Can I get my hair back, please?

The market is full of remedies for receding hairlines. But what works and what doesn't? Dr. Craig Ziering, a dermatologist who specializes in hair loss, was invited on “Today” to share his advice, along with Jim Curcio, who experimented with a nonsurgical hair-loss treatment.

On average, there are 100,000 to 150,000 hairs on a scalp, according to the American Medical Association. On a typical day 50 to 150 hairs are lost. Baldness kicks in when normal hairs are replaced with thinner and shorter ones or when the loss occurs at a high rate. The hormone testosterone, and its derivative DHT, are responsible for decreasing the size of hair follicles later in life.

"If you have a genetic predisposition, there's circulating DHT and that causes the hair to fall out," said dermatologist Craig Ziering. "So the cycle gets shorter and shorter and the hairs get smaller and wimpier and then have no cosmetic benefit."

In 1989, the FDA banned nonprescription hair creams, lotions, and other external products that claimed to grow hair or prevent baldness. However, advertisements for products that suggest they can re-grow hair are still out there.

There are currently two FDA-approved treatments for hair loss:
Propecia/Finasteride: This drug was originally used to treat the enlargement of the prostate gland, and was then approved to treat male pattern hair loss. It comes in the form of a pill taken once a day and costs about $50 a month. It stops the conversion of testosterone to DHT, which lowers the levels of DHT in the blood and scalp, according to the AMA.  Side effects could include a loss of sex drive, reversible impotence, and a decrease in the quantity of semen, according to the AMA.

Women are not allowed to take the drug because of a risk of birth defects. Women who may become pregnant should not even handle broken or crushed tablets.

Rogaine/Minoxidil: Rogaine is a topical solution and is applied twice a day. Studies show it may help grow hair in 10 to 20 percent of those who use it, and may slow the rate of hair loss for 90 percent, according to the AMA. When it works, it appears to prolong the growing stage of the hair growth cycle, enlarge the follicles, and cause follicles at rest to grow. It's generally more effective for younger men and those whose hair loss is recent, according to the AMA.  It may take up to four months or longer to show results. It costs under $20 a month and has to be applied indefinitely. New hair is often not as long or as thick as the normal hair. And if use of the minoxidil is stopped, any regrown hair will fall out. Possible side effects include irritation of the scalp.

"There's billions of dollars spent each year on all these lotions, potions, and snake oils. They promise a full head of hair and people become disillusioned with this,” said Ziering.

Ziering also urges consumers to use the FDA-approved treatments. However, he also suggests that if someone wants to try a product — and after all, everybody wants them to work — they should do it in conjunction with an FDA-approved drug so they're not losing more hair, and do it under the guidance of a physician.

"I have noticed that in general, many men who are bothered by their hair loss don't act. They don't do anything about it," said Ziering. "When we ask them why, the number one reason is denial. They just don't think they're that bad off, or they don't think it's going to get any worse. I think the important thing to stress is that hair loss is progressive by nature."

MSNBC Today Show

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