Be careful with hair loss and baldness treatment drugs

Drugs to treat hair loss and baldness often cause many side effects, so they require a doctor's prescription and guidance.

When hair loss occurs, it causes anxiety and especially in the case of baldness, it greatly affects aesthetics.

Pathological forms of hair loss

There are different types of pathological hair loss (baldness):

Genetic hair loss: often causes baldness in men, passed down from generation to generation, due to the effect of Androgen on hair follicles, narrowing the size of hair follicles and stopping hair growth.

Alopecia areata: hair loss in patches on the scalp, is an autoimmune disease where the body's immune system attacks hair follicles, stopping hair growth.

Alopecia totalis: hair loss all over the scalp.

Alopecia areata: hair loss all over the body.

There are many causes of hair loss:

Due to endocrine factors: women during pregnancy, breastfeeding, menopause or increased androgen hormones in men.

Due to illness: some illnesses often cause hair loss such as thyroid disease, lupus erythematosus, typhoid...

Due to scalp trauma, scarring.

Due to drugs: cancer treatment drugs, birth control pills, gentamycin antibiotics, high doses of vitamin A...

Due to the habit of pulling hair, brushing hair too hard, washing hair too much.

Due to age: the older you are, the more hair loss.

Hair loss treatment drugs

Hair nutrition medicine group:

Vitamin B5 and vitamin H are two essential vitamins for hair growth, helping hair become shiny, healthy, and preventing hair loss.

These drugs are usually presented in pill or injectable form.

L-cystine: a natural amino acid found in deer antlers, helps stimulate hair follicle growth, strengthens hair roots, and prevents hair loss.

Baldness treatment drugs:

Minoxidil: stimulates hair growth at the top of the head, commonly used in the treatment of male pattern baldness due to genetic hair loss.

Minoxidil was previously a drug used to treat high blood pressure due to its vasodilating properties. Its side effect is causing hirsutism, so it is now used to treat baldness.

Minoxidil is usually presented in tablet form with a concentration of 5 - 10mg or as a topical spray with a concentration of 2 - 5%.

Finasteride: a synthetic 4-azasteroid compound, is a specific inhibitor of steroid type II 5-reductase, an enzyme in cells that converts the androgen hormone testosterone into dihydrotestosterone (DHT), thereby reducing the increase in androgens that cause hair loss.

Finasteride is therefore used in the treatment of male pattern baldness due to hereditary hair loss, and is available in 1mg tablets (in higher doses, finasteride is used in the treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia).

It should be noted that finasteride should not be used in children and pregnant women.

Corticosteroid drugs (hydrocortisone, triamcinolone…): immunosuppressants, prevent the body's immune system from attacking hair follicles.

Therefore, this group of drugs is often used in the treatment of baldness due to alopecia areata.

Corticosteroid drugs are often presented in the form of topical medications (creams, ointments, etc.) or in the form of injections.

In addition to medical treatment, a good diet and avoiding bad habits that affect hair such as tying or tying hair too tightly, twisting or straightening hair too much will bring good results in treating hair loss./.

According to VOV