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Some types of hair loss improve on their own without treatment
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- Telogen effluvium usually improves without treatment in six months
- Alopecia areata may get better without treatment by 12 months
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- Male- and female-pattern baldness are likely to get worse with time
- Alopecia areata may return at some time in the future
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Treating lichen planus or discoid lupus, for example
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- Will prevent further hair loss
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- Hair loss that has already occurred is permanent
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Taken every day for male-pattern baldness
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- Can increase the number of hairs men have by 24%
- Nearly a third of men see an improvement if they use finasteride for several years
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- Needs to be used for three to six months to see an effect
- If treatment is stopped, hair loss will start again within 6-12 months
- Not available on the NHS
- Side effects include loss of sex drive and erectile dysfunction
- Only for men
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Rubbed onto the scalp every day for male- and female-pattern badness
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- Can slow or stop hair loss and may cause hair regrowth in both men and women
- Available without a prescription
- Side effects are uncommon
- Can be used off-licence for alopecia areata and effects are seen after 12 weeks
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- Needs to be used for at least four months before any effect is seen
- Any new hair that regrows will fall out two months after treatment is stopped
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Injections given into bald patches of alopecia areata
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- Most effective treatment for small patches of alopecia
- Can be used on the scalp and other areas, such as the eyebrows
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- Injections need to be repeated every few weeks
- Alopecia may return when the injections are stopped
- Side effects include pain at the injection site and thinning of the skin
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Rubbed into bald patches of alopecia areata
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- Mixed opinions about its effectiveness
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- Long-term benefits not known
- Cannot be used on the face, such as the beard or eyebrows
- Side effects include thinning of the skin and spots
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Regularly applied to the scalp to help alopecia areata; causes a skin reaction and hair regrowth
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- Can cause hair to regrow in some people with alopecia areata
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- Not as effective as immunotherapy
- Can cause itchiness and scaling of the skin and it can stain the scalp and hair
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A chemical solution is applied to a small area of bald skin caused by alopecia areata. The strength of the chemical is gradually increased until it causes a skin reaction that encourages hair to regrow
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- Most effective form of treatment for extensive or total hair loss from alopecia areata
- Can cause hair to regrow after around 12 weeks in some people
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- Can cause a severe skin reaction if strength is not increased gradually
- May cause a rash and patchy-coloured skin
- Hair can fall out when treatment is stopped
- Only available in specialist centres
- Need to wear a hat over the treated area for 24 hours
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Exposing the bald patches of skin to ultraviolet (UVA or UVB) rays
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- Can cause hair to re-grow in some people with alopecia areata
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- Can take up to a year to produce maximum results
- Responses vary and it is often not effective
- Hair loss may return after treatment is stopped
- Side effects can include feeling sick, pigment changes to the skin and an increased risk of skin cancer
- Needs to be carried out in a hospital
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Eyebrows are tattooed on
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- No need to use make-up every day
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- May be painful
- Not available on the NHS
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Made of acrylic or real human hair
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- Useful for extensive hair loss
- Available on the NHS
- Acrylic wigs do not need styling
- Human hair wigs last for three to four years
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- Acrylic wigs can be itchy and hot
- Acrylic wigs only last six to nine months
- Human hair wigs may need to be styled by a hairdresser and professionally cleaned
- Can cost between £60 and £2,000
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Individual hairs or small groups of hairs are grafted onto a bald area
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- Can achieve natural-looking hair
- Hair settles and starts to grow within six months
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- Not available on the NHS
- Can be expensive and take a long time
- Several sessions needed, with 9-12 months between procedures
- Risk of infection and bleeding, which can lead to hair loss and noticeable scarring
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Pieces of bald scalp are removed and sections of scalp with hair are stretched over this area and stitched together
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- Available on the NHS for people with scarring alopecia
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- Not suitable for hair loss at the front of the scalp because of scarring
- Risk of infection in the area
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Surgery to implant artificial hair fibres
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- May be possible to achieve natural-looking hair
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- Not available on the NHS
- Serious risk of infection or scarring
- The synthetic fibres can fall out
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