Hypothyroidism Part 2

Since hypothyroidism is caused by too little thyroid hormone secreted by the thyroid, the diagnosis of hypothyroidism is based almost exclusively upon measuring the amount of thyroid hormone in the blood.  There are normal ranges for all thyroid hormones which have been calculated by computers which measured these hormones in tens of thousands of people. If your thyroid hormone levels fall below the normal range, that is consistent with hypothyroidism  These tests are very accurate and reliable and are so routine that they are available to everybody. More about these tests on another page.However, its not always so simple...keep reading.

REMEMBER

hypo = too little
thyroidism = disease of the thyroid
Thus, hypo-thyroidism = a disease of too little thyroid activity.

The idea is to measure blood levels of T4 and TSH.  In the typical person with an under-active thyroid gland, the blood level of T4 (the main thyroid hormone) will be low, while the TSH level will be high. This means that the thyroid is not making enough hormone and the pituitary recognizes it and is responding appropriately by making more Thyroid Stimulating Hormone (TSH) in an attempt to force more hormone production out of the thyroid.  In the more rare case of hypothyroidism due to pituitary failure, the thyroid hormone T4 will be low, but the TSH level will also be low. The thyroid is behaving "appropriately" under these conditions because it can only make hormone in response to TSH signals from the pituitary.  Since the pituitary is not making enough TSH, then the thyroid will never make enough T4. The real question in this situation is what is wrong with the pituitary?  But in the typical and most common form of hypothyroidism, the main thyroid hormone T4 is low, and the TSH level is high. 

The next question is: When is low too low, and when is high too high?  Blood levels have "normal" ranges, but other factors need to be taken into account as well, such as the presence or absence of symptoms.  You should discuss your levels with your doctor so you can interpret how they are helping (or not?) fix your problems.

Oh, if only it were this simple all the time!   Although the majority of individuals with hypothyroidism will be easy to diagnose with these simple blood tests, many millions will have this disease in mild to moderate forms which are more difficult to diagnose.  The solution for these people is more complex and this is due to several factors.  First we must realize that not all patients with hypothyroidism are the same.  There are many degrees of this disease from very severe to very mild.  Additionally, and very importantly, we cannot always predict just how bad (or good) an individual patient will feel just by examining his/her thyroid hormone levels.  In other words, some patients with very "mild" deviations in their thyroid laboratory test results will feel just fine while others will be quite symptomatic.  The degree of thyroid hormone abnormalities often, but NOT ALWAYS will correlate with the degree of symptoms. It is important for both you and your physician to keep this in mind since the goal is not necessarily to make the lab tests go into the normal range, but to make you feel better as well!  We must also keep in mind that even the "normal" thyroid hormone levels in the blood have a fairly large range, so even if a patient is in the "normal" range, it may not be the normal level for them.

For the majority of patients with hypothyroidism, taking some form of thyroid hormone replacement (synthetic or natural, pill or liquid, etc) will make the "thyroid function tests" return to the normal range, AND, this is accompanied by a general improvement in symptoms making the patient feel better.  This does not happen to all individuals, however, and for these patients it is very important to find an endocrinologist who will listen and be sympathetic.  (We aim to help you find this type of doctor.)  Because most patients will be improved (or made completely better) when sufficient thyroid hormone is provided on a daily basis to make the hormone levels in the blood come into the normal range, physicians will often will rely on test results to determine when a patient is on the appropriate dose and therefore doing well.  Remember, these tests have a wide normal range.  Find a doctor who helps make you FEEL better, not just make your labs better because once given this diagnosis, you are likely to carry it for a long, long time.  There is more than one drug, there is more than one lab test, and there is a "just right" doctor for everybody.

