Finding the best hair loss treatments is important for many men – and women – as their identities are so closely tied to the hair on their head. While some people are able to bald gracefully, many men that lose their hair actually see it as a sign of losing their manliness.

Well, other than Samson from the Bible, very few people have their manliness tied to their hair, and losing your hair is not the worst thing that could happen to you (imagine losing a limb, your sight, or even a few of your teeth – see how that feels). However, if you want to keep your hair, it’s important to find the best hair loss treatments.

Best Hair Loss Treatments: Simple Options

If you don’t want to spend a fortune on restoring your lost hair but you want to find the simplest, cheapest method available, you have a few choices:

Propecia – Propecia is the brand name for the generic product finasteride, one of the only two products approved by the FDA as a hair loss treatment. It’s recommended as one of the best for those that find Rogaine – the other FDA-approved treatment – to be ineffective. It will stop the production of DHT (dihydrotestosterone) in your body, which stops your body from converting testosterone to androgen – the hormone that causes you to lose your hair. Preventing the androgen from forming means that you don’t have to worry about the cells of your hair follicles shrinking, so your hair won’t be as likely to fall out. In fact, Propecia has been known to not only stop the hair loss, but even help to reverse it. It does help to thicken out your hair, and can even help to regrow a few hairs. On the flip side, it has been linked to erectile dysfunction, so be very careful if you are considering this hair loss treatment.

Rogaine – Rogaine is the brand name under which the drug minoxidil is marketed, and it’s proving to be one of the most effective and best hair loss treatments on the market. It’s fairly safe, and it’s an FDA-approved treatment for hair loss. It is designed to treat male pattern baldness, which is caused by the production of DHT. It is an OTC product, which means you can get it without needing a prescription. Interestingly enough, scientists aren’t quite sure how it works, but they know that it does. However, be careful, as it too comes with plenty of side effects.

Hairpieces – This sounds like you’re going to be wearing a wig, but a hairpiece is a bit more than a wig. The hairpieces are actually attached to your scalp, and they’re often made with real hair. They may not look as good as your real hair, but they’re definitely better than going bald, right? You may find that wearing the hairpiece will actually cause the hair beneath it to fall out faster, but the fact that it’s an inexpensive option makes it a popular one.

Best Hair Loss Treatments: The Costly Options

So, treating your hair loss with Rogaine or Propecia didn’t work, and you have no desire to use a hairpiece? Well, there are a few more options for you to choose from, though they tend to be quite costly:

Laser Therapy – The Laser Comb is actually the only electronic device that is licensed by the FDA as an approved method of treating hair loss. The comb has a laser light installed on it, and the light is supposed to stimulate the hair follicles – causing the hair to grow and preventing the hair loss. However, only one trial has been done – though it was enough to gain FDA approval – meaning that there’s not a lot of evidence to back up just how effective it is. At least with the laser comb, there’s no side effects. You’re basically just brushing your hair and shining laser lights onto your follicles, which can work to help regrow your hair.

Hair Transplant — This is more than just a hairpiece, but it’s actually transplanting hair and the skin to which the hair is attached to your scalp. The hair may come from the back of your scalp, or it may come from another part of your body. The skin is grafted onto your head, and thus the hair keeps growing. The procedure is believed to be usually very safe, but there’s always the risk of complications or side effects with any surgery. With the many clinics using outdated practices for this hair transplantation, it’s hard to find a good surgeon that will do a good job without any complications or side effects.

These are the two costlier options for you to consider if you’re serious about not only stopping hair loss, but actually regrowing or restoring the hair on the top of your head. Not sure which is your best option?

The advice that many doctors give is to start with the simpler treatments and work your way up to the costlier, more complicated options. It’s best to start with the treatments like Rogaine, as that’s the one that is considered the most effective – and the fact that it’s an OTC treatment makes it more affordable. If Rogaine doesn’t work, upgrade to Propecia and give that a try. If, over time, your hair loss doesn’t slow, then you should consider another one of the hair loss treatments as your best option.

Before you go out shopping for the best hair loss treatments, though, consider whether or not you really need it. There are some people that just don’t look good bald, but balding isn’t a sign of diminished manliness or masculinity. It’s just a part of life, and it’s something you’ll need to get used to. Only if you can’t stand the thought of going bald, that’s when you should go out and look for the best hair loss treatments for you!