Hair loss (alopecia) is not a serious medical condition in itself. Therefore, treatment may not be necessary. In fact, many people choose to let the condition run its course.

There is no cure for hair loss. However, treatments are available that may grow hair or slow loss, with medications being the most widely used. The following medications are approved to treat hair loss by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA):

• Minoxidil. An over-the-counter liquid or foam that is rubbed into the scalp twice daily. It must be used for several months before the patient sees any results. Minoxidil may be effective at treating androgenetic alopecia (pattern hair loss), and help minimally with alopecia areata (patchy baldness), by reversing the shrinking process that occurs in the hair follicle (tiny, tubular structure in the skin through which hair grows) and stimulating new hair growth. Minoxidil is the only over-the-counter treatment approved by the FDA for use in women. The drug may be used in conjunction with other treatments. Any benefit derived from minoxidil usually ceases once use is discontinued.
  
  
• Finasteride. A prescription medication taken orally to treat male pattern baldness. Finasteride may slow or stop hair loss in some patients. In addition, others may see hair growth after continued use. Finasteride inhibits the body’s ability to convert testosterone into dihydrotestosterone (DHT), the hormone that shrinks hair follicles and contributes significantly to hair loss. Like minoxidil, any benefits derived from the drug stop once use is discontinued. Finasteride is not approved for use by women because it is ineffective in women and poses the risk of serious birth defects in male fetuses.
  
  
• Corticosteroids. Injections of cortisone in areas of the scalp where hair is being lost abnormally. Corticosteroid injections are frequently used to treat cases of moderate alopecia areata. For more severe cases, corticosteroids may be given orally to treat the disease. In some instances, ointments and creams may be used, though they may not work as well.
  
  
• Anthralin. A synthetic substance that is applied and washed off the scalp daily. Anthralin is usually used to treat psoriasis (chronic condition marked by frequent episodes where the skin becomes itchy and red and develops thick, dry, silvery scales), but it may stimulate hair growth in patients with alopecia areata.

In addition to medication, surgical procedures are available to treat hair loss (e.g., hair transplants).

Nonmedical methods such as wigs, hairpieces and weaves are also available to effectively disguise hair loss. These may be made with either real or synthetic hair and are often the least expensive treatment method. In some cases, hairstyle changes can also help disguise the condition. However, these methods do not slow or stop the progression of further hair loss.