Treatment of Hypothyroidism

Hypothyroidism is usually quite easy to treat (for most people)!  The easiest and most effective treatment is simply taking a thyroid hormone pill (Levothyroxine) once a day, preferably in the morning. This medication is a pure synthetic form of T4 which is made in a laboratory to be an exact replacement for the T4 that the human thyroid gland normally secretes. It comes in multiple strengths, which means that an appropriate dosage can almost always be found for each patient. The dosage should be re-evaluated and possibly adjusted monthly until the proper level is established. The dose should then be re-evaluated at least annually. If you are on this medication, make sure your physician knows it so he/she can check the levels at least yearly.  Note:  Just like we discussed above, however, this simple approach does not hold true for everybody. Occasionally the correct dosage is a bit difficult to pin-point and therefore you may need an exam and blood tests more frequently.  Also, some patients just don't do well on some thyroid medications and will be quite happy on another.  For these reasons you should not be shy in discussing with your doctor your blood hormone tests, symptoms, how you feel, and the type of medicine you are taking.  The goal is to make you feel better, make your body last longer, slow the risk of heart disease and osteoporosis...in addition to making your blood levels normal!  Sometimes that's easy, when its not, you need a physician who is willing to spend the time with you that you deserve while you explore different dosages other types of medications (or alternative diagnoses).


Some patients will notice a slight reduction in symptoms within 1 to 2 weeks, but the full metabolic response to thyroid hormone therapy is often delayed for a month or two before the patient feels completely normal. It is important that the correct amount of thyroid hormone is used. Not enough and the patient may have continued fatigue or some of the other symptoms of hypothyroidism. Too high a dose could cause symptoms of nervousness, palpitations or insomnia typical of hyperthyroidism. Some recent studies have suggested that too much thyroid hormone may cause increased calcium loss from bone increasing the patient's risk for osteoporosis.  For patients with heart conditions or diseases, an optimal thyroid dose is particularly important. Even a slight excess may increase the patient's risk for heart attack or worsen angina. Some physicians feel that more frequent dose checks and blood hormone levels are appropriate in these patients.


After about one month of treatment, hormone levels are measured in the blood to establish whether the dose of thyroid hormone which the patient is taking is appropriate. We don't want too much given or subtle symptoms ofhyperthyroidism could ensue, and too little would not alleviate the symptoms completely. Often blood samples are also checked to see if there are antibodies against the thyroid, a sign of autoimmune thyroiditis. Remember, this is the most common cause of hypothyroidism. Once treatment for hypothyroidism has been started, it typically will continue for the patient's life. Therefore, it is of great importance that the diagnosis be firmly established and you have a good relationship with a physician you like and trust.

Synthetic T4 can be safely taken with most other medications.  Patients taking cholestyramine (a compound used to lower blood cholesterol) or certain medications for seizures should check with their physician about potential interactions. Women taking T4 who become pregnant should feel confident that the medication is exactly what their own thyroid gland would otherwise make. However, they should check with their physician since the T4 dose may have to be adjusted during pregnancy (usually more hormone is needed to meet the increased demands of the mother's new increased metabolism). There are other potential problems with other drugs including iron-containing vitamins. Once again, pregnant women (and all women and men for that matter) taking iron supplements should discuss this with your physician. There are three brand name Levothyroxine tablets now available. You may want to consult with your physician or pharmacist on the most cost effective brand since recent studies suggest that none is better than the other.

Resources:

http://www.endocrineweb.com/conditions/thyroid/hypothyroidism-too-little-thyroid-hormone-0

Causes and symptoms of thyroid

Sakuzn our conversation in this article about the causes and symptoms of thyroid،Hypothyroidism is a condition in which the body lacks sufficient thyroid hormone. Since the main purpose of thyroid hormone is to "run the body's metabolism," it is understandable that people with this condition will have symptoms associated with a slow metabolism. The estimates vary, but approximately 10 million Americans have this common medical condition. In fact, as many as 10% of women may have some degree of thyroid hormone deficiency.   Hypothyroidism is more common than you would believe, and millions of people are currently hypothyroid and don't know it. For an overview of how thyroid hormone is produced and how its production is regulated.

How Your Thyroid Works

A delicate Feedback Mechanism

Your thyroid gland is a small gland, normally weighing less than one ounce, located in the front of the neck. It is made up of two halves, called lobes, that lie along the windpipe (trachea) and are joined together by a narrow band of thyroid tissue, known as the isthmus.

