Hair loss, either temporary or permanent, has no cure. Many times temporary hair loss will begin re-growing hair once the cause is eliminated, such as drugs or medical treatments, and even male pattern baldness has been known to suddenly start re-growing hair. And although there is no cure, there are treatments that have shown promise to resume hair growth.

Products allowed legally to advertise themselves as a treatment must be approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which shows it has completed satisfactory clinical trials to perform as promised and that any side effects from using the product are properly documented and warnings are available. Products such as Rogaine and Propecia are advertised to help stop loss of hair as well as grow new hair.

Rogaine is touted as treatment for Androgenetic alopecia, male pattern baldness, and has been shown to re-grow hair within four months. As a liquid, the over the counter hair loss treatment is massaged into the scalp twice a day and hair growth has been shown to stop when product usage is stopped. The new hair is typically shorter and thinner than other hair, but generally long enough to be blended in with existing hair.

Danger To Women Found In Some Treatments

Propecia, in pill form available by prescription has not been approved for use by women and is warned to pose danger to women of child-bearing age. Absorption of the drug by pregnant women is expected to cause serious birth defect in male fetuses. The treatment effectiveness of the daily pill has shown to significantly slow the hair loss process and in many cases has sparked hair re-growth in about two years.

Corticosteroids have shown to slow loss of hair and many doctors use monthly injections into the scalp to help reverse the effects of Androgenetic alopecia. It has also been prescribed in pill form or in creams to be used between injections, but their use has not been proven as an effective hair loss treatment.

Anthralin is a tar-like substance rubbed onto the scalp and washed off daily. Typically used to treat skin ailments is has also shown promise in hair re-growth. Another treatment available is hair transplants, a surgical procedure where hair follicles are removed from one area and transplanted into another area of the scalp.

If you cannot find a treatment that works for you and surgery is not an acceptable, or affordable method, for you, the age-old hair loss treatment that has been around for many years are wigs and hair pieces.