

Here's what you might be wondering about: unwanted sexual side effects. Remember that finasteride works by blocking DHT, and DHT is a male sex hormone and is also a form of testosterone – this sex hormone just happens to also be linked to hair loss, unfortunately! In clinical tests, approximately 2% of the people who take finasteride reported unwanted sexual side effects like decreased libido, difficulty getting or maintaining an erection, and trouble ejaculating. Of that 2%, half of them reported that the side effect went away after taking the medication for three months, and everyone reported that the side effects went away as soon as they discontinued the medication. Still, that leaves less than 1% of guys taking finasteride with a chance of developing persistent sexual side effects.

Dr. Shruti is indeed a very dedicated and gifted professional. Her treatment has immensely helped in arresting my hair fall and helping new hair line return to the crowning on my head thereby giving me a new ray of hope. Even when I was restless and erratic in my medicine application she regularly followed up if I was following the prescribed medical advice and her foresight and easy explanations of medical problems and remedies helped a lot. Her understanding of her field is truly commenable....Read Less
Under normal conditions, scalp hairs live for about three years (the anagen, or growing, phase); they then enter the telogen, or resting, phase. During the three-month telogen period, the hair root shrivels up into a small "club," then the hair falls out. It is therefore normal to lose about 100 hairs every day, more of them on days when shampooing loosens the hairs that are ready to fall out. The body then replaces the hairs.

As I mentioned before, the causes of hair fall are innumerable, and so it becomes crucial to get to the root of the problem. The best way to go about dealing with the problem would be to get the correct diagnosis to begin with. This can be made simpler by finding the areas where thinning is most prominent and also monitoring how much hair you are losing whenever you comb or shampoo. Consult a physician to find out whether you have any underlying medical issues causing the hair fall.

In addition to your hairstyle, the processes you use on your hair, whether it’s to add color or texture, can have a detrimental effect. For example, harsh chemicals for bleaching and straightening, along with excess heat, can damage and even kill hair follicles, Burg points out. Additionally, excessive chemical treatments applied directly on the scalp can cause inflammation. “Inflammation can damage the follicle, which in turn to can lead to hair loss,” says Maria Halasz, CEO of évolis Professional. To prevent over-processing, she recommends limiting chemical treatments on the scalp to every four to six weeks. Check out these tips for people who use heat on their hair every day.


Losing your hair can be distressing, but if it is caused by thyroid disease it is most likely reversible. In the meantime, try to stave off further hair loss by treating your hair gently. Avoid brushing it excessively, using harsh coloring products, and hairstyles that pull on the hair (such as a tight bun). If you feel self-conscious about having thin hair or bald patches, consider wearing a scarf or wig while your hair grows back.

Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE). In this method, instead of taking out a whole sample strip, small, individual follicle grafts are cut using a machine and then transplanted. The process is more tedious and more time-consuming, but has been known to have a higher recovery rate and there are no risks of scarring because no cuts and stitches are required.
Taking hair supplements can be helpful for anyone who is experiencing hair loss or hair thinning. Dendy Engelman, MD, a board-certified dermatologic surgeon at Medical Dermatology & Cosmetic Surgery in New York City, previously recommended Nutrafol, a research-backed hair supplement, to Prevention. "This uses highly concentrated botanicals to address every stage of the growth cycle," she says. Nutrafol's hair supplements include vitamin E and ashwagandha (an adaptogen that helps balance cortisol levels in the body), among others.
The main causes of dry hair will be the deficient of moisture and some certain important oils that are required to keep your hair shining and healthy. The excessive exposure to the wind, sun, dry air can also make the condition worse. Moreover, a study published in 2011 has shown that using heating appliances or the hair dyeing abuse can destroy your hair and make it drier and more brittle [3].
Coconut milk / coconut oil. Coconut milk/oil, like aloe vera, is one of the oldest and most common natural ingredients for promoting hair growth and growing healthy, shiny hair. Coconut is rich in protein, iron and other minerals that promote healthy hair and prevent breakage. Apply the coconut milk/oil on your bald spots or all over the scalp, and leave it on overnight. Rinse the next day with cool water. You can do this every time you wash your hair.
Also, contrary to people's belief that 100 brush strokes a day can make your hair shiny and long, too much and too frequent brushing and combing can actually exert unnecessary pressure on the follicles, causing it to loosen its grip on the hair shaft, eventually resulting into hair fall. While regular combing is needed in order to encourage blood flow into the follicles, do so only when you need to style your hair, like in the morning. Use a wide-tooth comb as it allows for less tugging and pulling when you brush, especially when dealing with tangles. If tangles become unmanageable, use a moisturizing shampoo to loosen them.
Hair loss is not a hopeless condition. While there are certainly cases of permanent hair loss in men, there are still cases when it's only temporary and therefore can be treated, controlled and prevented. There are treatments and cures available, and many of these, especially those for temporary cases, can be as simple as lifestyle changes -- eating the right foods, learning to manage stress properly, and doing away with unhealthy, nasty habits that can aggravate the condition.
Minoxidil (Rogaine). Minoxidil is one of the most common and popular forms of medication for hair loss, particularly pattern baldness, but also generally used in cases of alopecia areata. It is an over-the-counter drug that comes in either liquid or foam form and is applied on the scalp, particularly on the bald patches, to promote hair growth and stop further hair loss.
Laser treatments. Low-level laser therapy (LLLT) is used for the prevention and reversal of hair loss. Also known as red light therapy, cold laser, and soft laser, it is a form of light/heat treatment (therefore generally safer) that is used on cases of pattern baldness and alopecia areata. The procedure uses a device that emits light that penetrates into the scalp. The more commonly used lasers are the excimer, helium-neon and fractional erbium-glass. The procedure can increase the blood flow in the scalp to stimulate the follicles that are in resting or dormant phase to go into anagen, and at the same time, prevent the production of DHT, which destroys the hair follicles.
Male pattern baldness involves a receding hairline and thinning around the crown with eventual bald spots. Ultimately, you may have only a horseshoe ring of hair around the sides. In addition to genes, male pattern baldness seems to require the presence of the male hormone testosterone. Men who do not produce testosterone (because of genetic abnormalities or castration) do not develop this pattern baldness.
Surgery: Men tend to be better candidates for surgical hair-replacement techniques because their hair loss is often limited to one or two areas of the scalp. Procedures include grafting, which transplants from one to 15 hairs per disc-shaped graft to other locations. Scalp reduction removes bald skin from the scalp so hair-covered scalp can be stretched to fill in the bald areas. Side effects include swelling, bruising and headaches.


