For the first time in human history, you don’t need to go bald. No really. You are among the first group of men in the history of humanity who otherwise would’ve gone bald, that never have to. Hair loss treatments today are effective at preventing and even reversing male pattern baldness and thinning hair.
The problem is knowing which ones are actually going to work to stop your hair loss. In order to decide on the hair loss treatments that will optimize your chances of the best results, you should understand the basics of what causes thinning hair and receding in the first place.
Male pattern baldness is not a result of stress, wearing a baseball cap every day, or that sweet ponytail you had in your wild years. The scientific term for it is “Androgenetic Alopecia”. There is a lot of meaning in those words.
Simply put, you’re experiencing loss because of:
Androgens – hormonal changes in your scalp
Genetics – you probably already know what this word means
Androgens + Genetics = Androgentic. Voila: Androgenetic Alopecia! (or AGA)
As you begin to age, genetic changes in your scalp make your follicles sensitive to the hormones already in your blood stream, and tissues. When this happens your body begins to reject those hairs slowly, via several processes which we still don’t quite understand.
Effective Hair Loss Treatments
The hormone sensitivity that is “turned on” by a genetic predisposition results in hair miniaturization, and inflammation. Therefore, effective hair loss treatments focus on:
Limiting the hormonal influence.
Stimulating hair growth despite it.
Treating the inflammation.
As a result, the three major types of hair loss treatments are:
Anti-androgens
Growth Stimulants
Anti-inflammatories
If a treatment does not have ingredients which address one of these three major elements, then it is not an effective hair loss treatment. Period.
Only three types of hair loss treatments are going to work: Treatments that address the hormonal problem. Treatments that stimulate growth. And anti-inflammatories.
Antiandrogens. Prevent further hair loss. Stop the underlying cause.
Antiandrogen Treatments >
Growth Stimulants. Stimulate new hair growth. Revive dormant follicles.
Hair Growth Stimulants >
Anti-inflammatories. Calm the scalp. Needed for other treatments to work.
Anti-inflammatories >
Starting a Hair Loss Treatment Regimen
When you hear about a new treatment – the only thing that matters is the ingredients, and the data supporting them. Hair can be thickened anywhere it’s still growing. Therefore a hair loss treatment regimen is worth pursuing for all types of loss.
Do you need to keep taking these treatments forever?
Yes, but try not to get depressed about this. You do things every single day which prevent decline in your health.
You brush your teeth daily to avoid tooth decay. You shower daily, take vitamins daily, and hopefully exercise at least 3x a week to keep your body in optimal working condition. Treating hair loss is just another thing you’ll add to the list and after awhile, you won’t even notice it.
How Long Does it Take For Results?
Hair cycles in growth and dormancy phases every few months. The process of miniaturization therefore takes years. Reversing this process takes years as well. And this is why most guys never succeed at it.
They expect results in 3 months, see some initial shedding, and throw in the towel.
But not you. You’re smarter than they are. And that’s why you’re going to see results.
Treatments take time. Improved results are seen with each new 3-5 month cycle, and peak hair growth is typically not seen until the 2 year mark. It’s at this point that you can expect to plateau at whatever level you’ve attained. And by that point if you’re on a proper set of hair loss products, you should be happy with your results.
Skip to Building your Treatment Regimen Now! >
What Are My Chances of Success?
How much you’ve lost plays a role in what approach you need to take. You may wish to familiarize yourself with the “Norwood Scale”. It is a great way to know where you fit in, and to see how things may continue if you leave your hair untreated.
As a general rule, guys who are Norwood 4A or lower will see the best results, and if they use the proper treatments, should expect to maintain their hair or regrow between 20% and 70% of their lost hair back.
The lower the Norwood the more basic your treatment regimen can be, such as using only Propecia or Rogaine as your foundation, with a couple extra clinically-backed treatments (we list them at the bottom of the page) for an extra kick, or to hit hair loss from other angles.
Be among the first men in history to keep their hair when they should've gone bald.CLICK TO TWEET
Guys who approach Norwood 5 or higher will only see results on combination regimens like Propecia and Rogaine together, and likely must add other clinically-backed treatments to enhance the effects.
Norwood 5 is also typically when you get into the realm of needing a Hair Transplant for optimal results. Lower Norwoods will sometimes benefit from smaller Hair Transplant procedures as well, but at Norwood 5, you’ve often lost too much to get it all back with treatments.
Nevertheless, these guys will still be advised by any legit hair transplant surgeon to begin a Propecia and Rogaine regimen. They can sometimes still see dramatic gains which will significantly thicken their hair transplant results. Besides, you may continue losing hair even after the procedure, and so treatments are needed.
Preventing Hair Loss Versus Regrowing It
Remember that there are 3 main types of hair loss treatments: Antiandrogens, Growth Stimulants, and Anti-inflammatories. In general Antiandrogens such as Propecia, S5 Cream, and other products which address the hormonal angle are intended to stop hair loss from progressing. They are first and foremost considered maintenance treatments.
It is the growth stimulants like Rogaine, Tricomin, and others which tend to increase the number of hairs on the scalp. But don’t fall into the trap of assuming that growth stimulants are better than Antiandrogens.
The most important thing you can do is stop the hair loss from getting worse, and that is where Antiandrogens come in. Many guys see noticeable regrowth from Antiandrogens alone, and those who give it a solid year can always add a growth stimulant for additional gains.
Inflammation and Treating Hair Loss
Anti-inflammatories have been mentioned a few times so far. Let’s break this down as clearly as possible: Nizoral shampoo (or another 1% Ketoconazole-based shampoo) is mandatory for the success of any hair loss treatment regimen. Nizoral calms the inflammation associated with the hormone changes, and without it, even the most clinically-proven treatments will not work well.
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