Treatment of Hair loss

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If the hair loss is caused by an infection, or other condition such as anaemia, this can be treated to prevent further hair loss. In some cases, including after cancer treatment, your hair may start to grow again.

There are drugs available to treat male-pattern and female-pattern baldness but they do not work for everyone and the effects are not long lasting. You have to take the drugs for 4â€“24 months before you notice any improvement (3) and the effects will not usually last long after you stop taking them (4). These drugs are not available on the NHS so you have to pay for them. See your GP for advice.

You can also get lotions that you rub on your scalp, although these do not work for everyone, or have long-lasting effects. There are shampoos and formulas available for improving circulation to the scalp, and some people try herbal treatments.

Other treatments include wigs, hair transplants (taking hair from the sides and back of the head) and plastic surgery (such as scalp reduction where the bald area is removed and the bit with hair on is stretched forward).

There is no real effective treatment for alopecia areata. Some treatments can encourage hair to grow, such as steroid injections or creams â€“ see your GP for more information. In 60-80% of cases the hair grows back after about a year (5) without any treatment.