Some men look better bald. Jason Statham, Michael Jordan, The Rock are just a few examples. But just in case you aren’t ready to join the bald and the beautiful just yet, here are some tips for holding on to your hair, and growing more of what’s there.
Low Level Treatment Combs
Men’s grooming tools don’t have many bells and whistles. A simple comb is the gold standard. But every once and awhile, something new comes along to shake things up. If you’re interested in brushing away your hair loss concerns, it might be time to ditch your old comb and invest in light therapy. Low level treatment combs treat the loss of hair with low power lasers. This light stimulation is used to awaken weaker hair follicles and encourage regrowth. The comb itself looks like a regular old comb, just a little chunkier, and of course, it emits lasers. So take a few minutes to comb your hair with a little tender lighting care. Your hair will thank you for it.
Natural Treatment: Supplements
Your doctor always told you to take your vitamins. Now’s your chance to up the ante. Vitamins can help keep your body healthy, and supplements help keep your hair healthy. First, look to the alphabet. Vitamins A and C are both supplements to take if you notice your hair thinning. You can take the vitamins in a concentrated capsule form, or you can beef up your diet with some beef liver. It’s high in Vitamin A! But if that’s not your idea of a tasty treat, you can just easily load up on carrots or sweet potatoes. Vitamin C is found in oranges, strawberries and brussel sprouts. Make sure you get all the way to Z for Zinc when supplementing for hair growth. Zinc is vital to cell reproduction and hormonal stability, both of which influence hair quality. So stock up on some zinc, but be sure to take only recommended amounts. Once you’ve had your fill of the vitamins, you can add folic acid to the mix either in pill form or with some hearty lentils or asparagus.
Topical Treatment: Rogaine
Rogaine is a common name in the world of hair regrowth. In fact, it might be one of the most recognizable treatments out there. This liquid or foam hair product is made with a chemical called minoxidil which helps to reactivate the loss of hair that is caused by small and weakened hair follicles. You apply the product to your scalp twice a day and wait for your hair follicles to get the minoxidil message. It could take a couple of months to see results, but if you stick with the routine, you will be rewarded. At first your hair will come in wispy and a little lighter than your natural color. But with continued use, you should see it become thicker and darker to your natural shade.
Pills: Propecia
Propecia, otherwise known as finasteride, is an oral medication you can take to prevent losing your hair. This type of treatment isn’t available without a prescription from your doctor, so be sure to raise your hair loss concerns at your next appointment. Propecia has to be taken every day in order to see results, so it might not be for someone who has a hard time maintaining the needed dosage. Unlike topical treatments, Propecia works from the inside out by blocking the conversion of testosterone to dihydrotestosterone (DHT). DHT has been linked to male pattern baldness, so the idea is that if you block DHT, you’ll block going bald.
Surgery: Hair Transplant
If you’re ready for a bigger step, hair transplant surgery might be the treatment for you. This type of procedure has been around for more than fifty years, but the advances it has made in recent years make it anything but old. This procedure is done at a doctors office and requires a little bit of recovery time. During your appointment, your doctor will surgically remove hair from an area where it’s plentiful, to a place where it’s not as populated. You’ll be a little sore for a few days, but eventually your new (old!) hair should grow healthily in its new environment.