Hair loss can be soul-crushing because it is an integral part of self-identity for many people. Notions of femininity, strength and virility are bound up in having a luscious mane so the effects of losing it can be profound. Partly what makes hair loss so dispiriting is the belief that you cannot correct it.
What about human applications?
A study published in Tropical Life Sciences Research involving 38 mostly male volunteers with signs of hair loss and balding found that vitamin E treated hair loss.
The study divided participants into two groups: those who took 100-milligram oral supplements of mixed tocotrienols — a group of vitamin E — for eight months and a placebo group.
After eight months, those taking the vitamin E supplement saw a 34 percent increase in the number of hairs on their scalp while the placebo saw a 0.1 percent loss in the number of hairs.
Conventional treatments
According to the NHS, finasteride and minoxidil are the main treatments for male pattern baldness.
Some wigs are available on the NHS, but you may have to pay unless you qualify for financial help.
Other treatments include:
- Steroid injection
- Steroid creams
- Immunotherapy
- Light treatment
- Tattooing
- Hair transplant
- Scalp reduction surgery
- Artificial hair transplant.
Some of these treatments may not be available on the NHS.
While you assess your options, your GP may be able to help you get some counselling, adds the NHS.