Becoming bald can be a very disappointing and depressing prospect for many people. Having a bald head can affect almost all aspects of a person’s life. However, the modern medical field is now able to treat the baldness condition using a variety of surgical and non-surgical treatment methods such as hair transplantation, Rogaine, Propecia and low light therapy.

The only permanent solution to hair loss and baldness, hair transplantation is a surgical treatment option which is performed in two ways. One is strip harvesting and the other is Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE). In the strip harvesting method, the surgeon removes a hair strip from the back of the head. Then individual grafts of hair from this strip are planted in the areas where baldness has taken place. Strip harvesting hair transplantation normally involves three phases.

The first phase involves the harvesting of the extracted strip of hair; the second phase involves the dissection of the extracted hair strip into individual grafts of hair and the last phase involves the implantation process of the grafts into the bald areas of the head.

In comparison to the strip harvesting hair transplantation method, FUE method is known to be minimally invasive. Unlike the strip harvesting method, this method does not require the removal of a strip of hair from the back of the head. Instead, FUE utilizes a method which involves carefully removing individual grafts of hair with a state of the art specialized device. As a result, the results achieved from this method are guaranteed to be highly natural. And, it’s very hard to notice that a hair transplantation process has been done.

In addition to surgical hair transplantation methods, baldness is treated with many other treatments as well. While the results can be very convincing, they are not permanent. Once the medication is stopped, the hair loss resumes.

Rogaine is one such hair loss medication used by surgeons today. This is a FDA approved topical hair loss medication which can stimulate and make hair grow in the areas of baldness. Although results start to appear after a few months, it has been found out by researches that twice daily intake of this medication for around four months has resulted in 62% decrease in hair loss in men. Hence, if the patient is compliant enough and motivated, the results from Rogaine are highly possible.

Another hair loss medication in use is Propecia. This is also an FDA approved orally taken pill. This medication is given to act on the chemical (dihydrotestosterone) which is responsible for causing hair loss in men. Similar to Rogaine, the results from this medication are seen after about six months. One of the major drawbacks of this pill is that it can cause various sexual side effects in patients such as decreased libido and erectile dysfunction.

Lastly, low light therapy can be used to treat baldness as well. One of the recently FDA approved methods include the Hairmax Laser Comb. Similar to Propecia and Rogaine, this treatment option takes around six months to provide tangible and visible results.