The thyroid is situated just below your "Adams apple" or larynx. During development (inside the womb) the thyroid gland originates in the back of the tongue, but it normally migrates to the front of the neck before birth. Sometimes it fails to migrate properly and is located high in the neck or even in the back of the tongue (lingual thyroid) This is very rare. At other times it may migrate too far and ends up in the chest (this is also rare).

The function of the thyroid gland is to take iodine, found in many foods, and convert it into thyroid hormones:thyroxine (T4) and triiodothyronine (T3).Thyroid cells are the only cells in the body which can absorb iodine. These cells combine iodine and the amino acid tyrosine to make T3 and T4. T3 and T4 are then released into the blood stream and are transported throughout the body where they control metabolism (conversion of oxygen and calories to energy).Every cell in the body depends upon thyroid hormones for regulation of their metabolism. The normal thyroid gland produces about 80% T4 and about 20% T3, however, T3 possesses about four times the hormone "strength" as T4.



The thyroid gland is under the control of the pituitary gland, a small gland the size of a peanut at the base of the brain (shown here in orange). When the level of thyroid hormones (T3 & T4) drops too low, the pituitary gland produces Thyroid Stimulating Hormone (TSH)which stimulates the thyroid gland to produce more hormones. Under the influence of TSH, the thyroid will manufacture and secrete T3 and T4 thereby raising their blood levels. The pituitary senses this and responds by decreasing its TSH production. One can imagine the thyroid gland as a furnace and the pituitary gland as the thermostat. Thyroid hormones are like heat. When the heat gets back to the thermostat, it turns the thermostat off. As the room cools (the thyroid hormone levels drop), the thermostat turns back on (TSH increases) and the furnace produces more heat (thyroid hormones).


The pituitary gland itself is regulated by another gland, known as the hypothalamus (shown in our picture in light blue). The hypothalamus is part of the brain and produces TSH Releasing Hormone (TRH) which tells the pituitary gland to stimulate the thyroid gland (release TSH). One might imagine the hypothalamus as the person who regulates the thermostat since it tells the pituitary gland at what level the thyroid should be set.

What are the causes of hypothyroidism

There are two fairly common causes of hypothyroidism. The first is a result of previous (or currently ongoing) inflammation of the thyroid gland, which leaves a large percentage of the cells of the thyroid damaged (or dead) and incapable of producing sufficient hormone. The most common cause of thyroid gland failure is called autoimmune thyroiditis (also called Hashimoto's thyroiditis), a form of thyroid inflammation caused by the patient's own immune system.

The second major cause is the broad category of "medical treatments."  The treatment of many thyroid conditions warrants surgical removal of a portion or all of the thyroid gland. If the total mass of thyroid producing cells left within the body are not enough to meet the needs of the body, the patient will develop hypothyroidism. Remember, this is often the goal of the surgery for thyroid cancer.

But at other times, the surgery will be to remove a worrisome nodule, leaving half of the thyroid in the neck undisturbed. Sometimes, this remaining thyroid lobe and isthmus will produce enough hormone to meet the demands of the body. For other patients, however, it may become apparent years later that the remaining thyroid just can't quite keep up with demand.

Similarly, goiters and some other thyroid conditions can be treated with radioactive iodine therapy. The aim of the radioactive iodine therapy (for benign conditions) is to kill a portion of the thyroid to prevent goiters from growing larger or  producing too much hormone (hyperthyroidism).

Occasionally, the result of radioactive iodine treatment will be that too many cells are damaged so the patient often becomes hypothyroid within a year or two. However, this is usually greatly preferred over the original problem.

There are several other rare causes of hypothyroidism, one of them being a completely "normal" thyroid gland that is not making enough hormone because of a problem in the pituitary gland. If the pituitary does not produce enough thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) then the thyroid simply does not have the "signal" to make hormone. So it doesn't.

