The Food and Drug Administration does not test the efficacy of supplements before they are available on the market. You might consult a healthcare provider about starting Rogaine minoxidil , a topical treatment, for hair loss.

Of note: Rogaine does not treat baldness or receding hairlines, which is common with male pattern baldness. Rogaine is a liquid that you apply to your scalp, typically twice daily. Using more than the label instructs does not speed up hair growth. You must use Rogaine consistently for four months before you notice improvement.

Some people may only see hair growth after using Rogaine for one year. Rogaine may cause side effects, such as:.

Your skin may become sensitive to the sunlight after starting Rogaine. Avoid unnecessary prolonged sunlight exposure and wear a hat, sunscreen, and sunglasses if outdoors.

Research has found that essential oils are a natural, inexpensive alternative treatment for hair growth. A review published in noted that massaging pumpkin seed, rosemary, or tea tree oil into your scalp before bedtime may stimulate hair growth. Still, the evidence is mixed, and it's unclear how safe essential oils are.

Talk to a healthcare provider before using essential oils on your scalp. You can easily damage already fragile hair by pulling on it or using harsh chemicals. You'll want to treat it gently if it's falling out or thinning. Here are some ways to switch up your hair care routine to protect against hair loss:.

Coloring your hair too often damages it and may worsen hair loss. Avoid lightening your hair since bleaching typically uses a lot of peroxide, which damages your hair.

Instead, opt for a dye that is close to your natural shade. Bleaching your hair makes it more sensitive to the sun than normal, causing brittle, dry, and weak hair. Consider wearing a wide-brimmed hat if you bleach your hair.

Like bleach and dye, heat damages already fragile hair and may worsen hair loss. Avoid blow-drying your hair. Instead, let your hair dry naturally or wrap your hair in a microfiber towel to soak up water.

Some hair tools may cause your hair unnecessary heat damage. Consider only using curling irons and hair straighteners for special events like a job interview. Dandruff commonly affects the scalp, causing small pieces of dry skin to flake off. Dandruff does not directly cause hair loss, but it may cause itching of the scalp, which worsens hair loss.

Avoiding common dandruff triggers like cold weather and stress may help reduce itching. Some shampoos are designed to treat dandruff.

You can purchase those over the counter at many stores. A healthcare provider may prescribe medical treatments after diagnosing the cause of your hair loss. They may ask questions about your hair loss and take tests, such as a blood test or hair sample, to figure out the cause. Medical treatments depend on what's causing your hair to fall out or thin and may include:.

It may take months for you to regrow your hair. In the meantime, you can reduce the appearance of hair loss by paying a visit to a hairdresser.

A good haircut and a few easy styling tricks can easily fake fullness. According to Dr. Fusco, here are some ways to disguise thinning hair:.

Some types of hair loss, such as telogen effluvium, typically resolve on their own once emotional or physical stressors resolve. Still, you might consider consulting a healthcare provider, such as a dermatologist, about your hair loss.

They can help pinpoint the cause of your hair loss and prescribe treatments. Contact a healthcare provider if you have:. Several factors may cause your hair to thin or fall out, including changing hormones, genetics, and stress. Hair loss treatment depends on the underlying cause. Talk to a healthcare provider before starting a new medicine or supplement.

Some remedies may regrow thinning hair or at least disguise patches of thin hair. A new hairstyle, hair mascara, or volumizing dry shampoos help give thin hair fullness. Some lifestyle changes may stimulate hair growth, in addition to gentle hair care techniques and medical treatments.

For example, smoking may exacerbate hair loss by increasing inflammation in your body. Stopping smoking may help your hair regrow. Switching up your eating habits may also stimulate hair regrowth. Eating a balanced, healthy diet rich in nutrients—including iron and protein—helps support hair regrowth.

Ensure that you are eating enough calories daily. Talk to a healthcare provider about how many calories you need to fuel your body properly. Hair regrowth is possible with some types of hair loss, including FPHL, male pattern baldness, and telogen effluvium.

