The reduction in hair volume can have various causes, such as poor diet, use of chemicals, medications, infections and hair traction, in addition to hormonal and hereditary conditions. Aesthetic and drug treatments help in recovery, but must be done according to the diagnosis of each patient.
Androgenetic alopecia, known as baldness, which causes hair follicles to atrophy and accelerate hair loss, is the most common condition when it comes to hair. It affects men more often, although women can also develop the condition.
Each type requires a different treatment, as you can see below.
CAPILLARY MMP
It is a hair microneedling with a “roller” or machines.
“These equipment make small perforations in the scalp with a small amount of bleeding and through these openings mixtures of substances are deposited that will help the hair to grow. Within this mixture you can even have the medicines finasteride and minoxidil”, says doctor Juliana Almeida , dermatologist from Unicamp (State University of Campinas), with a clinic in Campinas.
On average, there is one session per month. Values ​​range from R$600 to R$1,000 per service.
If the patient has pain intolerance and scarring alopecia, which are caused by viral infections and repeated traction on the scalp, there is a contraindication.
HAIR MESOTHERAPY
Like microneedling, mesotherapy is also performed directly on the scalp.
“These are injections into the scalp with substances that can enhance hair growth, such as finasteride, minoxidil, and d-panthenol”, explains Almeida.
The price varies from R$ 300 to R$ 1,000 depending on the combination of substances and the professional who performs it. The only contraindication, according to the doctor, is the patient’s intolerance to pain.
ORAL MINOXIDIL
The drug was originally used for the treatment of hypertension and as a side effect it had increased hair in all regions.
“Since the 1980s [o minoxidil] started to be prescribed topically against baldness, that is, a liquid to pass directly on the scalp”, points out the dermatologist.
Minoxidil can only be found in compounding pharmacies, only with a prescription and in authorized establishments. The dose varies from 0.25 to 10 mg. A one-month treatment costs between R$50 and R$100, depending on the location and dosage.
“It is contraindicated for patients with low blood pressure or other heart problems. It generates an increase in hair in all regions of the body, can cause dizziness, sudden pressure drop, and swelling in the legs”, warns Almeida.
The dermatologist Fabiane Brenner, coordinator of the hair department of the SBD (Brazilian Society of Dermatology), says that the drug started to be prescribed orally five years ago when new studies began to appear.
“We started using it because of new studies that talk about the benefits of using a lower dose. It is the product that has more scientific studies on hair loss. But oral use began to become popular based on independent studies abroad and in Brazil”, points out Brenner.
“But it takes care and medical monitoring. It cannot be prescribed or used indiscriminately because of the side effects”, warns the representative of the SBD.
FINASTERIDE
Like minoxidil, finasteride is also a drug used to treat baldness. Patients usually take doses of 1 mg per day.
“It works by inhibiting the 5 alpha reductase enzyme, which converts testosterone into dihydrotestosterone, which causes hair thinning and baldness”, says physician Juliana Almeida.
A box of 30 pills costs between R$15 and R$20. Among the possible side effects in men are decreased libido and impotence.
“It also causes a decrease in sperm velocity, so it is not recommended for men who are trying to have children. In women, the contraindication is cases of breast cancer in the family or in the patient”, says dermatologist Juliana Almeida.
LOW INTENSITY LED OR LASER
They are devices in the form of a tiara, brush or helmet that act directly on the scalp.
“These are devices that can be used at home or in clinics. They have anti-inflammatory and vasodilating action to stimulate hair growth. They are usually used before MMP treatments and capillary mesotherapy”, points out Almeida.
Values ​​vary, but are usually included in mesotherapy and microneedling treatment.
HAIR TRANSPLANTATION
Hair transplantation is an invasive and expensive technique, usually used as a last resort when all other alternatives do not generate the expected result.
João Gabriel Nunes, a doctor graduated from Universidad Del Valle, in Bolivia, specializing in trichology and hair transplantation at the Instituto e Hospital da Pele in São Paulo, says that this should be the last option.
“We need a donor area that still has a lot of hair, such as the back of the neck and the sides above the ears, and we redistribute the follicles, one by one. It is time-consuming and laborious”, he says.
The value of the treatment varies between about R$ 17 thousand to R$ 30 thousand.
Contraindications are for patients who have had a recent infarction, severe arrhythmia or other such complications.
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