Treatment of alopecia

Medications

There are several medications that are commonly used to treat alopecia and some of the most common are:

Minoxidil (Rogaine®, Regaine®)
This is one of the most famous medications used to treat alopecia. It is over-the-counter medication which is approved for the treatment of androgenetic alopecia and alopecia areata. Patients should know that a new hair resulting from minoxidil use may be thinner and shorter than the previous hair.

Finasteride (Propecia®, Proscar®)
Unlike the previous medication, this medication is normally used in a form of a pill. The important thing about this medication is that for positive results patients may wait several months. It works by inhibiting the conversion of testosterone into dihydrotestosterone, a hormone that shrinks hair follicles and is an important factor in male hair loss. Finasteride is not approved for use by women. It is important thing that pregnant women must never use it because Finasteride tablets because absorption of the drug may cause serious birth defects in male fetuses.

Corticosteroids
Several researches done in the past have proven that injections of cortisone into the scalp can help alopecia areata treatment. 

Anthralin (Drithocreme®, Micanol®)
Anthralin is a synthetic, tarry substance that should be applied to the scalp and washed off daily.

Hair replacement surgery

There are a number of hair replacement techniques that are available but the problem is that none of them can help those who suffer from total baldness. The candidates for hair replacement must have a healthy growth of the hair at the back and the sides of the head. During the transplantation a cosmetic surgeon takes tiny plugs of the skin, each containing one to several hairs, from the back or side of the scalp.

There are four different basic types of hair replacement methods, including the following:

Hair transplantation
During the hair transplantation, the surgeon removes small pieces of hair-bearing scalp grafts from the back or sides of the head. These grafts are then relocated to a bald or thinning area.

Tissue expansion
In this procedure, a tissue expander is placed underneath the hair-bearing area that is located next to the bald area. After some time, the tissue expander causes the skin to grow new skin cells. Another operation is then required to place the newly expanded skin over the adjacent bald spot.

Flap surgery
This is a very effective procedure. During this procedure a portion of the bald area is removed and a flap of the hair-bearing skin is placed on to the bald area while still attached at one end to its original blood supply

Scalp reduction
Scalp reduction is done in order to cover the bald areas at the top and back of the head. This technique involves the removal of the bald scalp with sections of the hair- connecting scalp pulled together and filling in the bald area.

Wigs and hairpieces

There are several options which stand as an alternative to medical treatment for baldness. They may also be helpful for people who didn’t respond to treatment. These patients may want to consider wearing a wig or a hairpiece. They can be used to cover either permanent or temporary hair loss. Nowadays there are quality, natural-looking wigs and hairpieces available.

Possible operation complications

There are several possible complications that could occur after the hair transplantation although they are very rare. Possible complications associated with the hair transplantation procedures may include, but are not limited to, the following:

Patchy hair growth
Sometimes though not very often, the growth of new hair has a patchy look, especially if it is placed next to a thinning area. It can look really embarrassing but it may be repaired with another operation.

Bleeding and wide scars
Although, this isn't a very common complication and it shouldn’t happen at all, the tension on the scalp resulting from the scalp reduction techniques can result in wide scars and bleeding.

Grafts not accepting
Occasionally, there is a chance that the graft may not be accepted by the body. If this is the case, the surgery must be repeated.

Infection
As with any surgical procedure, there is a risk of infection.