Saturday, October 3, 2009

How To Regrow Hair Naturally

When a person is trying to combat hair loss there are really two different scenarios that need to be considered. These two different situations will require two completely different methods of hair loss treatment and thus we need to answer the question of how to regrow hair differently based on which one we are talking about. The two situations are really hair thinning and baldness. If you are experiencing hair loss that has only resulted in a thinning hair mass on some area of your scalp then you are more than likely going to be able to help regrow your hair naturally. If, on the other hand, you actually have lost all your hair on an area of the scalp then you will most likely not be able to get hair growth again either naturally or with drugs.
If you are interested in how to regrow your hair you really need to understand what exactly is causing the hair loss. The vast majority of men who are suffering from a loss of hair are in that condition because they have a genetic condition known as male pattern baldness. This condition can actually be passed down on either the mother’s or the father’s side contrary to popular beliefs. Male pattern baldness is caused, usually, by a build up of DHT in the blood stream which affects the ability of the hair follicles to grow hair. It appears as though the DHT actually inhibits the flow of blood to the hair roots and thus causes them to whither and eventually stop functioning all together. The problem is you can’t regrow hair follicles once they have ceased to function. That means if you want to continue to grow hair you need to treat this problem before it gets to the stage that the hair follicles are completely not functioning.
Hair regrowth can be possible if you treat the causes early enough because it does seem like this problem caused by DHT can be reversed with the correct drugs or herbs. DHT is actually a byproduct of the metabolism of the male hormone testosterone. Even though it is called the male hormone, this is actually found in both males and females to varying degrees. This is just like the so called female hormone estrogen that is found in both sexes.
Medical studies have found that an excess amount of free DHT actually can have two effects on men. The first is a loss of hair but the second involves the male urinary tract. In fact it can cause an enlarging of the male prostate gland. Actually this is how one of the most effective treatments for male pattern baldness was discovered. A new drug, Finasteride, was being tested to treat enlarged prostate. During the trials on humans it was found that many of the men being treated also saw a marked improvement in their hair loss. Further study indicated that the levels of DHT were responsible for both conditions.
If you are trying to learn how to regrow hair naturally instead of using drugs like Finasteride you will find that there are herbs that appear to have the same effect. In particular, Saw Palmetto extract has been used for centuries as a treatment for male urinary problems and now is being used to treat male hair loss. It appears from recent studies that this extract affects the free DHT in the blood stream which can allow the hair follicles to regain some of their nutrient flow. The Saw Palmetto is one of the best herbs to regrow hair in use today.
Another treatment for hair loss that came from study of another medical condition is the drug Minoxidil. This drug was originally developed to treat high blood pressure. It did this by causing a slight enlargement of the blood vessels. It was thought this would help reduce the pressure of the blood flow through the body. It did that but it also had another consequence. By allowing more blood flow through the tiny vessels it allowed more blood to pass to the hair follicles and thus allowed them to receive the needed oxygen and nutrients. Again in trials it was found that men who were taking the drug not only had a decrease in blood pressure, they also had an increase in hair growth. This hair regrowth was not as marked as that with the Finasteride but it still seemed like about half of the men saw some level of regrowing of their hair.
These two situations show that if you still have some hair growing you can treat it with drugs or herbs. But what if the hair has completely fallen out and the follicles have been stressed so much that they are no longer functioning? In this case you need to look to a hair replacement system instead of regrowing hair. The best method is to have hair implantation surgery which actually takes hair follicles from an area of the head that still has growth and moves them to the bald spot. These hair implants are inserted in the bald area and within a few weeks they have attached to the blood supply and begin to produce new hair shaft material. Within about 6 months you start to see some great hair growth and it will continue on for years to come.
The fact is, answering the question of how to regrow hair really means you need to know at what stage of hair loss you are in and what your options are. The problem of how to regrow lost hair is not really easily answered but the good news is there are options to walking around with no hair on your head.