Symptoms of Hypothyroidism

• Fatigue
• Weakness
• Weight gain or increased difficulty losing weight
• Coarse, dry hair
• Dry, rough pale skin
• Hair loss
• Cold intolerance (you can't tolerate cold temperatures like those around you)
• Muscle cramps and frequent muscle aches
• Constipation
• Depression
• Irritability
• Memory loss
• Abnormal menstrual cycles
• Decreased libido

Each individual patient may have any number of these symptoms, and they will vary with the severity of the thyroid hormone deficiency and the length of time the body has been deprived of the proper amount of hormone.

You may have one of these symptoms as your main complaint, while another will not have that problem at all and will be suffering from an entirely different symptom. Most people will have a combination of these symptoms. Occasionally, some patients with hypothyroidism have no symptoms at all, or they are just so subtle that they go unnoticed.

If you have these symptoms, you need to discuss them with your doctor. Additionally, you may need to seek the skills of an endocrinologist.  If you have already been diagnosed and treated for hypothyroidism and continue to have any or all of these symptoms, you need to discuss it with your physician. 

Potential Dangers of Hypothyroidism

Because the body is expecting a certain amount of thyroid hormone the pituitary will make additional thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) in an attempt to entice the thyroid to produce more hormone. This constant bombardment with high levels of TSH may cause the thyroid gland to become enlarged and form a goiter (termed a "compensatory goiter").

Left untreated, the symptoms of hypothyroidism will usually progress. Rarely, complications can result in severe life-threatening depression, heart failure, or coma.

Hypothyroidism can often be diagnosed with a simple blood test. In some persons, however, it's not so simple and more detailed tests are needed.  Most importantly, a good relationship with a good endocrinologist will almost surely be needed.   

Hypothyroidism is completely treatable in many patients simply by taking a small pill once a day. However, this is a simplified statement, and it's not always so easy.  There are several types of thyroid hormone preparations and one type of medicine will not be the best therapy for all patients.  Many factors will go into the treatment of hypothyroidism and it is different for everybody.

Read also

Vixen disease symptoms and how treatment of alopecia

Resources:

http://www.endocrineweb.com/conditions/thyroid/hypothyroidism-too-little-thyroid-hormone

http://www.endocrineweb.com/conditions/thyroid/how-your-thyroid-works

Vixen disease symptoms and how treatment of alopecia

Alopecia (al-oh-PEE-shah) means hair loss. When a person has a medical condition called alopecia areata (ar-ee-AH-tah), the hair falls out in round patches. The hair can fall out on the scalp and elsewhere on the body.

Alopecia areata can cause different types of hair loss. Each of these types has a different name:

• Alopecia areata (hair loss in patches).
• Alopecia totalis (lose all hair on the scalp).
• Alopecia universalis (lose all hair on the body).

Not everyone loses all of the hair on the scalp or body. This happens to about 5 percent of people.

Hair often grows back but may fall out again. Sometimes the hair loss lasts for many years.

Alopecia is not contagious. It is not due to nerves. What happens is that the immune system attacks the hair follicles (structures that contain the roots of the hair), causing hair loss. This disease most often occurs in otherwise healthy people.

Alopecia areata: Signs and symptoms

If you have alopecia areata, you may have one or more of the following:

• Patchy hair loss: The problem often begins with 1 or more coin-sized, round, smooth, bare patches where hair once was. You may first notice the problem when you see clumps of hair on your pillow or in the shower.
  
  Hair loss occurs mostly on the scalp. But it can involve eyebrows, eyelashes, beards — any hair-bearing site. Patches vary in size.

• “Exclamation mark” hairs: Often,   few short hairs occur in or at the edges of the bare spots. These hairs get narrower at the bottom, like an exclamation mark.
• Widespread hair loss: With time, some patients go bald. Some lose all their body hair, too. This is not common. Also uncommon is a band of hair loss at the back of the scalp.
• 

• Alopecia areata: It often begins with a round, smooth, bald patch.

Alopecia areata: With time, there may be lots of hair loss.

