Hair Loss Treatments For Women – Which Ones Work Best?
Women may experience hair loss due to several factors. This includes physical stress, medications like blood pressure or gout treatments, and hormonal changes during pregnancy or menopause. These factors can lead to temporary hair loss.
Minoxidil (Rogaine) is FDA-approved for thinning hair and is available in liquid, foam, or shampoo form over the counter. It takes months to work and must be used regularly, or results will fade.
Minoxidil
Minoxidil is the only FDA-approved topical treatment for female pattern hair loss. It is available as a 2% solution or 5% foam, increasing blood flow to the scalp and hair follicles, encouraging the follicles into the anagen “growth phase.” It needs to be clarified exactly how it does this, but it is effective for both men and women in reversing early-stage hair loss (Fabbrocini, 2018).
Minoxidil is found at many drug stores under different brands, such as Rogaine and Regaine. It is important to use the formula meant for your gender (men’s and women’s formulas are separate), as the packaging and formulation differ slightly. To use Minoxidil:
- Ensure your scalp is clean and dry.
- Apply it at bedtime using the dropper provided.
- Rub it into your scalp and let it dry before sleeping.
It may take 2-4 months to see results, and stopping use may cause hair density loss.
Other oral prescription medications such as finasteride and spironolactone have been shown to work for some women with a hormonal component to their loss. However, they must be taken regularly and can have serious side effects. Non-pharmacological treatments such as low-level laser therapy, telogen effluvium, and nutritional supplements such as folic acid, omega-3 fatty acids, biotin, and zinc are ineffective for most women. Hair transplant surgery is the most invasive treatment and is usually reserved for those already experiencing advanced female pattern hair loss.
Finasteride
If hair loss has been a concern for you, consider using a medication, such as Bosley, to encourage growth or prevent further loss. People usually start with topical treatments like Minoxidil (Rogaine), but once that does not work, many talks to their doctor about the oral pill finasteride. The FDA approves treating male pattern baldness and benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). Its mechanism of action involves reducing the conversion of testosterone to DHT, which consequently slows down or halts hair loss in men.
This medication helps treat enlarged prostates in men, improving urine flow and reducing nighttime urination. It is often used with Cardura.
Finasteride is also being tested for female pattern baldness. In one study, women taking 2.5 mg daily showed more hair growth than women who did not take the drug. This is much lower than the dosage for male pattern baldness, but the results show promise.
It’s important to note that the research on finasteride for female thinning and hair loss is still early, and more studies are needed. Additionally, this drug is a hormone blocker and should not be given to women of childbearing age. If it’s ingested during pregnancy, it can cause congenital disabilities.
PRP
PRP offers another option for women who cannot take or do not tolerate oral medication or a hair transplant. This new treatment uses a patient’s blood to promote regrowth and slow down future hair loss.
Doctors perform PRP by drawing a small blood sample from the patient, which is then placed in a centrifuge that spins at high speed. This process separates the blood components, including platelets, and concentrates them. The concentrated platelets can then be injected into the injured tissue, such as the scalp, for regenerative purposes.
Studies have shown that PRP works to reactivate miniaturized hair follicles and stimulate growth in areas where hair is thinning or balding. However, it may yield different results in already completely bald areas.
As with Minoxidil, PRP can be used as a stand-alone treatment or with other hair restoration techniques. For instance, Green’s patients use it in combination with an at-home device called LaserCap that uses low-light therapy to stimulate a patient’s hair follicles. He says he has also seen PRP succeed in reviving eyebrows, though more research is needed on this application. Moreover, while it is not a permanent solution, it is a great way to slow down hair loss and improve the appearance of thinning hair. It can also help boost the effects of other treatments, such as micro-needling or a dermaplane.
Other Options
If hair loss does not subside with the help of Minoxidil, or if you are experiencing thinning at an even more dramatic level (or your hair has become tangled and brittle from chemotherapy or other medical treatments), other options may include spironolactone or oral dutasteride. These medications inhibit the production of androgens—the male hormones that accelerate women’s balding—and may be effective for treating female pattern alopecia. Pregnant women should not use them because they could cause genital abnormalities in a male fetus.
Hormone imbalances due to menopause may also speed up hair loss in some women, so estrogen and progesterone pills or creams can be effective. Women with polycystic ovary syndrome often have excess androgens and may benefit from antiandrogen medication such as spironolactone or oral contraceptives, which contain estrogen and progestin.
Various special-formulated shampoos and supplements are available, but the evidence supporting their use for treating hair loss in women is mixed. A dermatologist-recommended formula with proven ingredients is your best bet for the best results.
Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) is a semi-experimental treatment involving drawing blood so the part of the blood that promotes cell growth can be isolated and injected into several areas of your scalp. There is some evidence that PRP works, but it is expensive and requires multiple sessions. It’s best paired with other treatments, like topical Minoxidil or finasteride.
