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Boomers turn to tested therapies, experimental techniques, cosmetic solutions to beat hair loss

Boomers with thinning hair have options: Time-tested, experimental and cosmetic

by Connie Midey - Sept. 16, 2008 12:00 AM
The Arizona Republic
Of all the indignities of Baby Boomerdom - the wrinkles, the hot flashes, the frequent bathroom breaks - hair loss may be one of the toughest to accept.
"It can be really traumatic," said physician George Cotsarelis, director of the University of Pennsylvania Hair and Scalp Clinic in Philadelphia. "Some women had such beautiful hair they were defined by it, and for men, there's often the feeling that they're falling apart."
But even if heredity is the culprit, as it is for most women and men, these solutions from Cotsarelis, Scottsdale surgeon John Hamilton and Phoenix hairdresser Carmen Andrade might make your locks look almost as healthy and youthful as you feel.
See your doctor first to rule out medical conditions or drug side effects that may be contributing to your hair loss.
3 tried-and-true solutions

Rogaine

• How it works: Minoxidil, an anti-androgen, is the active ingredient in Rogaine, available over the counter in liquid and foam and in 2 percent and 5 percent strengths. Androgens, the male sex hormones present in both sexes, contribute to male and female pattern baldness.

• Upside: One of only two Food and Drug Administration-approved medicines for the treatment of hereditary hair thinning in men, and the only one for women. When applied properly, it usually maintains hair and in some cases can regrow thick hair, doctors say.

• Downside: Expect to apply the solution to your scalp twice a day for up to a year before seeing results and to continue using it for the rest of your life. If you stop, any gains will be lost.

• Cost: About $30 to $50 for a one-month supply.

• Keep in mind: "Rogaine can prevent further hair loss in women, especially if they fix (underlying conditions) like low iron or thyroid problems," said Cotsarelis, a dermatologist.
Propecia

• How it works: Propecia, a once-a-day prescription tablet, is the other FDA-approved treatment for male pattern baldness. (Women can't use it because it may cause abnormalities in their baby boys' sex organs.) The drug's active ingredient is finasteride, which blocks the conversion of the male hormone testosterone into the more-active dihydrotestosterone. DHT destroys hair follicles.

• Upside: Helps maintain and in some cases regrow hair. Because it and Rogaine are better at maintaining than growing hair, you'll be happier with results if you start using either or both medicines before too much thinning has occurred, said Hamilton, a long-time general surgeon now specializing in hair transplants at Bosley Medical Scottsdale.

• Downside: You may need to take the tablets for up to 12 months before noticing a benefit, and any gains will be lost if you stop taking them. Propecia can cause a slight increase in sexual dysfunction, but side effects disappear when use is stopped, Cotsarelis said. In about half of those who continue taking it, side effects cease with time.

• Cost: About $60 to $70 for a three-month supply.

• Keep in mind: "DHT is also found in the prostate," Cotsarelis said, "so anything (like Propecia) that prevents prostate enlargement too is a bonus."
Hair transplant

• How it works: The surgeon takes tiny, healthy "donor strips" - hair in natural groupings capable of lifelong growth - from the patient's scalp and transplants them into balding areas, where they can take root and grow. The in-office procedure, performed under local anesthetic, may take five to six hours.

• Upside: "In the past, we took plugs, round little punches of 12 to 15 hairs each, and put them in the scalp," Hamilton said. "It looked like doll's hair. Now it's not as dense and is virtually undetectable."
• Downside: Women hoping for a full head of hair may be disappointed with the results because their supply of donor hair may be limited, Hamilton said. And with more extensive work needed, the procedure may be more expensive for them. One transplant surgery usually is enough, but some patients return after a year to achieve thicker hair.

• Cost: At $3 to $10 per graft, transplant surgery can cost anywhere from $2,500 to $15,000.

• Keep in mind: Transplanted hairs usually begin to look natural after about six months. Today's hair transplants are combined with the use of Rogaine, Propecia and other treatments.
4 for which jury's still out

Laser therapy
The HairMax LaserComb, a hand-held device for home use, is said to promote hair growth in men with male pattern baldness by increasing blood flow to their follicles. Hamilton uses one and has found that it thickens his hair. Laser therapy also is available in hair-restoration clinics or salons, where it's delivered through hair dryer-like devices.
"There is some effect, but I think it's probably transient," Cotsarelis said, adding that the wavelength used in laser light therapy for hair is the same as in the laser pointers used by speakers.
Genetic testing
Some doctors offer tests to assess whether you're genetically predisposed to hair loss. Your genes can't be changed, making the information of questionable value except for prompting you to begin early treatment. Besides, your relatives' hair is a pretty good - and free - indicator of what's ahead, Cotsarelis said.
Dietary supplements
Biotin (a B vitamin), certain amino acids and other vitamin, mineral and herbal combinations sometimes are marketed as directly or indirectly stimulating hair growth, but there's little evidence they work. Low iron often is a culprit in women's hair loss, Hamilton and Cotsarelis said, and that usually can be corrected with improvements to your diet and perhaps a daily multivitamin with minerals.
Hair 'cloning'
Known as follicular neogenesis, growing multiple hairs from part of a follicle is a promising development for the hair-challenged, but it's at least five to 10 years away, Hamilton said. This summer, Stanford University researchers announced the discovery of a molecule in mouse embryos that signals embryonic stem cells in the skin to grow hair.
3 tricks to fool the eye

Scalp makeup
That pink scalp visible through your thinning locks draws attention like a neon sign. Products such as Toppik, Couvré and DermMatch color the scalp to more closely match your hair color and reduce the contrast between the two. Toppik does so with tiny, static electricity-charged keratin protein fibers that you sprinkle on your scalp. Couvré is a lotion and DermMatch is a hard-packed powder, each rubbed onto the scalp with an applicator.
Hair-care products
Nioxin products have lots of fans, including hairstylist Andrade, a Baby Boomer who has used them for years. She owns El Y Ella salon on McDowell Road in Phoenix. The products, with vitamins, proteins and amino acids, don't claim to regrow hair but can improve the appearance of what you have. Folligen products contain copper peptides, small bits of protein that the company says can increase follicle size. Some shampoos include small amounts of minoxidil.
"But any good shampoo, especially volumizing shampoo, will have some effect," Cotsarelis said. "Everyone's hair is different, so you have to find what works best for you."
Hairstyling techniques
People like Andrade, who has naturally curly hair, are better able to hide hair loss. Try for a little curl and fullness while styling hair, doing so gently to avoid further damage, she said. Keep hair neatly trimmed and on the short side because long hair can make the loss more obvious. Hair bonding and extensions temporarily camouflage loss but put stress on the hair, "and over time, they cause you to lose more hair," Cotsarelis said.