Nail problems: Alopecia areata also can affect your fingernails and toenails. Nails can have tiny pinpoint dents (pitting). They also can have white spots or lines, be rough, lose their shine, or become thin and split. Rarely nails change shape or fall off.

Sometimes nail changes are the first sign of alopecia areata.

Alopecia areata: Nails can have dents, white spots, and roughtness.

Alopecia areata: Who gets and causes

Who gets alopecia areata?

People can have this type of hair loss at any age. It often begins in childhood. Some patients with alopecia areata have a family member who also has the disease.

What causes alopecia areata?

Alopecia areata is an autoimmune disease. Autoimmune means that the body's immune system attacks the body. When alopecia areata develops, the body attacks its own hair follicles. A person's genetic makeup, combined with other factors, triggers this form of hair loss.

People with alopecia areata may have a higher risk for:

• Another autoimmune disease such as thyroid disease or vitiligo (patches of lighter skin appear)
• Asthma and allergies, mainly atopic dermatitis (more commonly called eczema) and hay fever (nasal allergies)
• Having relatives who have asthma, allergies, or an autoimmune disease such as type 1 diabetes

Alopecia areata: Diagnosis, treatment, and outcome

How do dermatologists diagnose alopecia areata?

Sometimes a dermatologist can diagnose alopecia areata by looking at the hair loss.

If the patch of hair loss is expanding, the doctor may pull out a few hairs. These hairs will be looked at under a microscope.

Sometimes the dermatologist will perform a skin biopsy to confirm that the disease is alopecia areata. To perform a skin biopsy, the dermatologist removes a small piece of skin so that it can be studied under a microscope.

Blood tests may be necessary if the dermatologist thinks the patient might have another autoimmune disease.

How do dermatologists treat alopecia areata?

There is no cure for alopecia areata. Hair often re-grows on its own. Treatment can help the hair re-grow more quickly. A dermatologist may prescribe one or more of the following to help the hair re-grow more quickly:

• Corticosteroids: This medicine suppresses the immune system. It can be given as shots, with the dermatologist injecting the medicine into the places with hair loss. Sometimes a patient gets a topical (applied to the skin) form of this medicine. It may be a cream, lotion, or ointment. The patient applies the medicine to the bare spots. Less often, patients take corticosteroid pills.
  
  For adults with alopecia areata, these shots are often the first treatment tried. Patients receive shots every 3 to 6 weeks. Hair growth begins about 4 weeks after the last shot. Sometimes, it takes longer.
  
  Topical corticosteroids are less effective than shots. This is often the best treatment for children.
  
  Corticosteroid pills can have serious side effects. Dermatologists do not routinely prescribe them for this reason. Pills may be a treatment choice for patients with many bald spots.
• Minoxidil: A hair re-growth medicine, minoxidil 5%, may help some patients re-grow their hair. Both children and adults can use it. Patients apply it twice a day to the scalp, brows, or beard. New hair may start to grow in about 3 months. Patients most often use this medicine with another treatment.
• Anthralin: This medicine alters the skin’s immune function. The patient applies a tar-like substance to the skin and leaves it on for 20 to 60 minutes. A dermatologist may call this short-contact therapy. After 20 to 60 minutes, the anthralin is washed off to avoid the skin from becoming irritated.
• Diphencyprone (DPCP): This medicine is applied to the bald skin. It causes a small allergic reaction. When the reaction occurs, a patient has redness, swelling, and itching. Dermatologists believe this allergic reaction tricks the immune system, causing it to send white blood cells to the surface of the scalp. This fights the inflammation. It also prevents the hair follicles from going to sleep, and causing the hair loss.
  
  With DPCP, it can take 3 months for the hair to start re-growing.
  
  
• Other treatments: Patients often get more than 1 treatment at a time. A mix of 2 or more treatments often boosts success.

Ask your dermatologist about possible side effects (health problems that can result from the medicines). If you have a bad reaction to a medicine, call your dermatologist right away.