Those types of hair loss preserve the hair follicles, allowing hair regrowth. In contrast, hair loss is likely permanent if the hair follicle is damaged. With the proper treatment, hair regrowth can take a long time.

Hair loss may cause significant emotional distress. You might speed up hair growth by properly caring for your hair. Our doctors have years of experience treating people with cicatricial alopecia and can recommend a variety of treatments to help you. Types of cicatricial alopecia include:.

Lichen planopilaris, a type of alopecia, occurs when a common skin condition, called lichen planus, affects the scalp.

Lichen planopilaris may cause a dry, flaky rash to appear on the skin that causes hair on the scalp to fall out in clumps. The scalp may also become red, irritated, and covered in small white or red itchy, painful, or burning bumps.

Lichen planopilaris is not common and affects more women than men. A doctor may prescribe medication to stop the hair loss.

Discoid lupus erythematosus is a type of cutaneous lupus , an autoimmune disease that affects the skin.

It can lead to inflamed sores and scarring on the ears, face, and scalp. Hair loss is one symptom of the disease. When scar tissue forms on the scalp, hair can no longer grow in that area.

Hair loss caused by folliculitis decalvans, an inflammatory disorder that leads to the destruction of hair follicles, is often accompanied by redness, swelling, and lesions on the scalp that may be itchy or contain pus, known as pustules. This type of hair loss is not reversible, but dermatologists can offer medication to control symptoms and, in some instances, stop the progression of hair loss.

Dissecting cellulitis of the scalp, a rare condition, causes pustules or lumps to form on the scalp. This condition may also cause scar tissue to develop, destroying hair follicles and causing hair loss.

Medications may help control symptoms. Frontal fibrosing alopecia typically occurs in a receding hairline pattern and may also result in hair loss in the eyebrows and underarms.

Frontal fibrosing alopecia most commonly affects postmenopausal women. Certain medications can manage symptoms and stop the progression of the disease.

The cause is unknown. Central centrifugal cicatricial alopecia may occur as a result of hair products or styling techniques that damage hair follicles. The frequent application of oils, gels, or pomades can also cause this condition, which may be reversible if you stop using these hair products or styling techniques.

Our dermatologists may recommend taking medication to help hair grow back. Several types of hair shaft abnormalities can lead to hair loss. These conditions cause strands of hair to thin and weaken, making them vulnerable to breaking.

This can result in overall thinning, as well as in many small, brittle hairs. Making simple changes to the way you style and treat your hair can reverse some hair shaft abnormalities. Other conditions may require medical intervention.

Types of hair shaft abnormalities include:. Loose anagen syndrome, which most commonly presents in young children, occurs when hair that is not firmly rooted in the follicle can be pulled out easily.

Most of the time, hair falls out after it has reached an arbitrary maximum length. Children with loose anagen syndrome often cannot grow hair beyond a relatively short length. The condition more commonly affects girls with blond or brown hair. For example, hair loss may accelerate overnight because of the friction of a pillow.

The cause of loose anagen syndrome is unknown, though it may be related to a disorder in the hair growth cycle that prevents hair from staying in the follicle.

Another medicine, finasteride, is available with a prescription. It comes in pills and is only for men. It may take up to 6 months before you can tell if one of these medicines is working.

Losing your hair can be devastating. Many people consider a thick head of hair a symbol of youth and vitality. So losing it — no matter how young you are — can make you feel old. It can make you feel less attractive. It can lower your overall self-esteem. It is also okay to seek out a strategy for stopping or even reversing hair loss.

You should not feel guilty about doing something about your hair loss. If adequate treatment is not available for your type of hair loss, you may consider trying different hairstyles or wigs, hairpieces, hair weaves or artificial hair replacement.

National Institutes of Health, MedlinePlus: Hair Loss. This article was contributed by: familydoctor. org editorial staff. This information provides a general overview and may not apply to everyone. Talk to your family doctor to find out if this information applies to you and to get more information on this subject.

