by Valerie Valdez

Healthy hair has a lifetime up to 6 years but that depends on how you care for it. Keratin is the main component in hair, and it is also responsible for the elasticity of human fingernails.

Our hair grows about half of an inch per month and although it is strong, a single strand of hair is only as thick as a single piece of paper.

A normal head of hair contains about 150,000 hair fibers, still about two-thirds of all men in the U.S. will experience some form of hair thinning by age 35, and more than three-quarters will have hair loss by age 50. So, what are the options available to treat hair loss and what are the results?

One effective method is to use the medication Finasteride also called Propecia. This synthetic drug stimulates hair growth, but it may cause adverse side effects, like depression, erectile dysfunction and decreased libido.

Another option for thinning hair is the drug Minoxidil or Rogaine. It’s effective in 85% of patients over a five year period, but like Propecia it has negative side effects. The science of transplanting hair has improved greatly over the years giving people suffering from thinning hair more  success and hope.

However, the main drawback to hair transplant treatments is the expense, since treatments costs thousands of dollars. But there is renewed hope with laser combs. The FDA has approved this treatment that uses low-level lasers to stimulate hair follicles. Some patients have responded well to it, but not enough is known about it to determine any possible side effects or long term health risks.

If none of these treatment options appeal to you, then consider the adage of “If you can’t beat them, join them” and embrace a more natural look of baldness.