Bringing Back Hair, Fighting Baldness

Bringing Back Hair Fighting Baldness

All men will lose their hair as they become older, a fact of life that not many men want to accept. However, acceptance becomes even more complicated for men whose thinning hair becomes far more noticeable.

Fortunately, several ways can bring back thinning hair. If not a full head of hair, then thicker hair will suffice. You and your doctor can discuss the pros and cons of these three available methods in more detail.  

Medications for Baldness

These medications are adequate but not for every man who takes them. Therefore, one must make reasonable expectations from the start. Even when one of these medications works in your case, you have to continuously and consistently use them for their positive effects to continue. Nearly as soon as you stop taking them, you can start saying goodbye to the hair you may have grown back.

  • Finasteride (Propecia) works by preventing testosterone’s conversion into dihydrotestosterone, thus, limiting the effect of the follicle. When taken as a once-a-day pill, the recommended dosage, the results will only be observed after three to six months. Within six months of ceasing the medication, the balding process resumes.  
  • Minoxidil is a similar over-the-counter product. When you use it regularly, your hair will be thicker after several months. But when you stop applying it to your head, your hair will start to fall out again.

Due to the long-term use, both medications are expensive over time. You have to consider your need for thicker hair with a thinner wallet.  

Hair Transplants

The fact is that medical insurance doesn’t cover hair transplant procedures, so it’s an expensive method to fight baldness. No stitches are required, but the doctor uses a local anesthetic on the scalp, where the hair will be harvested and grafted. The hair-growing process usually takes a long time. Patients cannot repeat the procedure successively. It would be best to take a break between 9 and 12 months for proper healing.  

Artificial hair to cover baldness

Instead of natural hair harvested from the patient’s scalp, doctors plant synthetic fibers to re-grow the hair. However, while administering a local anesthetic reduces the pain during the procedure, the high risks of post-surgery scarring and infection make artificial hair implantation among the least recommended options.

Scientists are also considering cloning as a way to combat baldness in men. In it, stem cells are used in growing new hair that, in turn, can be used for hair transplants.  

But if you don’t have the budget for these expensive treatments or don’t want to take risks, you may want to take a page from Bruce Willis’ book. Bald can be sexy, too!