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Based on this, experts believe that some people have a genetic predisposition to the disease. A person who has a close relative with alopecia areata has a slightly increased risk of developing it as well.

If the relative experienced hair loss before the age of 30, the risk is increased further. People with alopecia areata typically have smooth, round patches of complete hair loss that develop over a period of a few weeks, followed in most cases by regrowth over several months picture 1.

However, alopecia areata may persist for several years and sometimes hair never regrows. The patches may enlarge and coalesce to form irregular patterns of hair loss. Short hairs, broken off a few millimeters from the scalp, are often found at the edges of expanding patches of hair loss.

These are sometimes referred to as "exclamation point hairs. The scalp is the most common site for hair loss, but any area of the body can be affected. For many people, the disease does not progress beyond patchy hair loss. However, in some cases the hair loss is extensive.

A small minority of patients lose all the hair on their head known as alopecia totalis or all the hair on their head and body alopecia universalis. In addition to hair loss, people with alopecia areata may develop fingernail or toenail abnormalities. The formation of multiple pits in the nail is most common.

The diagnosis of alopecia areata is based upon the appearance of the hair loss. A health care provider will look for the characteristic patterns of hair loss, such as smooth patches with short, broken-off hairs around the borders.

Losing one's hair can be a devastating experience, particularly when the loss develops suddenly and is difficult to hide.

Patients who have difficulty with the psychosocial impact of losing their hair should speak to a health care provider about their feelings. Providers can offer support and may recommend that a patient work with a therapist, clinical psychologist, or support group; individual and group therapy can help patients adjust and cope with hair loss, and may also provide tips on cosmetic coverings.

In addition, patients can contact organizations such as the National Alopecia Areata Foundation www. org and Alopecia UK www. uk for information on alopecia areata and support resources. Not all people with alopecia areata require treatment; many patients with limited disease will experience spontaneous hair regrowth.

For patients who use treatments, there are several options. However, alopecia areata cannot be "cured. Corticosteroids — Corticosteroids, commonly called steroids, are anti-inflammatory medications that are used to treat alopecia areata.

They can be taken by injection, applied topically eg, as a cream, lotion, or in a shampoo formulation , or taken by mouth. Injected corticosteroids — This method of treatment is often recommended for adults with isolated patches of hair loss.

The medication is injected directly into the affected area to stimulate hair regrowth. It may take around six to eight weeks to notice new hair growth; injections are repeated every four to six weeks until regrowth is complete.

If needed, the affected area can be pretreated with a prescription topical anesthetic cream to reduce the discomfort associated with injections. Topical corticosteroids — Topical corticosteroids are sometimes prescribed as an alternative to injected corticosteroids for children or adults who cannot tolerate injections.

Topical corticosteroids are usually applied to affected areas on a daily basis. Like injected corticosteroids, this treatment is used for patients with isolated patches of hair loss. Topical corticosteroids may not be as beneficial for people with extensive hair loss.

Oral corticosteroids — Oral corticosteroids are occasionally prescribed for patients who are experiencing rapid, extensive hair loss. Although these drugs may slow hair loss and induce regrowth, long-term treatment is not recommended because of risk for serious side effects. Oral corticosteroids are usually only given for several weeks.

Hair loss may recur when patients stop treatment. Topical minoxidil — Available over-the-counter, topical minoxidil eg, Rogaine promotes hair growth by lengthening the growth phase of hair follicles and causing follicles to produce hair.

Minoxidil is approved to treat androgenetic alopecia male pattern hair loss ; it may also be useful in patients with mild alopecia areata. The solution or foam formulation is typically applied twice a day to the area of hair loss and can be used alone or in combination with other therapies.

When treatment is successful, new hair growth is seen in about 12 weeks. Minoxidil is not usually effective in patients with severe alopecia areata or total loss of scalp hair.

