Millions of people all around the world, men and women, suffer from hair loss at some point in their lives. More than half of all men will suffer from male-pattern baldness by the time they reach 50. Hair loss treatments around the world are said to be a billion dollar industry – a quick Google search brings up millions of results.

So in this maze of adverts for hair loss treatments, how do you know what really works and what is just pseudo-scientific mumbo-jumbo? This guide will explain what kind of medicines and treatments are out there and help you decide what's right for you.

There are two main types of hair loss treatment – preventative and curative. Preventative hair loss treatments seek to fix the problem before it's happened. Curative medicine is suitable for those who have already suffered hair loss and want to restore their hair – and that's what this article will be focusing on.

The bad news is that there is no “miracle cure” for hair loss, but there are a number of ways you can deal with the problem.

Modern hair transplants mean it is possible to move bald-resistant hair from the back of the head to the top or front, to give a natural and more covered look. Because the donor hair comes from your own body, it isn't rejected by the scalp. Keen advocates of this method include Italian Prime Minister, Silvio Berlusconi, who has seen dramatic improvement in the appearance of his hair since adopting the procedure. This procedure has evolved a long way since its inception in the 1930’s and is now known as ‘micrografting’ or ‘follicular unit transplantation’.  This is because it focuses on the transplant of groups of small clusters of one to four hairs.

Drugs have now been invented that can in some situations combat hair loss.  Mild to moderate instances of male pattern hair loss (androgenetic alopecia) can often be successfully treated with Finasteride (known commercially as Propecia, Prosteride, Finara, Fincar, Finasterid Alternovato, Finasterid IVAX, Finalo, Finpecia, Finast, Finax, or Gefina) which acts to prevent further hair loss and to encourage new growth. It works, in men only, by inhibiting the enzyme that converts testosterone to DHT. The drug usually takes at least three months of use before effects are noticed. To date there have been no clinical trials on entirely bald men or on older males.

A less expensive but effective solution for many is ‘hair thickening’ formulae. These work within minutes of application and build special artificial fibres onto thin, limp strands of hair, combining to give an impression of a natural, fuller head of hair.

Hairpieces are also worth considering – those on the market now are a completely different prospect to the bad toupees and questionable locks of the 70s. Through modern technology and production techniques – as well as the availability of human hair wigs – a natural look is exceptionally easy to achieve, for men or for women.

And there is a ray of hope on the horizon – with ongoing stem cell research in the pipeline, baldness is an issue which is receiving a lot of funding, so the prospect of a “miracle cure” might not be as far away as you'd think.

Further reading:

http://www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/WSIHW000/9023/24253/352721.html?d=dmtContent
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silvio_Berlusconi
http://www.nhsdirect.nhs.uk/articles/article.aspx?articleId=12§ionId=11
http://www.hair123.co.uk
http://www.hothair.co.uk/home.php