ROCHESTER, Minn., May 31 (UPI) -- While there is typically no cure for hair loss, there are drug and surgical treatments that may slow thinning hair.
The June issue of Mayo Clinic Health Letter advises the best first step may be to talk with a doctor to determine what's causing the hair loss.
Two U.S. Food and Drug Administration-approved medications are available, but their effectiveness varies with the extent of hair loss and individual response to the medication.
Minoxidil (Rogaine) is available in non-prescription formulas that are applied directly to the scalp. While only 7 percent of men and women experience some hair re-growth, about 75 percent report significant slowing of hair loss, said the Health Letter.
Finasteride (Propecia) is an oral prescription medication approved for men only that acts by interfering with the hormone that normally shrinks hair follicles.
Surgical options include hair transplant, involving multiple surgeries implanting hair into thinning areas; scalp reduction, in which the hairless scalp is reduced; and flap surgery, a procedure that involves folding and securing a section of the scalp with hair over an area of bald skin.