Dandruff is definitely the most embarrassing one among all the common hair problems, especially with those having the dark- colored hair. Little dandruff that clings to hair roots really destroys one’s appearance and confidence. This hair problem is often resulted from an infection, a poor diet, Seborrheic dermatitis, Yeast, Certain skin conditions or maybe a sluggish metabolism [5].
Beyond that, things get more controversial, with some doctors saying there's inadequate evidence for other treatments. Saxena thinks there is enough scientific evidence to support some of the alternatives and recommends them to patients. But they are not for women on tight budgets. There's Nutrafol, a "nutraceutical" that costs about $80 a month. Women can also get injections in the scalp of platelet-rich plasma made from their own blood. The first four treatments cost about $2,000 at Saxena's practice in Fort Washington or Lansdale. Maintenance injections, done every three to six months, cost $515 each. Women can also buy Theradome, a light-emitting helmet, for $895 online.  Saxena, who has hair loss herself, said she has had the injections and currently uses minoxidil, spironolactone, and Nutrafol.
My name is Marsha… I have hypothyroidism… Type 2 diabetic. I’m currently taking Levothyroxine and Metformin… I am so depressed. My hair is brittle everytime I brush or comb it comes out in clumps. It’s very thin it literally feels like a Brillo pad no matter how much I moisturize it comes falling out I can just brush my hand across it and the hair just falls out like snow. I just went to the doctor last week and he says everything is normal and He suggests that I see a dermatologist is the dermatologist the person I should see? Or should I see an endocrinologist. I’m at my wit’s end I’m tired of searching for the right wig to wear nothing is more appealing than my own hair and a long to get it back. But I need to find the right doctor that can perform the right test. My doctor doesn’t seem to be helping me I don’t even know where to start. I don’t go out anymore… I’m just home hibernating period. A woman’s hair has a lot to do with the self esteem in mind is very low at this time. My whole wardrobe consist of every color scarf and hat you can imagine… Where should I start what doctor should I see first?
Laser treatments are the latest frontier in staving off hair loss, and they’ll be the first choice for fans of sci-fi. As silly as they may sound, these treatments do work — the American Journal of Clinical Dermatology in 2014 reported a “statistically significant difference” in hair density with no “serious adverse events” or side effects.The bad news: Laser treatments tend to be expensive, progress is slow, and they don’t always produce stellar results.
2. High-tech regrowth therapies. Laser treatments ($200 and up) expose hair to low levels of laser light, which boosts hair growth by increasing the amount of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) in hair follicles. ATP provides energy to hair-follicle cells, so the more of it that’s around, the more energy hair follicles can use to grow your hair. Sadick says three months of weekly sessions are best when you’re kick-starting a hair-loss treatment.
Involutional alopecia. This one is less of a medical condition (it's not caused by a disease or genetics) and is more concerned with the hair growth cycle. Also called telogen effluvium, this condition is marked by a long dormant phase of telogen than growth or anagen. This type of hair loss is the second most common next to pattern baldness but is also the most unpredictable and difficult to pinpoint its cause. Studies have shown that the dormancy phase in the hair growth cycle is related to a range of factors, including hormonal imbalances, pregnancy in women, stress, diet, etc.
Hair thinning and hair loss are often wrongly thought to only affect men, but in reality both sexes can suffer from the condition. It’s perfectly normal to lose 50-100 strands of hair per day, even 250 on a day when you wash your hair. For some people though, thinning hair can be a real problem. It can happen very gradually or suddenly and it can be a result of a range of conditions, such as stress, genetics, medical treatment or childbirth.



As a senior writer for Live Science, Laura Geggel covers general science, including the environment and amazing animals. She has written for The New York Times, Scholastic, Popular Science and Spectrum, a site covering autism research. Laura grew up in Seattle and studied English literature and psychology at Washington University in St. Louis before completing her graduate degree in science writing at NYU. When not writing, you'll find Laura playing Ultimate Frisbee. Follow Laura on Google+.  

If you’ve never heard of biotin supplements before, don’t worry. You probably already know biotin as vitamin B7. No matter what you call it, this vital hair component should rapidly become one of your best friends on the road to faster hair growth. Biotin has its little hands in virtually every system related to hair growth, including energy production, red blood cell creation and keratin synthesis.