What to Know Before Starting Your First Hair Loss Treatment

Most people don't realize that their hair is thinning until they've been experiencing it for months. They'll give a new shampoo, change their diet, perhaps purchase something off the shelf — and when nothing works, they begin to seek out a real treatment. This is the time when things get complicated. There's a lot of information available, and most of it is either too simple or too overwhelming. There are a few things to know before beginning any treatment.

Hair Loss is virtually always multi-factorial

The most common misconception is that there's only one cause of hair loss. For most people, it doesn't for the most part. While genetics may predispose to the condition, hormonal changes, nutritional deficiencies, stress, and scalp health can trigger or exacerbate it. This is important because addressing only one factor can yield only partial solutions.

A man with androgenetic alopecia, for example, may have low ferritin levels and a stressed out scalp. Only treating the hormonal aspect will slow down the loss but not completely solve the problem. Knowing this from the beginning will help you avoid the aggravation of treatments that only partially work.

Why the Type of Hair Loss Changes Everything

Hair loss is not the same for everyone and will not respond to the same treatment. It's important to know where you fit in before getting started:

• Androgenetic alopecia (pattern baldness) is a progressive condition caused by hormones.
• Telogen effluvium is stress or deficiency induced and is usually reversible.
• Alopecia areata is an autoimmune condition and requires a completely different treatment strategy.
• Traction alopecia is caused by mechanical stress to the hair follicles.

If a person has a condition like telogen effluvium, then a DHT-blocking treatment is not beneficial and will increase the cost. It is better to get a rough diagnosis from a general practitioner before embarking on a treatment route.

What Early Treatment Actually Looks Like

Many people think that hair loss treatments are extreme treatments, involving heavy drugs, expensive procedures, or complicated regimens. In fact, early treatment is typically straightforward and targeted.

In most cases of pattern hair loss, the first line of treatment is topical medications that have been proven to work. One of the most researched products currently available, Minoxidil 2% works by increasing blood flow to hair follicles and prolonging the growth phase of the hair cycle. It does not regrow hair in one night, but after several months of use, it can be seen that it has a certain effect in most users.

Nutritional support is also crucial. Hair thinning is often associated with iron, zinc, biotin and vitamin D deficiencies, which can be corrected by dietary changes or supplements, and which can make a huge difference in how your hair responds to treatment.

The Timeline Problem Most People Don’t Account For

Hair grows slowly. The growth rate is approximately one-half inch per month and the time from follicle activity to the appearance of the strand is a time lag. This means that weeks (sometimes months) of treatment is required before any results are seen.

The majority of people give up too soon. They give it a shot for 4-6 weeks and if it doesn't work, they think it doesn't work. However, dormant or miniaturized follicles must be stimulated for a prolonged period to respond. A realistic expectation is that it will take 3-4 months of regular use before determining effectiveness.

This is why it's important to track. Take pictures in the same lighting conditions every couple of weeks. It's hard to see the changes day by day, but side by side comparisons over time show what is really going on.

Why Brands Like Traya fit into this?

Brands such as Traya operate on a root cause approach, which involves both internal health support and external scalp treatment, instead of just treating the symptoms. If you're not sure where to begin, this type of systematic approach can be beneficial as it eliminates the trial and error of creating your own program.

However, the worth of any brand is as much as the consistency you bring to it.

Final Thoughts

Hair loss treatment isn't difficult to begin, but it can be time consuming and costly if you don't know what you're doing. Understand the nature of your hair loss, establish realistic expectations, address any nutritional deficiencies, and select treatments with proven efficacy. The sooner you begin with the proper strategy, the more you will have to work with — follicles that are still active are much easier to work with than those that have been dormant for years.

Note: This article is written by Brand Desk.