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| Medical Therapy |
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| It consists of all allopathic medicines comprising of Minoxidil, Finasteride, Dutasteride, Derivatives of Estrogens and Progesterone, Multivitamins, Multiminerals, and local theraphy as per the conditions of scalp. This is an effective mode of treatment but should be prescribed with care as these drugs can cause some side effects depending on the durations and the dosages. These all are the standard drugs approved by FDA and being used world wide for male patterns and female pattern hair loss. There are many more uses of these medicines apart from hair loss treatment like finasteride being used in prostrate diseases in males, Estrogens and Progesterone being used in Oral Contraceptive pills, etc. These medicines are basically grouped as: |
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| Cyproterone Acetate with Ethinyloestradiol |
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| Sold under many different brand names in Indian market this contraceptive tablet is usually prescribed in Europe for women's androgenetic alopecia. The drug works by blocking some of the actions of male hormones commonly present in women. Although it's possible for the drug to stop further hair loss and trigger regrowth of hair within a year, it needs to be used on an ongoing basis to The best results from treatment happen when you begin treatment as soon as possible after the hair loss begins because prolonged androgenetic alopecia may destroy many of the hair follicles. The use of anti-androgens after prolonged hair loss will at least help prevent further hair loss and encourage some hair regrowth from those follicles that have been dormant but are still viable. Stopping treatment might result in recurrence of hair loss if the androgens aren't kept in check in some other way. Maintaining your vitamin and mineral levels helps while you're on anti-androgen medications. |
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| As always, treatments have the best chance of being effective if they are geared to the cause of the hair loss along with the factors triggering hair growth. |
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| Below you will find a list of treatments currently being used to treat hair loss in women. Some of these drugs have not been approved by the FDA for this particular application, however they have all been approved for other applications and are used “off label” to treat hair loss. |
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| The effectiveness of these agents and methods vary from person to person, but many women have found that using these treatments have made a positive difference in their hair and their self-esteem. |
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| Minoxidil Topical Treatment |
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| Women with diffuse androgenetic alopecia can use minoxidil and it actually seems to be more effective for women compared to men. The makers of minoxidil recommend women only use the 2% concentration of minoxidil and not 5%. The makers of minoxidil have not received FDA approval for promoting 5% minoxidil or minoxidil extra strength (10%) for use by women. Many dermatologists do prescribe minoxidil 5% for women with androgenetic alopecia if used under their supervision. Some small clinical trials have been conducted on 5% minoxidil for androgenetic alopecia in women showing that indeed the 5% solution is significantly more effective in both retaining and regrowing hair than the 2% solution. |
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| Androgen Receptor Inhibitors |
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| Aldactone / Spironolactone |
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| Spironolactone is an antiandrogen that works in two ways. Primarily it slows down the production of androgens in the adrenal glands and ovaries. Secondly it blocks the action of androgens in part by preventing DHT from binding to its androgenetic receptor. |
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| Tagamet / Cimetidine |
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| Cimetidine has fairly powerful anti-androgenic effect and has shown to block DHT from binding to the follicular receptor sites preventing hair loss. |
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| Cyproterone Acetate |
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| Cyproterone Acetate is used to reduce excessive sex and pronounced sexual aggression in some males. It is also prescribed to treat severe hirsuitism in woman of childbearing age and also androgenetic alopecia in women. Cyproterone acetate exerts its effects by blocking the binding of DHT (dihydrotestosterone) to its receptors. |
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| Estrogen/Progesterone |
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| Also known as hormone replacement therapy (HRT) and commonly prescribed at menopause, estrogen and progesterone pills and creams are probably the most common systemic form of treatment for androgenetic alopecia for women in menopause or whose estrogen and/or progesterone are lacking for other reasons. |
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| Oral Contraceptives |
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| Since birth control pills decrease the production of ovarian androgens, they can be used to treat women's androgenetic alopecia. |
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| Nizoral/Ketoconazole |
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| It has anti-androgenic effects and can cause a reduction in the production of testosterone and other androgens by the adrenal gland and by the male and female reproductive organs (in women, the ovaries). Because of this action, it can be used to help treat hair loss. Nizoral shampoo contains 2 percent Ketoconazole and is prescribed not only for the treatment of scalp conditions, but also in combination with other treatments for androgenetic alopecia. maintain regrowth and check hair. |
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