All Inclusive Overview of Hair Loss Treatment Solutions
I have very find hair and although I am told by hair stylists that I have a lot of it, it appears very thin on top. I don’t think hair transplant surgery is the right procedure for me. Do you know of any hair loss treatment that will give me more hair to cover the wide part of my scalp showing through the hair? I have tried Rogaine which worked temporarily despite continued use. I spent a lot of money on a hair piece alopecia wig that is not comfortable and I believe looks obvious. It is very difficult to hide the wide part with anything and I do not like the short and spiky hair with bands that are the mainstay of hair pieces. I hope you can help and please be specific if you have any hair loss solutions.
You have mentioned a number of possibilities already however, there are a few more. Sadly, none of them are miracle cures or perfect solutions, but are worth considering.
Non-Surgical Hair Loss Treatments
Propecia for men only (finasteride) and Rogaine (minoxidil) are FDA approved hair growth drugs and when used together, they may boost your chances of hair regrowth.
Ketoconazole hair loss shampoo such as Nizoral and Revita may be helpful adjunct treatments given the “weak” DHT blocking properties of ketoconazole.
Laser hair treatment has been FDA “cleared” however, in my opinion, not enough evidence publicly exists for me to recommend it.
“All-natural” hair loss products are often overhyped in the media but after doing extensive research on many of the big names, there is only anecdotal evidence at best that they can successfully treat baldness. Some of these products will even include minoxidil and call them “FDA Approved”.
Hair Piece / Alopecia Wig
The alopecia wig (hair piece) is an option but often times require a lot of maintenance, a hefty replacement cost, and the worry that it won’t look natural.
Hair Restoration Surgery
Hair transplant surgery can be great for those who are qualified, have realiistic expectations, and have considered the benefits, limitations, and risks associated with surgery. An elite surgeon can transplant hair in and around existing natural hair leaving you with more hair density than you started with. Whether or not you are a candidate should be determined by an elite hair transplant surgeon.
Concealers
You may want to consider concealers such as dermatch, toppik, or nanogen, which are applied topically to mask the appearance of loss and add to the illusion of density.
I hope this helps.
Bill
Associate Publisher
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March 15, 2017 @ 4:58 pm
Mike, All I can tell you is the ligatures stopped the evolution of hair loss in me. After 32 years, I still have most of my hair, and my crown is a thick as when I was an adolescent. The front did not regrow any hair, but I stopped losing it. Also, the dry, orange, crispy hair I had in the front turned back do dark brown and supple.
October 10, 2016 @ 8:53 pm
Peter are you still following? I would’ve couple questions about your procedure. Thanks
May 27, 2016 @ 9:32 am
Lebowski, Minoxidil does not work in the frontal hairline, it only works in the crown. It does not regrow lost hair, it only strengthens weak hairs from male pattern hair loss, giving the appearance of thicker hair. Putting Minoxidil on a bald head is like putting fertilizer on asphalt, expecting grass to grow.
March 28, 2016 @ 9:22 am
Max, before I had the ligatures, I saw a dermatologist at age 23, and he told me I would go bald back to the crown. Now, at age 55, I still have 90 percent of my hair, and my crown is as thick as when I was an adolescent.
March 28, 2016 @ 9:20 am
Max, I have some male pattern baldness history in my family. My father kept almost all his hair, but he died at age 50. He had one brother who kept his hair, and one that went bald. My paternal grandfather went bald with old age, but by his sixties, he still has most of his hair. My maternal grandfather died at 61 with a full head of hair, and my maternal grandmother had several brothers, and most of them kept most of their hair through life. So, it’s a hit and miss in my bloodlines
March 28, 2016 @ 9:16 am
Lebowski, if you are thinning in the crown, you also need the occipital scalp arteries ligated. These arteries are on the back of the head. We have three sets of scalp arteries, temporal, auricular near the ears and occipital on the back of the head. The two sets of arteries that feed the top of the head are the temporal and occipital. I had both these arteries ligated, two each.
February 23, 2016 @ 11:55 am
J Natl Med Assoc. 1977 Oct;69(10):709-11.
