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About half of all girls discover their hair thinning by age 50. Though some web sites promote estrogen as a method to stop hair loss, the hormone’s results on hair development should not well-known, and long-term
hormone remedy is linked to severe well being dangers, “so except you should take it for different causes, it’s not one thing I might advocate,” mentioned Dr. Paradi Mirmirani, the regional director
for hair problems at Kaiser Permanente-Northern California.
The “gold customary” medical therapy for hair thinning is a drug utilized to the scalp referred to as minoxidil, extensively recognized by the model identify Rogaine. The Meals and Drug Administration has authorised minoxidil
for girls in addition to males, and also you don’t want a physician’s prescription to purchase it.
The instructions say sufferers will see an enchancment in hair development in six weeks, however Dr. Mirmirani urged attempting it for six months earlier than deciding whether or not it really works or not. A couple of third of sufferers who use
it see vital enhancements, one other third discover it prevents hair loss from getting worse, and the rest don’t see any impact, she mentioned.
“It’s like fertilizer for the hair — it’s not going to provide you new blooms the place you don’t have any, however it may well doubtlessly enhance the scale of the blooms, and make them final
a bit of longer,” she mentioned. Some girls expertise unwelcome unwanted side effects reminiscent of elevated facial hair.
Different approaches to hair thinning embody utilizing beauty “camouflage” sprays and powders that cowl the scalp with a coloration shut to 1’s
personal hair coloration, which reduces the distinction between hair and scalp and makes the hair loss much less noticeable. Surgical hair transplants are an possibility, however you could have sufficient “donor” hair to spare
behind your scalp. A brand new therapy authorised by the F.D.A. makes use of low-level laser lights on the scalp however the profit is “modest,” Dr. Mirmirani mentioned.
A sudden, dramatic lack of hair will be triggered by main surgical procedure or sure medical situations, together with thyroid issues or iron-deficiency anemia. Crash diets and a few prescribed drugs, together with antidepressants,
blood thinners, antibiotics and contraception tablets, amongst others, also can trigger plenty of shedding.
