Hair loss isn’t just a man’s problem anymore. Hair loss clinics around the world have noticed a substantial increase in female hair loss in recent years. In fact, it is estimated that about 50% of men and women will experience hair loss at some point in their life.

What has changed over the last few years is how early women are experiencing hair loss and the degree of hair loss that they see. Most women don’t go bald, unlike their male counterparts, but their hair thins to varying degrees. We are seeing more women with thinning hair, and higher degrees of hair loss than ever before.

The hair loss profession has for many years been viewed as an enigma at best, snake oil merchants at worst. The aim of this series of articles is to help women worldwide become more aware of the hair loss treatments options that are available, which are popular, and most importantly, what works.

Date with your Doctor

No, I’m not suggesting that you should ask him or her out for dinner. (Mind you, if they are good looking and single, there’s no harm in trying.) What I am saying is that if you are beginning to experience hair loss, you should make a date to see them for a blood test (ask for one that specifically deals with hair loss, the endocrine system and thyroid function) and a general check up. For years, the condition of your hair has been seen as a good guide to your overall health, so it pays to get checked out if your hair is deteriorating or thinning. It is also good practice to get a referral to see a dermatologist (hair and skin specialist) who may be able to give you further insight into the type of hair loss you may have (e.g., female pattern thinning, a type of Alopecia, or a lupus condition).

Pharmaceutical Drugs for Hair loss

Doctors are often the first point of call for people, and frequently pharmaceutical intervention is their first suggestion. This could involve changing the type of birth control you are using (some forms of the pill cause hair loss, while others help to regrow the hair), or prescribing a drug that may help to regrow some of your hair – or at least slow down the rate of hair loss.

Some of the more common drugs used are Minoxidil (Regaine or Rogaine), Aldactone, Spirolactone, and some doctors have even been known to prescribe Propecia. Propecia is a drug that was previously given to men, but was not recommended for women. All of these drugs have been clinically proven to cause hair regrowth, though results will vary from person to person.

Popularity of Pharmaceutical Treatment for Hair loss

If you were to determine the popularity of a hair loss treatment by the sheer number of people employing that particular form of treatment, I think pharmaceutical treatment could be deemed "popular." While it is probably the most common, it is most likely not the most popular in preference. Most people that we meet in our clinic prefer not to use drugs. Every drug has side effects and some prefer not to risk the various and possible side effects in the hope that it may cause future hair re-growth. Some come to us due to drugs causing their hair to thin, the mere thought of using other drugs to re-grow their hair is an option they wish to pursue. Nevertheless, regardless of side effects, some people will use whatever pharmaceutical drugs possible to keep or re-grow their hair.

Pharmaceutical interventions do offer hope of reversing your hair loss, and even cause it to regrow again. It is our experience that these medications are often better at retaining your hair than regrowing it. Most people don’t notice they have begun to lose their hair until they have lost 30% of it already, and at best these medications might help to recover 10-15% of the hair. It’s also important to note that hair often does not re-grow in the same consistency or patterns that it was before.

Correct Expectations of Pharmaceutical Hair Loss Treatments

Instead of viewing it as a miracle cure, pharmaceutical drugs should be viewed as an option that will help you to retain the hair you have. For some, they may even help to cause further hair growth. In general, if you are able to regrow 10% of your hair, you have experienced a great result.

Stay tuned for our next article that will will deal with another popular hair loss treatment - Hair Loss Concealers.