Dealing with hair loss can be a concern for many individuals. So this article will delve into the reasons behind hair loss, the potential benefits of using Minoxidil and the option of hair transplants. And Minoxidil is a drug that belongs to a class of drugs known as vasodilators. So these types of drugs dilate the blood vessels allowing blood to flow more easily. Minoxidil is used as the active ingredient in various hair loss drugs under different brand names including Rogaine. So, if you have been confused about the difference between Rogaine and minoxidil, there is no difference. And Minoxidil is the main ingredient in Rogaine. For more research you can also visit American Academy of Dermatology.
What is Hair Loss?
Hair loss, known as alopecia is a condition that can be triggered by a variety of factors. And it may be linked to genetics, hormonal fluctuations, underlying medical conditions, or even aspects of one’s lifestyle. Because hair loss is a common experience for many individuals and it can take a toll on self-esteem and overall well-being.
What are the Causes of Hair Loss?
It’s normal to lose hair. And We can lose between 50 and 100 hairs a day, often without noticing. Hair loss is not usually anything to be worried about, but occasionally it can be a sign of a medical condition. Because some types of hair loss are permanent like male and female pattern baldness. This type of hair loss usually runs in the family. Other types of hair loss may be temporary. They can be caused by:
- An illness
- Stress
- Cancer treatment
- Weight loss
- Iron deficiency
- Hormonal changes and medical conditions
- Medications and supplements
- Radiation therapy to the head
- Family history
- Stressful event
- Hairstyles and treatments
What are the Signs and Symptoms of Hair Loss?
Hair loss can appear in many different ways, depending on what’s causing. It can come on suddenly or gradually and affect just your scalp or your whole body. Here’s are some signs and symptoms of hair loss may include;
- Gradual thinning on the top of head
- Circular or patchy bald spots
- Widening part
- Receding hairline
- Itching
- Clogged drains
- Pain
- Sudden loosening of hair
- Full body hair loss
- Patches of scaling that spread over the scalp
What are the Risk Factors of Hair Loss?
- A number of factor can increase your risk or hair loss, including:
- A family history of balding on your mother’s or father’s side
- Age
- Significant weight loss
- Certain medical conditions, such as diabetes and lupus
- Psychological stress
- Poor nutrition
What is the Diagnosis and Treatment of Hair Loss?
Before making a diagnosis your doctor will likely give you a physical exam and ask about your diet, your hair care routine, and your medical and family history. And effective treatments for some types of hair loss are available. You might be able to reverse hair loss, or at least slow it. With some conditions such as patchy hair loss hair may regrow without treatments within a year. You might also have tests and treatments as the following:
- Blood test
- Pull test
- Scalp biopsy
- Light microscopy
- Medications
- Minoxidil
- Finasteride
- Other medications
- Hair transplant surgery
- Laser therapy
If a sickness is making your fall out, you’ll need treatment for that sickness. If a medicine is making your hair fall out, your doctor might tell you to stop taking it for a while. There are medications you can take to treat inherited baldness. The usual choices are:
- Minoxidil (Rogaine)
- Finasteride (Propecia)
- Other medications
- Hair transplant surgery
- Laser therapy
What is the Prevention of Hair Loss?
- Most baldness is caused by genetics. This type of hair loss is not preventable. These tips may help you avoid preventable types of hair loss:
- Ask your doctor about medicines and supplements you take that might cause hair loss.
- Protect your hair from sunlight and other sources of ultraviolet light.
- Some studies show an association between smoking and baldness in men.
- If you’re being treated with chemotherapy, ask your doctor about a cooling cap. This cap reduces your risk of it during chemotherapy.
What to Know About Minoxidil a Non-Invasive Solution?
Because Minoxidil is a topical medication frequently employed to address its concerns. It is accessible both over the counter and by prescription. Minoxidil operates by enhancing blood circulation to hair follicles and potentially extending the growth phase of hair. While it doesn’t guarantee results for everyone, it has proven effective for some by slowing it down and encouraging hair regrowth. So specific techniques are used by hair transplant surgeons to enhance hair regrowth after a patient has undergone a hair transplant procedure. As part of the post –surgery recommendation, some of the doctors will recommend that the patient take minoxidil (3% and 5%). This is done to help the hair grafts grow faster. Research has been done to prove this claim. As much as minoxidil helps to speed up hair regrowth, it isn’t necessary. More studies should be done to prove minoxidil effectiveness after hair transplants surgery.
Can Minoxidil Control Expected Hair Loss?
The primary goal of hair transplant is to restore lost hair, not to prevent future hair loss. If you experience it before the age of 35, it’s likely that hair loss may continue even after a hair transplant. To manage ongoing hair loss, oral or topical medications are usually recommended. Minoxidil is often advised to be used continuously to prevent further it, although it doesn’t promote new hair growth. It acts as a preventive measure against post-transplant it, and its effectiveness relies on consistent use. For those seeking a more enduring solution to it, hair transplantation is an alternative. So during this surgical procedure hair follicles are extracted from one part of the body and implanted in areas with thinning or bald spots. This method offers a surgical approach to achieving natural looking results. Because hair transplants are often an ideal choice for individuals with advanced hair loss or those who haven’t responded well to other treatments. There are two main concentrations of the Minoxidil drug. They include 2% and 5%. These two are known to enhance hair regrowth. However, 5% Minoxidil increases hair growth and thickness more than 2% does by 45%. The outcome of using Minoxidil will be seen after 12 months.
What are the Potential Side Effects of Minoxidil?
