Finding an effective hair loss product sometimes seems like the search for the Holy Grail.
There are dozens of different baldness treatments on the market.
Americans spend about a billion dollars per year on them.
But, that doesn't mean they are satisfied with the results.
There may be some placebo effect.
In other words, you might think that a treatment is helping, when actually it is not.
Many experts believe that most hair loss "cures" are ineffective aside from the placebo effect.
The power of the mind is an important thing to consider.
If you feel that a treatment is not making a difference and stop using it, when it was actually working.
So, many dermatologists recommend that you take a photo or have someone else do it.
Then you should be able to "see" the difference.
There are only two treatments that are approved for use by the US FDA for the treatment of male pattern baldness.
Only one is approved for use in female alopecia.
Here's a look at those two.
Minoxidil is a topically applied hair loss product approved for use in both men and women.
It was originally marketed under the brand name "Rogaine", but since the pharmaceutical company's patent expired, it has been used as an ingredient by dozens of different manufacturers.
Sometimes, it is a single treatment approach.
Other times, it is combined with the use of dietary supplements.
The solution is applied twice a day to a dry scalp.
It should not be rinsed out.
Some people feel that it makes styling a little difficult, but once you get the hang of it, it's pretty easy and at least you have something to style.
Minoxidil is effective in about 50% of users, according to a 48 week study.
The other hair loss product approved for use by the FDA is a drug called finasteride.
It is sold under the brand names Propecia and Proscar.
It works by binding to 5-alpha reductase, the enzyme that converts free testosterone in the bloodstream to dihydrotestosterone.
Dihydrotestosterone or DHT has been shown to shrink the hair-producing follicles in susceptible individuals.
Only some of the follicles are sensitive, such as those on the top of the head or scalp.
Transplants are effective for most people, because the follicles below the level of the ear are naturally resistant to DHT.
When those follicles are transplanted on the top of the head, they produce hairs as they normally would.
The finasteride hair loss product is ineffective for women and should not be used by women of child-bearing age, because of the increased risk of birth defects.
The side effects that may occur in men include erectile dysfunction, which can continue even after the drug is discontinued.
There is no way to determine which men will develop ED or other adverse reaction.
It could happen to anyone.
An alternative to finasteride is a saw palmetto hair loss product.
It seems to have the same positive effects as finasteride, but none of the negative ones.
You might want to learn more about it.