Researchers are working to advance the treatment of alopecia areata. They are exploring other medicines that work on the patient’s immune system. They also are looking at lasers and other light-based therapies.

Outcome

When a person has alopecia areata, the hair will start to re-grow when the body gets the right signals. Sometimes this happens without treatment. Even with treatment, new hair loss can occur. Everything depends on how the immune system reacts.

The following explains what can happen.

• Re-growing hair: It is likely that the hair will grow back even without treatment. It may fall out again, though. Most patients lose their hair more than once before the disease goes away for good. Even people who lose all the hair on their scalp and body can have their hair grow back. When hair loss is widespread (lots of hair loss on the scalp and/or body), there is a greater chance that the hair will not re-grow.
  
  When hair re-grows, it can be white or fine at first. A person’s own hair color and texture often return later.
• How long it lasts: This varies. For some people, the disease never returns. Others lose and re-grow hair for many years. No one can predict when the hair might re-grow or fall out again. This lack of control makes the disease frustrating.
• Emotional toll: The emotional aspects of living with hair loss can be hard. Our world regards hair as a sign of youth and good health. The good news is that alopecia areata does not affect overall health. It should not stop you from achieving your goals and dreams. You should not let it stop you from doing well in school, sports, and work.
  
  If your hair loss bothers you a lot, you may wish to join a support group.

Alopecia areata: Tips for managing

Dermatologists offer the following tips to their patients who have alopecia areata:

• Hide hair loss. If you feel embarrassed by hair loss, there are things you can do to hide patchy hair loss:
  • Style your hair to cover the bald spots.
  • Wear a wig, cap, hat, or scarf. These do not interfere with hair re-growth.
  • Some people shave the head.
  • Use makeup to draw missing eyebrows.


• Join a support group. While the above tips can hide the hair loss, people often have trouble dealing with the emotional aspects of hair loss. Because the emotional aspects can be so difficult, you may want to join a support group. You'll find a link to NAAF, which offers support groups, below.

Resources:

https://www.aad.org/dermatology-a-to-z/diseases-and-treatments/a---d/alopecia-areata

Hair Loss Causes and Solutions

If you are one of the unlucky fellows who is becoming "follicly challenged" over time, you don't 

have to sit back and helplessly watch your hair fall out. There are treatments available that will stop your follicles from failing you. Losing your hair can take its toll on your self-esteem and sex appeal, but there are ways to remedy or reverse the damage.

Causes of hair loss

A normal person will lose between 50 to 100 hairs daily, because 90% of hair is in growth phase and 10% is in shedding phase at any given time. However, any significant change that alters the normal growth cycle of hair, or permanently damages the roots of the hair (the follicles), can result in excessive hair loss of over 100 hairs a day, which may be temporary or permanent.

Common causes of hair loss include:

Genetics: About 95% of hair loss from the scalp comes from heredity. If your grandma, grandpa, mom, or dad has lost their hair, you may inherit the genetic tendency to lose yours as well. Balding can skip generations, and its incidence is random in terms of siblings. For instance, one brother could go bald in his 30s and another may keep a full head of hair his entire life.

Stress: Surgery, illness and a variety of mental stressors can cause excessive hair loss. Those with the rare anxiety disorder trichotillomania, often pull their hair out in clumps to the point of baldness.

Age: The aging process causes the breakdown in many of the skin's functions, including hair follicles. Many people over 50 have thinning hair because their hair follicles are less effective and therefore hair grows more slowly. Also, mature hair changes in texture and tends to break more easily.

Trauma to the hair: Although this may not apply to the majority of men, botched bleach jobs, abuse of permanents and over-the-counter hair dyes or straightening products, forceful brushing, styling or combing, and tight hairstyles like corn rows, can break and damage hair, and cause hair loss. On rare occasions, due to friction or hair breakage, wearing a ponytail that is too tight can literally pluck or exfoliate the hairs off your head. However, in this instance, the hair loss will not be as widespread as male pattern baldness and will resolve itself after cessation of ponytail wearing.

