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.
Hair loss treatment alternatives to finasteride
Finasteride is an FDA-approved drug that’s effective at combating androgenic alopecia. Unfortunately, it also has various unpleasant side effects. If you’d rather use a different treatment, minoxidil and LLLT are also FDA-approved options. You can also use shampoos and supplements infused with DHT-blocking nutraceuticals.
Does minoxidil work for a receding hairline?
Minoxidil is an FDA-recommended hair loss treatment. This topical solution is not meant to be used for frontal baldness and should be applied to the crown of the head. However, recent studies have shown that both the oral and topical versions of this drug can counteract hair loss and regrow hair.
Can I get rid of my hair transplant scar?
FUT is a hair transplantation procedure well known for causing scarring. Unfortunately, the alternative, FUE, can also cause scarring and pigmentation issues. Scalp micropigmentation, scar revision, laser scar repair, and further surgeries are all options for people interested in scar management.
The future of hair loss treatments
There are currently only three hair loss treatments available for the treatment of androgenic alopecia: minoxidil, finasteride, and low level laser therapy. But in the future, you’ll likely have a lot more options, including powerful nutraceuticals, stem cell therapies, and even CRISPR.
Using a laser comb for hair growth
There are a ton of laser therapy tools you can use for hair loss, including brushes, headbands, and helmets. But laser combs were the very first to be cleared by the FDA. These LLLT devices seem to be about as effective as finasteride in promoting hair regrowth.
Finasteride vs. dutasteride
Finasteride, also known Propecia®, and dutasteride, commonly called Avodart™, are both androgenic alopecia treatments. These pills are also both dihydrotestosterone blockers. However, this is where most of their similarities end. Dutasteride is much stronger than finasteride, and only finasteride is FDA-approved as a hair loss treatment in the USA.
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.
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.
