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.
What is a stem cell hair transplant?
There are two types of stem cell transplants used to treat hair loss: adipose-derived stem cell hair transplants, which use fat cells, and follicle-derived stem cell hair transplants, which use cells that come from hair follicles. Adipose-derived transplants can help people with multiple types of hair loss, while follicular transplants are still fairly experimental.
Can topical finasteride regrow hair?
Finasteride is the only oral medication to be FDA-approved as a treatment for androgenic alopecia. And unfortunately, the systemic side effects it comes with can be difficult to deal with. However, topical finasteride, which is applied directly to the scalp, seems to be just as effective but have far fewer side effects.
Hair cloning (A stem cell treatment for hair loss)
Hair cloning is an experimental treatment for androgenic alopecia. This technique involves the extraction and cloning of hair follicle cells. These follicles are meant to be taken from areas of the head not affected by hair loss, cloned in a lab, and then transplanted onto the person’s scalp.
Does minoxidil affect fertility?
Like any drug, minoxidil can cause side effects. Fortunately, none of them are related to your ability to have children. Unlike finasteride, minoxidil won’t affect your hormones and doesn’t have the ability to affect your fertility.
Finasteride side effects
Finasteride is an FDA-approved treatment for male pattern hair loss. This hormone-blocking drug is effective, but comes with a range of potential short-term and long-term side effects. However, not all versions of finasteride cause th same side effects.
What is minoxidil (and who should use it)?
Minoxidil was the very first treatment to be FDA-approved for androgenic alopecia. It was first approved as a liquid serum, then as a foam. This medication is now available in 2 percent and 5 percent concentrations. The 5 percent products are thought to be most effective for men.
Should I use minoxidil foam?
Although minoxidil was first FDA-approved as a hair loss treatment in the 1980s, minoxidil foam didn’t come into the market until 2006. Since then, the foam version of minoxidil has been shown to be just as effective as the liquid serum, preventing further hair loss and improving hair regrowth.
PRP and hair loss
Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) treatments extract PRP from your blood and inject it back into your scalp. When PRP is administered into areas where you’ve seen hair loss, hair follicles in that region are stimulated and prompted to start producing hair again.
Is it possible to stop hair loss?
Most people experiencing hair loss symptoms are seeing signs of androgenic alopecia, the most common type of hair loss. This condition, often referred to as male pattern baldness, has three FDA-approved treatment options: minoxidil, finasteride, and LLLT. All of the options have been shown to stop hair loss from getting worse and promote hair regrowth.