New treatment for seborrheic alopecia: the ligature of the arteries of the scalp.
Marechal RE.
Abstract
Bilateral ligature of the superficial temporal arteries and of the posterior auricular arteries is proposed as a treatment for seborrheic alopecia. The arterial circulatory dynamics are, thus, replaced by capillary circulatory dynamics. Hypoxia is produced which inhibits enzymatic systems and lessens nocuous action of androgen and lipid factors on the pilosebaceous effectors. The histologic study shows that the production of sebum is greatly reduced and the condition of the hair follicle is strikingly improved.
February 23, 2016 @ 11:53 am
Minoxidil does not regenerate frontal hairline hair growth, it only works on the crown. I has now been almost 31 years since I had the temporal and occipital artery ligatures, and I still have 85-90 percent of my hair, and I will be 55 years old next month. Ligatures work.
September 5, 2014 @ 7:14 am
Peter, many thanks for getting back to me and researching into it more. Just want to ask one last question if that’s ok.
Do you have a family history of male pattern baldness? Either on your dad/mom’s side. Just want to rule out whether you maybe had another form of hair loss when you were a teen. I think I read another post of yours on a different website where you said that your father had a full head of hair throughout his life. In other words, were you diagnosed with androgenic alopecia and this is why you were a good candidate for the artery ligation?
Very best,
Max
August 27, 2014 @ 9:13 pm
Max, I just learned that those scalp artery ligatures are no longer being done. It appears, since hair transplantation has improved so much since that article was published in 1977, cosmetic surgeons have chosen to opt for transplants instead, since they make so much more money from transplants than ligatures. But, I am still living proof that ligatures work.
August 27, 2014 @ 9:11 pm
I just spoke to Dr. Joseph E. Olinger of Biomedic in Florida, and he informed me that these scalp artery ligatures are no longer being done, because of how well hair transplantation has improved since this article was written in 1977. Also, because cosmetic surgeons make so much more money performing hair transplants than performing ligatures that only take about an hour in a clinic.
August 16, 2014 @ 2:54 pm
Max, It has been 29 years since I had these ligatures, and the surgeon who did me would be in his 80s now. This surgery is a legitimate procedure for the improvement of seborrheic dermatitis, which thinning hair occurs. So, this surgery is legitimate,as it has a CPT Code number, however I do not know of who does this procedure now. I am very happy because at age 53, I still have about 90 percent of my hair, and it is healthier and no longer dry and brittle. I suggest to keep searching for a surgeon who performes superficial scalp arteries, I’m sure someone does this surgery. Ciao
July 22, 2014 @ 3:47 pm
Hi Peter,
I am also very interested in finding out more about the efficacy of the procedure you had done. I’m 27, losing my hair, and the majority of men in my family are bald. It is destroying my life and I’m worried that if I don’t act soon then it will be too late. Would it be possible to ask you a few questions?
max_lemon@outlook.com
Thanks mate,
Max
July 16, 2014 @ 5:54 pm
Hi Peter,
I was intrigued by your posts and did a bit of online research. I found the following publishing that backs up what you have said. Hopefully it will be useful for Lebowski:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2536995/pdf/jnma00008-0023.pdf
I have many questions so would it be possible to email me sometime? It would be much appreciated.
max_lemon@outlook.com
Also could you email me the name of the surgeon and clinic you found in the UK Lebowski? I also live in England so it would be good to know.
Best regards all,
Max
April 15, 2014 @ 4:30 am
Hey peter I am too very interested in the procedure you have had done… I don’t suppose you could email me?
