Any prospective preventive treatments possible in the near future?

[rahulreddy139]

Most of the posts i see in this thread on research and future are some good hair transplant surgeries which will help cover "post balding".

 

But I could not see any progress or information regarding any treatment which could potentially save the remaining hair ?

 

I know balding is like aging which cannot be completely stopped or has a cure but still once we we lose the hair we start losing confidence.

Any preventive measure would be awesome compared to post damage patch up.

 

And ys propecia and minoxidil are present but to take then on a daily basis troughout the life, a tough task!

Who knows what happens in the future and the long term side effects ( i dont care abt the hormonal side effects as long as it save the remaining hair i have! )

[mahhong]

I don't think there is any medication that can prevent balding from happening at this time, unfortunately. If there was, that would likely be a lifetime drug too.

 

As soon as you notice thinning and a doctor diagnoses MPB, starting propecia and minoxidil early is the only current chance you have of holding on to the majority of your hair. If you start these medicines early you have a decent chance of slowing or stopping your balding for a period of time - perhaps years or even more. You will probably notice your hairloss a long time before anybody else does, so starting medication as soon as you have a firm diagnosis may mean your balding will not become noticeable.

 

That's unfortunately the only recognised way of slowing or delaying genetic balding. It is likely that, even if there are new drugs that come out in the future, you will have to take them as long as you want to see the benefits. I can't imagine any drug that you could take for a short period of time that would stop balding indefinitely. Balding is a genetic issue, so propecia and minoxidil can only slow down the biological changes and not actually treat the underlying condition. This is unfortunately not likely to change in the near future.

 

Propecia and minoxidil are generally considered safe and with minimal side effects. If you are comfortable with the risk and a doctor is happy to prescribe you them after examining you, that is your only real medical option at the moment. If you do experience side effects you are not comfortable with, stopping the drugs should also stop the side effects.

 

I am not sure what is currently being researched in hairloss at the moment, but most of the research I know of is based around reversing the biological changes caused by genetics in hairloss. Some of the research is showing promise but I don't think anything is imminent. When it does arrive, it is likely these new treatments will offer additional improvements alongside propecia and minoxidil, rather than completely new ways to guarantee to stop or reverse balding. These treatments will also likely carry side effects and risks. Everything does, from surgery to taking a few painkillers for a headache!

 

My recommendation is to look into propecia and minoxidil if you are concerned about your hair (and, of course, visit a doctor to get prescribed them first!). There are some exciting new treatments that may prove useful in the future, but I don't imagine anything being commonly available for at least a few years yet. Even when it does become available, I don't think it will be any more than an additional tool in the fight against hairloss.