Treatments for Temporal Hair Loss

A receding hairline is a common problem for men, but this can be prevented or treated. A receding hairline or hair loss at the temples is the forerunner of androgenetic alopecia, the most common form of hair loss experienced by men.

With male pattern baldness, temporal hair loss occurs before losing hair at the crown or vertex of the scalp. The receding hairline and balding crown gradually extend and meet, creating a larger balding scalp area.

Triggers and Treatments of Temporal Hair Loss

Temporal hair loss may occur due to genetic factors. When the hormone testosterone combines with the enzyme 5-alpha reductase, the hormone dihydrotestosterone (DHT) is produced. This attacks and gradually shrinks the hair follicles, which eventually makes hair fall out excessively. In a small percentage of people, temporal hair loss can also be due to health problems.

A physician should be consulted to discuss the various treatment options for temporal hair loss. He may refer the patient to a hair loss specialist, or conduct some lab tests to ensure that the hair loss is not due to some medical condition.

Medicines may also be prescribed to reverse the condition. Over-the-counter treatment with a topical lotion may be prescribed at first. More aggressive treatments may be advised if these do not work.

Temporal Hair Loss Treatments

There are some FDA-approved and medically established treatment options for temporal hair loss. These are as follows:

• Hair Transplants

• Finasteride

• Minoxidil

• Flap Surgery

A hair transplant is the most instant solution to temporal hair loss and a receding hairline. It is a surgical procedure and the doctor has to first determine the number of grafts required and discuss the cost with the patient.

The doctor normally uses 1-hair follicular unit grafts to create a natural temporal hairline. These are surgically implanted in an irregular zigzag pattern. Donor strips of hair are uprooted and transferred to the bald areas by the doctor. Hair which is grafted is not susceptible to DHT-induced hair loss, so it has a high rate of survival.

Another form of temporal hair loss treatment is through taking finasteride. This is a synthetic antiandrogen. Studies on patients of baldness who took 1mg of this tablet daily showed the growth of new scalp hair after continuing the treatment for some time. However, hair loss can reoccur if the medication is stopped. There are also side effects to this oral medication.

On the other hand, the drug minoxidil is a hair lotion which is known to promote hair growth. It should be used twice a day for effective hair growth. It is an FDA-approved anti-balding topical treatment and is considered safe to use by women as well.

However, like finasteride, hair loss occurs again if the application is discontinued. Temporal hair loss can be treated effectively with a combination of both the tablet and the lotion.

Flap surgery is another form of temporal hair loss treatment, though it is the least desirable. In this method, a strip of scalp which is balding is removed and the hair-growing area adjacent to it is moved upwards, in place of the bald strip. This method looks quite unnatural and has many drawbacks.

Hair implants, though expensive at first, have proved to be an effective and permanent temporal hair loss treatment and this method of treatment is gaining popularity.

Raising Hair Loss Concerns to a Medical Expert

Our stance towards our hair is personal and crucial. Some people see their hair as their crowning glory and so it is a source of personal confidence. It is a personal disaster of the first magnitude for these individuals to start losing their hair.

It is a disaster and their worst nightmare. Most individuals like their hair and want to retain it and then there are those who shave it off although they do not have to.

All in all, this means that most people worry about their hair to some extent or another. Some individuals worry needlessly though. It is fairly normal to lose about 100 hairs a day from your head. This is not just standard, it is necessary to having a full head of healthy hair.

If you would like to check your rate of hair loss, comb or brush your hair as usual and count the fallout. Take note however, that you will lose more after washing your hair, so rest with dry hair.

Some health care experts say that the rate of hair loss is not a function of age, but rather many factors including health, nutrition, diet, exercise. They say that age, race, and sex are less important than we used to think.

If this is true, then it is worth doing a hair count from time to time and seeking medical advice if the count rises over 100 a day. In fact, the rapid onset of significant hair loss could be a sign of impending health worries.

One thing that you have to take into account is heredity. Take a look at your grandparents, particularly your grandmother’s line. Do not forget that the egg that you came from was made in your maternal grandmother’s womb because baby girls are born with all the eggs that they will ever have.

This means that you were inside your maternal grandmother and were subject to all the health concerns that she underwent. The paternal grandfather does not play such a big function, but your father and his father do.

It is not guaranteed that you will follow them because your diet can be different, but it will give you a clue of what your future head of hair may look like.

As you can imagine, terminal illness is very hard on the body’s resources and the treatments can be just as severe in the short term, so do not become surprised if your body diverts resources away from your hair under these circumstances.

However, it may do so during less chronic bouts of illness, so remember to keep your strength up and consult your medical doctor about, perhaps, taking supplemental vitamins.

If you decide that you should go to the doctor, because you are worried about your rate of hair loss, make sure you tell him everything. Not only what you think is relevant, but about all your bad habits too like whether you drink to excess, whether you burn the candle at both ends, and whether you take recreational drugs. Such information is crucial in determining the hair loss condition you have.