Being a safe drug once prescribed by a doctor. You should expect several complications at higher concentrations of 5% to 10%. Some of the side effects that most patients should have include:
- Areas that minoxidil medication is applied will have redness and irritation
- Even though the patient wants to treat it in the scalp region hair may also start growing on other sides of the body especially in women
- Headaches
- Unwanted hair growth
- Temporary hair shedding
- Low blood pressure
- Cholesterol
- Potential fetal development impairment
- Allergies like hives, itchiness, inflammation, and rash
- Heart palpitations
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Heart disease
- Skin irritation is more rampant with the solution version of Minoxidil than in the foam version of the drug. The solution version of the drug has more alcohol than the foam version.
Can Birth Control Pills Cause Hair Loss?
Almost all sexually active American women aged 15 to 44 have used birth control at least once. Around 26% of these prefer birth control pills as their method of choice. Similar to those medications, the birth control pill can have side effects. Some women may experience thinning or loss of hair while taking the pill. Hair loss may continue even after they stop taking it. Read on to understand the link between birth control pills and hair loss, and discover what steps you can take if you’re experiencing hair loss.
How Do Birth Control Pills Work?
Birth control pills prevent pregnancy through various methods. Most pills contain synthetic versions of the female hormones estrogen and progesterone. Normally, estrogen prompts the release of a mature egg from the ovaries during a woman’s menstrual cycle, a process called ovulation. Birth control pills halt the increase in estrogen that triggers egg release. They also thicken the mucus around the cervix, making it tougher for sperm to reach the egg. Furthermore, birth control pills alter the lining of the uterus. This change usually prevents a fertilized egg from implanting and growing. Other forms of birth control, such as shots, patches, implants, and vaginal rings, also release hormones into the body to prevent ovulation and pregnancy.
What are the Types of Birth Control Pills?
Birth control pills are available in two forms, based on the hormones they contain. Mini pills only contain progestin, a synthetic version of progesterone. Combination birth control pills contain progestin and synthetic forms of estrogen. Mini pills might not be as effective at preventing pregnancy as combination pills. These pills can also vary in hormone dose. Monophasic birth control has pills with the same hormone dose throughout the cycle. Multiphasic birth control pills with varying hormone levels.
What are the Side Effects of Birth Control Pills?
Birth control pills typically don’t cause issues for most women who use them. However, some women may experience mild side effects aside from hair loss. These side effects can include:
- Breast soreness
- Breast tenderness
- Headaches
- A lower sex drive
- Moodiness
- Nausea
- Spotting between periods
- Irregular periods
- Weight gain
- Weight loss
Serious side effects from birth control pills are rare. They can include high blood pressure and a slightly higher chance of developing breast cancer, cervical cancer, and liver cancer. Another, serious risk is an increase of a blood clot in your head and lung. Smoking increases this risk even more.
How the Pills Cause Hair Loss?
Birth control pills can lead to it in women who are particularly sensitive to the hormones in the pill or have a family history of hormone-related hair loss. Hair typically grows in cycles. The active phase, called anagen, is when hair grows from to its follicle. This phase can last for two to seven years. The transitional phase, known as telogen, is when hair doesn’t grow. Between 25 and 100 hairs are shed daily during this phase, which can last up to 10-100 days. Birth control pills can prematurely shift hair from the growing phase to the resting phase and extend its duration. This type of hair loss is called telogen effluvium, and it can result in significant hair loss. If baldness is hereditary, birth control pills may accelerate the hair loss process. Other hormonal birth control methods can also trigger or worsen hair loss. These methods include:
- Hormone injections, such as Depo-Provera
- Skin patches, such as Xulane
- Progestin implants, such as Nexplanon
- Vaginal rings, such as NuvaRing
What are the Risk Factors for Hair Loss?
Women with a family history of hormone-related hair loss may experience it while taking the pill or shortly after stopping it. Some may notice a small amount of it, while others may experience significant shedding or thinning. Hair loss during pregnancy is also related to hormonal changes, causing hair to remain in the resting phase for longer periods. Switching from one type of pill to another can also lead to it.
What is the Treatment for Hair Loss?
Hair loss caused by birth control pills is typically temporary. It usually stops within a few months once your body adjusts to the pill. Similarly, it should cease after you’ve stopped taking the pill for a while. If hair loss persists and you don’t notice regrowth, consult your doctor about Minoxidil 2%. It’s the only FDA-approved medication for treating it in women. Minoxidil works by accelerating hair follicles into the growth phase. It may take several months of consistent use before results become noticeable.
FAQs:
Is it haram to transplant hair?
Is hair transplant haram or halal? Inquired Islamic Scholar Sheikh Mohammad Bin Al-Uthaymeen. Yes hair transplant is acceptable because it falls under the category of restoring what Allah created or fixing a flaw. It does not fall within the cosmetic operations category or enhance what Allah has created.
Can I pray to Salah after my hair transplant?
Playing salah after hair transplant is a subject that many patients are curious about. You don’t have to worry about that. Because this process is very simple and the healing process is quite fast. Therefore, there is no obstacle for you to pray after the procedure.
Is minoxidil halal or haram?
Some medications are available for it. As far as minoxidil is concerned, people wonder if that is halal or haram because of the presence of alcohol in it. However, that is also halal because it’s being applied topically for medical purposes only.
Can we remove chest hair in Islam?
The Hanafi branch of Islam which includes the Sunni Turks, demands that every part of the body-every part be free from hair.
What body parts are haram to shave?
A woman and men can remove hair on any part of his/her body. The only exception is that women aren’t allowed to shave their head or pluck hair on their eyebrows to shape them.
Who cannot use minoxidil?
Minoxidil should not be used in patients with a known history of hypersensitivity to the drug or its constituents, including propylene glycol. The product intended for use in males is not recommended for use in females.