Anthralin — Anthralin is a treatment that was originally developed for the treatment of another skin condition, psoriasis, but was later found to regrow hair in some people with mild alopecia. It must be used with care because it irritates the skin and eyes and can stain fabrics. Hair regrowth may be seen within three to four months.

Topical immunotherapy — Topical immunotherapy involves applying a substance known to cause an allergic reaction to the area of hair loss. The resulting itching, scaling, and irritation often induce hair growth for reasons that are not completely understood.

Topical immunotherapy is not widely available in the United States. Patients who are interested in trying it should see a dermatologist clinician specializing in the skin who is experienced with this treatment. Immunosuppressive drugs — Drugs that suppress the immune system, such as oral steroids, methotrexate, and cyclosporine, are sometimes used in extensive alopecia areata.

They can have significant risks and side effects and are usually only prescribed for patients with severe or rapidly progressing hair loss.

Your best bet is to eat a balanced diet and drink plenty of water. But with a bit of care, you may be able to reduce certain types of hair loss or strengthen your hair to minimize breakage. If you want more options in the meantime, you can use a wig or hair extensions.

Hair transplants may be another option for permanent hair loss. Hair grows back at a rate of about 6 inches per year. If your hair is falling out, talk with a healthcare professional so they can diagnose the cause of your hair loss.

Our experts continually monitor the health and wellness space, and we update our articles when new information becomes available.

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What affects the regrowth of hair? What makes hair grow back faster? The bottom line. Hair growth typically completes a cycle in 2 to 3 years.

Each hair grows approximately 1 centimeter per month during this phase. After 3 to 4 months, the resting hair falls out and new hair starts to grow in its place. It is normal to shed some hair each day as part of this cycle. However, some people may experience excessive more than normal hair loss.

Hair loss of this type can affect men, women, and children. The medical term for this is androgenetic alopecia. Male-pattern baldness is the most common cause of hair loss in men.

Men who have this type of hair loss usually have inherited the trait. Men who start losing their hair at an early age tend to develop more extensive baldness.

In male-pattern baldness, hair loss typically results in a receding hairline and baldness on the top of the head.

Women may develop female-pattern baldness. In this form of hair loss, the hair can become thin over the entire scalp. For most people, excessive hair loss is gradual, which means it happens over a long period of time.

This is especially true of male-pattern baldness. Hair loss is considered excessive when it results in bald spots or hair that is noticeably thinning. In some cases, hair can fall out suddenly. This is typically caused by sudden or prolonged stress, either physical or emotional.

A number of things can cause excessive hair loss. For example, about 3 or 4 months after an illness or a major surgery, you may suddenly lose a large amount of hair. This hair loss is related to the stress of the illness and is temporary. Hormonal problems may cause hair loss.

If your thyroid gland is overactive or underactive, your hair may fall out. This hair loss usually can be helped by treating your thyroid disease.

Hair loss may occur if male or female hormones, known as androgens and estrogens, are out of balance. Correcting the hormone imbalance may stop your hair loss.

This loss is also related to hormones. During pregnancy, high levels of certain hormones cause the body to keep hair that would normally fall out. When the hormones return to pre-pregnancy levels, that hair falls out and the normal cycle of growth and loss starts again.

Some medicines can cause hair loss. This type of hair loss improves when you stop taking the medicine. Medicines that can cause hair loss include blood thinners also called anticoagulants ; medicines used for gout , high blood pressure , or heart problems; vitamin A if you take too much of it ; birth control pills; and antidepressants.

Certain infections can cause hair loss. Fungal infections of the scalp can cause hair loss in adults and children. The infection is treated with antifungal medicines. Finally, hair loss may occur as part of an underlying disease, such as lupus or diabetes.

Since hair loss may be an early sign of a disease, it is important to find the cause so that it can be treated. If you wear pigtails or cornrows or use tight hair rollers, the pull on your hair can cause a type of hair loss called traction alopecia.

If the pulling is stopped before scarring of the scalp develops, your hair will grow back normally.