Hair loss is incredibly common, and over 50% of women and 80% of men will experience hair shedding at some point in their life [1]. If you’re experiencing hair loss, it’s natural to wonder how to get hair to grow back.
We’ve got you covered. From natural treatments to regrow hair after balding options to state-of-the-art medical procedures, hair growth treatments have come a long way in the past few years. In this comprehensive guide, we’ll explore:
The answer to this question strongly depends on the cause of your hair loss. It can be hard to self diagnose, but a trichologist can often tell you fairly quickly. Here, we’ll look at the most common types of alopecia and whether your hair is likely to grow back.
Also known as male or female pattern baldness, this is the most common type of hair loss. It follows a predictable pattern, shown on the Norwood scale for men and the Ludwig scale for women.
Hair loss from androgenetic alopecia (AGA) will not grow back on its own. However, there are plenty of effective treatments to help your hair regrow.
This is a type of hair loss often caused by stress, illness, medications, or hormonal changes such as pregnancy or childbirth. Fortunately, telogen effluvium is usually a temporary type of hair loss.
Hair shedding usually starts around 2-3 months after the onset of a triggering event [2] and resolves on its own within 6 months after the trigger is addressed [3]. Telogen effluvium lasting longer than 6 months is considered chronic.
Alopecia areata is an autoimmune condition that causes patchy hair loss on your scalp and body. Alopecia universalis, a variant of this condition, can cause total hair loss over your whole body.
In alopecia areata, white blood cells attack your hair follicles, leading to hair loss. In many cases, your hair will grow back, although it can be patchy and unpredictable. Hair loss from alopecia areata sometimes grows back without treatment, but you may need treatment to trigger regrowth.
Traction alopecia is caused by excessively tight hairstyles that pull on your hair, like tight ponytails, man buns, or braids. They can only cause hair loss when left in place for long periods or worn repeatedly, such as the tight buns that ballet dancers often wear every day.
If this condition is caught early on and the traction stops, your hair has a good chance of growing back. If you have areas of scarring, you might not get any hair regrowth in those spots.
Trichotillomania is a type of compulsive hair pulling which is often linked to anxiety or stress [4]. Hair loss from this condition can often grow back if the hair pulling stops before you do any permanent damage. Chronic hair pulling can lead to scarring and permanent hair loss in some cases.
Cicatricial (scarring) alopecia is a group of rare conditions that destroy hair follicles and cause permanent hair loss. When treated properly, it’s possible to stop further hair loss, but you can’t reverse the damage that’s already done, except with a hair transplant in some cases.
Each type of hair loss needs a different treatment. This is why it can be challenging to treat your own hair loss if you’re not sure what’s causing it.
The first line of treatment for AGA is usually hair loss medication, such as Finasteride or Minoxidil. These medications can be very effective, but results usually take 3 to 6 months to become visible and they need consistent use. If you stop using the medication, your hair loss is likely to return within a few months.
PRP hair treatment can also help with AGA — it involves injecting a concentrated sample of platelets from your own blood into areas of hair loss. This stimulates hair follicles for growth and can improve hair density and growth [5].
A hair transplant is the only permanent solution for AGA. The procedure involves moving healthy hair follicles from areas of hair growth to areas of hair loss. Results are incredibly natural when performed by a skilled surgeon, but not everyone is a good candidate for the procedure.
This condition usually resolves on its own, but there are things you can do to speed up the process. The first step is identifying and removing the trigger — you often need a hair doctor to help with this.
Once a specialist has identified the cause of your hair loss, they may recommend changes to your diet, hair growth supplements if you are deficient in a specific vitamin or mineral, and support for stress management. Research suggests that oral Minoxidil may also be helpful for telogen effluvium [6].
Management of alopecia areata often requires specialist care to regrow hair on bald spots. Treatments may include:
Learning stress management techniques can also help, and your specialist can help you avoid or reduce your autoimmune triggers alongside any medical treatment.
The quickest way to stop hair loss from traction alopecia is to stop wearing your hair in any kind of tight hairstyle immediately to prevent further damage. Switching to loose hairstyles is often enough to get your hair to grow back.
In some cases, you may need topical Minoxidil to stimulate regrowth. If you have areas of scarring, a hair transplant might be the only option to regrow your hair.
Support from a mental health professional is the best way to get hair loss from trichotillomania to regrow. Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) is often recommended as the first line of treatment [11].
When you stop pulling your hair out, it should regrow on its own. However, in severe cases, you may need a hair transplant to regrow hair in areas of scarring. Learn more about getting a hair transplant on scar tissue.
You need treatment from a hair loss specialist for scarring alopecia as soon as possible to stop it from getting worse. Treatments may include:
These treatments won’t regrow hair in scarred areas, but they may preserve unaffected hair follicles nearby. If your scarring alopecia becomes stable, you may be a good candidate for a hair transplant to regrow your hair.
No matter the cause of your hair loss, there are several lifestyle changes you can make to encourage hair growth. Here are some of our top tips:
A hair transplant is a permanent solution for her loss. If you’re a good candidate, the surgeon will work with you to choose a suitable hair transplant donor area.
This is an area of healthy hair growth, usually at the back or sides of the head. In the procedure, your surgeon will move hair follicles from the donor area to areas of hair loss.
There are two main types of hair transplant: follicular unit extraction (FUE) and follicular unit transplantation (FUT). These two procedures differ in how hair follicles are harvested — learn more here about the difference between FUE and FUT.
Your new hair will start to grow several months after your transplant. Within 12 to 18 months, your final results will be visible.
If you’re noticing extra hair loss in the shower or on your pillow, it’s time to speak to a trichologist. These hair doctors can identify the reason your hair is falling out, taking away any guesswork in the process.
They may use diagnostic trichology tests, such as blood tests for hair loss or a hair pull test. Once you have a diagnosis, they’ll work with you to create a treatment plan you’re happy with to help you regrow hair as quickly as possible.
You may even be a candidate for a natural-looking hair transplant with one of the best hair transplant surgeons in the UK. Want to learn how we can help you get your hair back on track? Book a consultation at your nearest clinic location today.
When talking about the big 3 for hair regrowth, most people mean Minoxidil (Rogaine/Regaine), Finasteride (Propecia) and ketoconazole (Nizoral). Minoxidil stimulates hair follicles for growth, Finasteride blocks the hormone DHT to help with male pattern baldness, and ketoconazole reduces scalp inflammation and fungal growth that can contribute to hair loss.
It’s absolutely possible to regrow your hair after 40. The extent to which you can regrow your hair depends on the cause of your hair loss and several other factors. A trichologist can help you understand the best way to regrow your hair and how much it is likely to grow back.
As a woman, frontal hair thinning can be due to several factors and conditions. These include genetics, hormonal changes (such as menopause or pregnancy), underlying medical conditions, nutritional deficiencies, stress, or conditions like frontal fibrosing alopecia.
Much like scalp hair growth, healthy lifestyle changes can help improve beard growth. You may also benefit from treatments including Minoxidil, PRP hair treatment, or even a beard transplant.
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