Fda Approved Treatments

When it comes to hair loss, there are a number of factors which contribute to this phenomenon. Of course, there are countless hair loss remedies to match it. However, when it comes to the government, there are only two sanctioned hair loss FDA approved treatments – Rogaine and Propecia.

These two FDA approved treatments work in different ways to combat the same problem. You see, hair loss is the result of a hormone called DHT kicking into overdrive to inhibit hair growth and actually destroy hair follicles. In essence, your own immune system is working against you. As a result, your hair shaft shrinks, causing the hair to start thinning and shrink too. This chain reaction leads to hair loss. If you can get started on the FDA approved treatments as soon as possible, you could work hard to retard the hair loss and in fact, reverse the trend. However, it is all a matter of timing. Here are a few details about each of these FDA approved treatments for hair loss:

Propecia

Propecia is in a tablet form and was originally created as a prostate medication. Also known by the name Finasteride, this medication was discovered to grow hair on bald spots on the crown and mid-area of the scalp. It took several years before Propecia was one of the FDA approved treatments for hair loss.

This DHT inhibitor is not very safe for women and the manufacturers greatly stress this fact. Propecia can cause birth defects in fetuses and women should not even be exposed to the drug or even touch it.

In order for this drug to work, you have to take it for several months before you may notice any changes. When you stop, your hair loss progress stops with it. While this drug does work for many men, there are some occurrences of some side effects such as decreased sexual activity and libido.

Rogaine

Rogaine is the second of the FDA approved treatments for hair loss. Originally called minoxidil, this drug was used to treat high blood pressure. When researchers noticed that it grew hair for its patients, minoxidil gained new life as a hair loss treatment under the name Rogaine.

Once a prescription only, this FDA approve treatment is now found on supermarket and pharmacy shelves. It is applied directly onto the scalp and is safe for both men and women to use. In fact, it works better for women. Rogaine works to stimulate new hair growth on the head but does not work for all types of hair loss. Male and female patterned baldness and thinning reap the most benefits. And as far as can be told, there are not harmful side effects of note.

While Propecia and Rogaine are the only two FDA approved treatments specifically for hair loss, there are other FDA approved medications that do work well for hair loss, even though they are not specifically sanctioned for it. If you want to learn more about those, ask your doctor about them.