Zakaryteen@hotmail.co.uk
April 9, 2014 @ 6:01 pm
hi mate, nice to hear from you
I’m kind of confused. I was informing myself about minoxidil, because the hair on my temples is receding, and a lot of people claim to start any hair loss treatment as early as possible…although the cause for the hair growth through using minoxidil (or rogaine) seems to be still unknown, they claim on the website that it stimulates blood circulation somehow.. quite a contradiction to this theory about temporal artery ligatures, right? I’ll do the surgery anyway (because I do it for other aesthetic reasons), but I just want to know your thoughts about the situation..it’s just weird when the only known product to prevent hair loss promotes another theory…just wanted to hear your opinion on this, dude
January 2, 2014 @ 11:59 pm
The reason why these ligatures of scalp arteries to stop,or stem the evolution of male pattern baldness are still virtually unknown almost 30 years since I had this procedure is because wig makers and scalp surgeons would lose a lot of patients and money, if a procedure known to stop, or at least slow down the evolution of male pattern baldness was known. This surgical procedure has been around for decades, it is used mostly to help people with migrane headaches, which is precisely how it improves the scalp and helps stem hair loss was discovered. The surgery itself is FDA approved, but not for the control of male pattern baldness. It is, however, FDA approved for the control of seborrheic dermatitis, which is what causes hair loss.
January 2, 2014 @ 11:40 pm
Also, Libowski, how this procedure works is that it lowers the amount of testosterone to the top of the head, by reducing the blood irrigation. Testosterone is the “catalyst” to causing male pattern baldness. When the testosterone reaches the top of the scalp, there’s an enzyme in this area called 5 alpha reductase, and when these two chemicals mix, it caused the sebecus glands to produce too much sebum, causing seborrheic dermatitis. This excess oil literally chokes the hair follicles, causing them to produce thinner, weaker hairs, and each replacement hair grows in weaker and thinner, until the follicle atrophies and dies. Male pattern baldness is a slow process, you just don’t lose strong hairs. Each replacement hair grows in thinner and weaker, until the follicle can no longer produce any hair. The hair actually reverts to fine, fuzzy vellis hair, like on newborn babies. I strongly believe that the ligatures will at least greatly slow down the evolution of male pattern baldness, and depending on how long you’ve had hair loss will determine if any hair might re-grow. I did not re-grow any frontal hair, but my loss went to a snails crawl, and it appears to have stopped years ago. At almost 53 years of age, I still have a very thick head of hair. Good luck!
January 2, 2014 @ 11:33 pm
Lebowski, I was not losing hair in my crown, but the surgeon still ligated both of my occipital scalp arteries, however I do not know how far my hair loss was to evolve. So far, at almost age 53, my hair loss remained in the frontal hairline and some thinning just in the front. How I comb my hair, I can cover my recession very well and the rest of my hair is very thick and full. I really do not know if this procedure actually worked, since I do not know how far I was to bald, however I do still have about 85 percent of my hair. The operation is quite simple and only takes about two hours. I went back to work the very next day. The man who was running the clinic I went to in Chicago, back in 1985, still has Bio Medic now in Florida, and I recently e-mailed him, after more than 28 years. I asked him if hair transplants would still work on me, after having these scalp arteries ligated, and he assured me they will. After all, the rest of my frontal hair is strong and grows just like the hair outside the male pattern areas. I do not have any hair miniaturization going on either, which usually happens with the evolution of male pattern baldness. When I wash my hair, I only see a few hairs in the sink, and they’re long, thick hairs, so they’re hairs just going through the normal fallout cycle and are being replaced with new hairs. As far as your large arteries, I remember the surgeon telling me that I also have large scalp arteries, and he said that the procedure would work even better for me. So, it either did stem my hair loss evolution, or I just wasn’t genetically programmed to suffer extensive male pattern baldness. I cannot afford hair transplants, but if I ever can, I intend to have my frontal hairline rebuilt. I calculate that I only need about 1,000 or so grafs, and I have well more than ample donor hair. So, maybe one day I’ll be able to afford transplants. Don’t be afraid to have these ligatures done, the procedure is simple. These arteries are just under the skin, which is why they’re called “superficial” scalp arteries. While overall scalp circulation is said to be reduced by 20 percent, the capillaries take over the irrigation that these arteries provide. Good luck and Happy New Year!
October 21, 2013 @ 8:05 pm
hey peter
I’m really interested in your comment, because although I’m just 18 and my male patttern hair loss started a little, I have a much greater problem: I habe gigantic arteries on my temples, caused by weightlifting, heat and weightloss…they start bulging when I’m drinking alcohol, doing sports or it’s hot/ warm weather…Now I informed myself a lot about the ligation of these temporal arteries, as they are ruining my life…and Ibfound a surgeon in England who does this procedure, but I’m very concerned that I’m starting to loose hair on my crown, and now you want to tell me that you even got healthier and stronger hair with the ligation of these arteries? please tell me how this exactly works, it would help me a lot!!
