I'm Losing Hair in the Front

Hair loss is very common and the frontal region is usually the first place you will notice it. While it can be very discouraging and frustrating to lose your hair, there are treatments available to help help prevent further loss. If your hair is thinning in the front, it would help to become familiar with the primary cause of hair loss and the treatments that can help prevent it.

Cause

Hair loss may be prompted by numerous medical conditions, such as an underactive thyroid. Still, The Foundation of Hair Restoration claims that genetic "androgenic alopecia" is to blame for 95 percent of cases. Androgenic alopecia occurs when dihydrotestosterone, or DHT, inhibits hairs that are predisposed to thinning. The frontal hair line is often the first place you may notice this.

Prevention

Two Food and Drug Administration-recommended treatments can be particularly effective at treating frontal hair loss.

The Food and Drug Administration, or FDA, approves topical minoxidil for the treatment of androgenic alopecia. The 5 percent strength is approved for males and and the 2 percent strength is approved for females. According to the International Association of Hair Restoration Surgery, minoxidil has been studied for over 15 years in clinical trials and has a very safe track record. Minoxidil should be applied to areas of thinning hair up to two times daily.

The FDA approves finasteride for for the treatment of androgenic alopecia in males. Note that finasteride is only for men; women should not even handle the tablets. The Hair Transplant Network reports that finasteride inhibits the creation of DHT, allowing hair follicles to grow at their normal rate.

Expert Insight

Dr. Robert Bernstein, recipient of the “Platinum Follicle Award” for his outstanding achievement in scientific and clinical research in hair restoration, explains that minoxidil and finasteride were only tested on the top of the scalp in clinical trials. He explains that the package inserts are require to state that the treatments were only proven to be effective on the vertex of the scalp. Nonetheless, Dr. Bernstein says to ignore the package inserts and that both treatments will treat frontal hair loss if there is hair remaining in the frontal area.

Solution

While the two FDA-approved treatments should help reduce frontal hair loss, a hair transplant is a permanent solution. The Foundation of Hair Restoration website explains exactly this procedure works and what to expect. Hair follicles are taken from areas in the back of head that are prone to DHT-related thinning and moved to areas where density has decreased. They will begin to grow three months after the surgery, regrow to their normal thickness if they shed and last a lifetime.

Misconceptions

On the Bernstein Medical website, Dr. Robert Bernstein explores some of the more common myths concerning hair loss. He says that hair loss does not come from wearing hats often, having clogged pores or shampooing too frequently. He also states that it untrue that genetic hair loss comes only from your mother's side of the family. It can come from either family lineage or both.