Certain drugs or diseases: Lupus, certain autoimmune diseases, and radiation therapy or chemotherapy, all contribute to temporary or permanent hair loss.

Men who notice their hair shedding in large quantities should consult a doctor or a dermatologist. Sometimes hair loss indicates an underlying medical condition for which treatment is necessary. If hair loss is sudden and in concert with other worrisome symptoms, see your doctor immediately.

male pattern baldness

The most common hair loss problem that plagues men of all races from their mid-20s onwards is genetically-triggered male pattern hair loss, medically termed as "androgenetic alopecia." Genes affect the age at which a man begins to lose his hair and the extent, rate, shape, and pattern of hair loss. In most men, male pattern hair loss typically begins at the temples and the crown.

Here's why you're losing it, and what you can do to get it back...

why you're losing it

In genetically predisposed individuals, sensitivity to a class of hormones called androgens, in particular the hormone dihydrotestosterone, or DHT, causes hair follicles to shrink. The scalp begins to sprout hairs that are thinner than normal and fail to grow to normal length.

Eventually the follicles wither away and no hair grows at all. In this scenario, thinning hair eventually progresses to chrome dome stage when the follicles cease to function. But it doesn't have to be that way.

stop the hair loss

Men who suffer from male pattern hair loss have several options. They can either choose to chemically treat hair loss, get artificial wigs or weaves if drug treatment is ineffective or impossible, or invest in a permanent solution; hair transplant surgery.

Drugs
The only FDA approved drugs available to medically treat hair loss are Propecia (Finasteride) and Rogaine (Minoxidil). Both products slow further thinning of hair and increase coverage of the scalp. Propecia inhibits the conversion of testosterone into dihydrotestosterone (DHT), a hormone that shrinks hair follicles, whereas Rogaine stimulates hair follicles.

Neither medication will produce full regrowth of hair and the length or texture may be slightly altered in areas of regrowth. Also, the effectiveness of medications depends on the cause of hair loss, the extent of the loss and individual response rates; both products work best if hair loss is recent (within five years) and occurs on the top of the head rather than near the forehead.

Usually the drugs take at least a couple of months to produce a noticeable effect. However, these medications need to be taken continuously. If the medications are stopped, any hair that has grown in will gradually be lost, and within six to 12 months, the scalp will look the way it did prior to treatment.

Wigs & weaves
If a man has medical conditions or allergies that may interfere with the use of pharmaceutical solutions for hair loss, or chooses not to undergo hair replacement surgery, he may opt for a wig, toupee or weave. Specialty wig shops can offer realistic looking pieces made from human hair or realistic looking synthetic materials. However, as many a man who has shamefully lost his toupee to a strong gust of wind, hairpieces are artificial, may look unnatural, and may simply fall off at the worst of times.

Hair restoration 

Hair transplantation is a permanent form of hair replacement. Anyone who has suffered permanent hair loss may be a candidate for hair transplantation. For instance, Bosley is one of the world's most experienced hair restoration practices, with many consultation and treatment centers located across the United States.

The surgical transplanting of hair follicles is a remarkably simple outpatient procedure. According to Bosley.com, the procedure of hair transplantation involves moving some hair from hair-bearing portions (donor sites) of the head (usually the horseshoe-shaped area at the very back of the head), to bald or thinning portions (recipient sites) and/or removing bald skin.

Because the procedure involves time, patience, surgery, and at least two repeat procedures, as well as the considerable investment of money (between $4,000 and $10,000 US), transplantation should only be done by a qualified, board-certified and experienced surgeon.

a full head of hair

With proper techniques and solutions, hair loss can be minimized. If you suffer from hair loss, invest the time and research treatment options and weigh the benefits of replacing lost or thinning hair. After all, a full head of hair not only influences the way others perceive you professionally and personally, but can influence the way you view yourself.

Read also
Causes and symptoms of thyroid

Resources:
www.bosley.com
http://my.webmd.com
www.aad.org
www.mayoclinic.com

This article is brought to you in part by Bosley.com