Dr. Art Mollen: Seeking a miracle treatment for hair loss in women

• There are hundreds of products designed to prevent or stop women's hair loss and even regrow it
• If it’s a medical condition, it must be treated; if it's a medication, it may be possible to switch
• Shampoos and conditioners cannot replace the benefits of proper diet, exercise and stress management

If there is anything more important to some women than perhaps her hair style, it is when she starts losing it.

In fact, that’s why there are hundreds of products designed to prevent or stop hair loss and even regrow it.

There is a normal cycle of hair growth that lasts between two to six years. There is also a normal cycle of hair loss that last about three months.

Causes

Although there is not one cause of hair loss, it is often a coefficient of your genetics, hormonal changes and aging.

In fact, you may have noticed pregnant women often have fuller hair than normal, which is because of elevated hormone levels.

And if you’re following a fad diet, losing a significant amount of weight quickly, you may lose some hair.

Although, a lot of women may think that their thyroid is underactive, when they start to lose hair, this is seldom the cause.

Hypothyroid conditions have many additional symptoms including dry skin, fatigue weight gain and constipation. Besides thyroid conditions, anemia can cause hair loss as well.

A condition called “alopecia areata” causes patches of baldness and is often linked to your immune system over reacting. This may be caused by anxiety, stress and depression.

And perhaps many women don’t realize that birth control pills, which suppress ovulation, may also cause hair to fall out.

Certain medications including birth control pills, steroids, blood pressure medications, acne medications, antifungals and chemotherapy can also contribute to hair loss.

But perhaps the most common cause besides hormonal changes is stress and trauma.

The magic elixir

So what can you do to prevent it and what is the magic elixir to grow it?

First of all, if it’s a medical condition, it must be treated. However, if it’s a medication, it may be possible to switch to another.

Rogaine is a topical medication to regrow hair and approved for female hair loss.

As far as special laser devices or other machines for hair growth, there are none scientifically supported by the FDA.

At the end of the day, all the shampoos and conditioners cannot replace the benefits of proper diet, exercise and stress management, when it comes to having a fuller head of hair.

Oh one more thing, be sure to pick the right parents.

Dr. Art Mollen is an osteopathic family physician and a health, fitness and preventive medicine expert. Reach him at 480-656-0016 or askdrartmollen@gmail.com. 

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