occur due to genetic factors. When the hormone testosterone combines with the enzyme called 5 Alpha Reductase, the male hormone dihydrotesterone (DHT) is produced. This attacks and gradually shrinks the hair follicles, which eventually fall out and disappear. In a small percentage of people, frontal hair loss can also be due to health problems.
A physician should be consulted to discus the various treatment options for frontal hair loss. He may refer the patient to a hair loss specialist, or conduct some lab tests to ensure that the hair loss is not due to some medical condition. Medicines may also be prescribed to reverse the condition. Over the counter treatment with a topical lotion may be prescribed at first. More aggressive treatment may be advised if these do not work.
Frontal Hair Loss Treatment
There are some FDA approved and medically established treatment options for frontal hair loss. These are as follows:
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Hair Transplants
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Finasteride (Propecia)
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Minoxidil (Rogaine)
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Flap Surgery
A Hair Transplant is the most cost effective and permanent solution to frontal hair loss and a receding hairline. It is a surgical procedure and the doctor has to first determine the number of grafts required and discuss the cost with the patient.
The doctor normally uses 1-hair follicular unit hair grafts to create a natural frontal hair line. These are surgically implanted in an irregular zigzag pattern. Donor strips of hair are uprooted and transferred to the bald areas, by the doctor. Hair which is grafted is not susceptible to DHT hair loss, so it has a high rate of survival.
Another form of frontal hair loss treatment is through tablets of Finasteride sold under the brand name, Propecia. This is a synthetic antiandrogen. Studies on patients of baldness who took 1mg of this tablet daily, showed the growth of new scalp hair after continuing the treatment for some time. However hair loss can reoccur if the medication is stopped. There are also side effects to oral medication.
On the other hand the drug Minoxidil, sold under the brand name Rogaine, is a hair lotion which is known to promote hair growth. It should be used twice a day for effective hair growth. It is an FDA approved anti balding drug and is considered safe to use by women as well. However, like Propecia, hair loss occurs again if the application is discontinued. Frontal hair loss can be treated effectively with a combination of both the tablet and the lotion.
Flap Surgery is another form of frontal hair loss treatment, though it is the least desirable. In this method, a strip of scalp which has hair and is adjacent to the bald area is removed and rotated and placed on the bald area. This method looks quite unnatural and has many drawbacks.
Hair implants though expensive at first, have proved to be the most cost effective and permanent frontal hair loss treatment and this method of treatment is gaining popularity.