January 14, 2013 @ 10:20 pm
I want to make a clarification about this surgical procedure not being FDA approved. It is FDA approved for the control of seborrheic dermatitis, which causes thinning hair in the male pattern regions of the scalp, but this procedure is not FDA approved for the control of male pattern baldness, for obvious reasons, being that this surgery is so successful, it could put wig makers and hair transplant surgeons out of business. But what do I know? I had this procedure done almost 28 years ago, and I have virtually as much hair now at age 52, as I had at age 24. No, this surgery does not “magically” regrow lost hair, but it does stop,or at least, slow down the evolution of male pattern baldness, by lessening the testosterone to the genetically effected follicles that changes to DHT, which causes the sebecious gland produce an over abundance of sebum, which chokes off the hair follicles from producing cosmetically acceptable hairs. This procedure only decreases overall scalp circulation by 20 percent, it’s the blood “irrigation” that is greatly reduced to the male pattern baldness regions of the scalp. My auricular scalp arteries were not ligated, so I have abundant blood still flowing to the sides of my scalp, but the temporal and occipital regions are also still circulating, because capillaries replace the arteries irrigating these regions of the scalp. It’s the amount of testosterone reaching these regions of the scalp that is greatly reduced, which improves scalp health and reduces sebum build up, which causes the follicles to produce healthier hairs. This procedure has never been a male pattern baldness “cure”, but a male pattern baldness “prevention”, for men in the early stages of male pattern baldness. If you are very bald, or nearly very bald, this procedure will not help you, but I am 28 year old living proof that this surgery was successful. When I was 23 years old, a dermatologist told me I was going to go bald back to my crown. Now, nearly three decades later, the top of my head is as thick and dense at age 52, as it was at age 23. Only those who have actually had this surgery should discuss its efficacy.
November 25, 2009 @ 8:46 pm
Twenty four years ago, I flew to Houston, Texas and I had ligatures of my temporal and occipital superficial scalp arteries to slow down, even almost stop my premature male pattern baldness, that had began by the time I was fourteen years old. Now, at the age of almost 49, I still have about 80-85 percent of my hair, and the evolution of MPB has virtually stopped. I was twenty-four when I had this procedure, and I am now more than double that age. Before I learned of this procedure, I was devastated because a dermatologist said that I was going to lose all, or most of my hair, back to my crown. Well, my hair from two inches past the hairline is as thick as it was at twenty-four, and those dry, crispy balding hairs returned to being darker, stronger, and actually shiny terminal hairs. No, I did not magically regrow my widows peak, but I have beat the odds. What having these scalp arteries ligated do is that it lowers the blood irrigation to the scalp by tweny percent, but it also dramatically lowers the amount of testosterone being transported in the blood to the male patten regions of the scalp. The temoral arteries irrigate the temples and frontal hairline, and the occipital arteries supply the crown. This procedure is still being done, but I don’t know by who. The procedure is a legitimate surgery for seborrheic dermatitis control, but the side effect from it is decreased, and even halted pattern baldness. This surgery even has a CPT code, so it is a legitimate surgical procedure, however it is not FDA approved for the control of male pattern baldness. I am living proof that decreased blood irrigation to the scalp does not cause hair losss, to the contrary, it helps you keep more of your hair. The surgery is very simple and is done under local anesthetic, and takes about one hour. The surgeon who performed my scalp ligatures is probably long-retired, if still alive, so I have nobody to refer people to. But, I still do have a pretty good head of hair, and the crown is as thick as it was as when I was an adolescent boy. Only my widow’s peak is a bit weak, but it hardly advanced after having the procedure done, now a quarter-century later. I hope I have helped, maybe this proceure is still being done, but I don’t think it has yet been FDA approved…for obvious reasons, such as putting toupess makers and cosmetic surgeons out of business. Thanks for letting me tell you of this, Pete