Hair Loss Blog
Welcome to the myhair blog — your source for everything you want to know about hair. If you're trying to find out more about a new hair loss treatment, interested in learning more about certain hair care products, or just want some hairstyle advice, you've come to the right place. All of our content is created, fact-checked, and reviewed by our expert editorial team and qualified medical professionals.
How long does finasteride take to work?
Finasteride is an oral medication used to treat androgenic alopecia. Most people need to take this drug for at least 3 months before they start seeing results. This delay is due to the time the hair growth cycle takes. If you take finasteride irregularly or in lower doses, it will likely take even longer to see results.
Post-Finasteride Syndrome
Post-finasteride syndrome is a cluster of side effects that affect people taking DHT blocking medications like finasteride and dutasteride. These side effects are quite serious, ranging from mental health problems to erectile dysfunction. Post finasteride syndrome is thought to affect less than one percent of people taking DHT-blocking drugs.
Minoxidil vs. Finasteride
Minoxidil and finasteride are both FDA-approved treatments for hair loss, but they work in completely different ways. Minoxidil increases blood flow to the scalp, while finasteride works as a hormone blocker. The way you take these medications is also different: Minoxidil is a topical solution, while finasteride is a pill you take once a day.
What is DHT and how is it related to hair loss?
Dihydrotestosterone (DHT) is a hormone that’s been associated with the progression of androgenic alopecia. When DHT binds to hair follicles, the hairs produced get thinner and smaller. Eventually, they stop being produced completely. Blocking DHT can help prevent future hair loss and stop the progression of androgenic alopecia.
Signs of balding you should watch out for
Many hair loss disorders have the potential to cause balding. The most common cause, androgenic alopecia, is a condition that causes permanent hair loss over time. If you know this condition runs in your family and you don’t want to lose your hair, you’ll need to start a treatment as soon as you see the first signs of hair loss.
What is minoxidil shedding?
Hair shedding can be a sign of hair loss, but it’s not always cause for concern. Minoxidil shedding is a short-term version of hair fall. This side effect occurs when people first start using this drug. It stops after a month or two of use.
What is a laser cap (and should I buy one)?
Laser caps are a type of low level laser therapy (LLLT) device. Although you might be more familiar with FDA-approved treatments like minoxidil and finasteride, light therapy devices like laser caps can also help counteract hair loss symptoms and regrow hair.
Choosing a hair regrowth treatment
Choosing a hair regrowth treatment can be daunting. The good news is that there are both natural solutions and FDA-approved hair loss treatments available. All of the FDA-approved treatments have undergone extensive testing and completed countless clinical trials.
Why minoxidil is one of the best hair loss treatments
Minoxidil is an FDA-approved treatment for androgenic alopecia. It’s available as a foam or liquid in concentrations of both 2 and 5 percent. Other minoxidil products are also available, but have yet to be FDA-approved. Currently, the 5 percent serum is the most effective product men can use.
All about hair loss
Hair loss has plagued people for millennia. From Ancient Egypt to modern times, it’s been a persistent thorn in our sides, affecting men, women, and sometimes even children. Yet, it’s only been in the last few decades that the reasons behind hair loss have been understood and effective treatments have been discovered.
Our aim is to provide you with accurate, up-to-date information that can help you manage your hair problems and answer all your hair-related questions. We aspire to help you separate fact from fiction so that you can skip the useless snake oil treatments and identify which products really work.
And actually, snake oil really was used as a hair loss remedy back in the day. Ancient Egyptians mixed it with ingredients like donkey hooves, porcupine spines, and hippopotamus fat and let it soak into their scalps for hours. Did this concoction work? Not a chance.
The good news is that there are many different — and most importantly, effective — treatments you can choose from today. So far, the FDA has approved options like minoxidil, finasteride, and low-level laser therapy. A few other treatments, like microneedling and ketoconazole, are also currently being explored by researchers. And as for natural remedies… well, let’s just say some of them work, while most of them don’t.
Hair is complicated. We’re here to simplify it.
