SAN ANTONIO, Feb. 1 (UPI) -- Hair loss can be devastating but, as with most medical conditions, the key to controlling the hair loss cycle is to seek treatment early, a U.S. expert said.

Dermatologist Dr. Amy J. McMichael of Wake Forest School of Medicine in Winston-Salem, N.C., told the 66th annual meeting of the American Academy of Dermatology in San Antonio that most people tend to ignore the first signs of hair loss or delay treatment, hoping that their hair will regrow on its own.

"Since there are many types and causes of hair loss, it is vital that patients seek a proper evaluation by a dermatologist at the first sign of a problem," McMichael said in a statement.

The most common form of hair loss, androgenetic alopecia, also referred to as male- or female-pattern hair loss, is a hereditary condition treated in men with finasteride, a U.S. Food and Drug Administration-approved medication for treating male-pattern hair loss. Minoxidil, which is applied topically, is the only FDA- approved treatment for female-pattern hair loss, McMichael said.

Another proven technique to restore their hair is hair transplantation and a new light treatment based on the technology of Low Level Laser Therapy, or Laser PhotoTherapy, was approved by the FDA to regrow hair, McMichael said.