According to recent statistics that was published in the Washington Post, an estimated three in every four men and one in every ten women will develop and suffer from a hair loss condition at some point in their lives. Based on some estimates, the balding population in the United States spends more than $3.5 billion every year, just to prevent the occurrence of hair loss. However, what's unfortunate is the fact that according to the American Hair Loss Association (AHLA), “99 percent of these ethically questionable products are completely ineffective.”

The Basics of Hair Loss Problems

Dr. Bernard Cohen, a certified dermatologist and hair restoration surgeon in Coral Gables, Florida points out that there are two major kinds of hair loss. The first type is the natural kind. This “Shedding” is included in the normal growth and rest stage of the hair. In this process, hair strands of regular sizes and diameters fall out. After the rest period however, new and normal hair will grow in their place.

In contrast to the “shedding” type, the other kind of hair loss is often referred to as “balding”. This is troubling case of hair loss that comes in many forms. Balding may be in the form of “telogen effluvium”. In this temporary balding condition, excessive shedding happens because of physical or psychological trauma. The causes are chemotherapy, high fever, weight loss, pregnancy, drugs, anemia and stress. However, the more popular form of balding is androgenetic alopecia, often dubbed as “thinning”.

Dr. Cohen explains “thinning” as the condition where the number of hairs usually stays the same. However, the problem stems from the fact that each time hair re-grows, the new strands will be shorter and smaller in diameter. Such reduction in hair size continues to progress until the strands totally vanish. Dr. Cohen further points out that the process is quite gradual so “a person will already have lost 50 percent of their hair before it is even noticeable.”

Addressing the Inefficiency of Hair Loss Medications

There are various drugs and medications that are being used to treat hair loss conditions these days. Hair loss patients can choose from Minoxidil, Finasteride, Dutasteride and other DHT inhibitors. They may work through various ways but they basically do the same thing – they promote hair growth as they slow down hair loss. What's particularly troubling however is the fact that the new hair that grows is thinner and smaller in diameter. Hair that grow through the use of drugs and medications are not the same as the original thick hair that grows on most people.

Dr. Cohen points out that hair growing from treated hair follicles can grow fine hairs which have significantly smaller diameters as compared to normal hair. He also notes that hair loss medications are only applicable for people who still have functioning hair follicles. However, hair loss drugs will no longer work for people who have severely damaged or dead hair follicles. As Dr. Cohen points out, “Once it's gone, nothing will re-grow it." The inefficiency of these present medications prompts scientists and dermatologists to look for improved hair loss treatments such as hair follicle cloning and gene therapy.