Regrow Hair – It is possible!
If you have noticed a widow’s peak forming from your hairline or a patch of scalp on the top of your head, is it too late to counter the effects of hair loss? Not at all! Men who suffer from permanent hair loss from genetic male pattern baldness can enjoy prolonged hair restoration if hair loss is treated early.
The Cause of Male Pattern Baldness
Hair re-growth products have been developed by dermatologists and physicians who have studied the effects of male pattern baldness, also called androgenetic alopecia. Though not all men are affected by male pattern baldness, no one knows who will be affected until symptoms are first noticed, which is usually a receding hairline.
The cause of male pattern baldness is a genetic hair follicle aversion to the male hormone, Dihydrotestosterone or DHT. DHT causes the hair follicles to shrink and eventually stop growing hair. Hair is then simply shed and is not replaced.
How to Re-grow Missing Hair
How can a man suffering from pattern baldness re-grow hair? First, it must be noted that re-growing hair lost from the effects of DHT must be performed in the early stages of hair loss. Men who have had long-term hair loss from pattern baldness are not likely to grow new hair since the hair follicles have simply stopped working.
However, hair follicles which have recently been shrunk can retain their original size through prescription drug treatment and some topical treatments. The pharmaceutical agents allow the hair follicles to ignore the effects of DHT. Follicles retain their original size, and hair begins growth again at the root.
Many men can enjoy re-growth of hair with FDA products available over the counter such as Rogaine. The main agent, minoxodil, has been shown to stimulate hair re-growth in over 85% of users who suffer hereditary hair loss.
In prescription pill form, the drug finasteride can also reverse the effects of DHT on hair follicles. The drug treatment is usually a once-a-day pill that must be taken as long as the patient wishes to retain and re-grow hair.
How Long Does Re-Growth Take?
Once a drug therapy has started, usually re-growth of hair is seen in about 2 to 4 months. Why does the process take so long? Every piece of hair has a normal growth cycle of about 2 to 6 years of growth, followed by a 3 to 4 month resting period. Cyclically, old hair is shed and a new one starts the growth process.
When taking a drug treatment for hair re-growth, the hair follicles are restored enough to re-grow hair. The hair root starts again as if it is in the resting stage and a new hair begins growth in a few months.
As mentioned, not everyone experiences hair re-growth from drug treatment. Those who are successful at seeing hair re-growth will need to continue the drug therapy as long as they wish hair to remain. Once the drug is stopped, the natural hereditary effects will take over once again, and hair will begin its loss pattern.
