Hair loss is one of any man (or woman’s ) biggest fears about getting older. The most recent news about treatment for hair loss of all kinds is a mixed bag though.

Hair transplants do work in many cases, and they do look far more natural than they used to in years gone by. However, they are still extremely expensive and unlikely to go down in price any time soon.

The concept of the hair transplant to treat hair loss has been around since the 1950’s. Improvements in technique have increased by leaps and bounds but it still takes a team of surgeons and at least five hours to perform a single successful hair transplant operation, which goes a long way to explaining the fact that even the most inexpensive transplant cannot be found in the Unites States for under $8,000.

Why does the surgery take so long you might wonder, and why use a large surgical team (as many as nine surgeons are employed at one time working on a single patient) That is because the business of a hair transplant these days is so minute.

The most recent, and many agree natural looking, technique for hair loss reversal is a procedure called follicular unit transplantation. Moving away from the old fashioned “clump transplant” technique single “follicular units”, consisting of one to four hair follicles and some amount of tissue, are transplanted one at a time, making for a very labor intensive treatment indeed.

So what are the alternatives for those bothered by their hair loss but are unable to afford, or do not wish to undergo, hair transplant surgery?

In the US, the FDA has only approved two drugs so far to treat hair loss. Minoxidal, more commonly known as Rogaine is an over the counter product these days and about one quarter to one half of those who use it report a slowdown in the rate of hair loss and some do indeed see some regrowth. Minoxidal is approved for use by both men and women suffering from hair loss and the biggest drawbacks are the cost – $10-$15 per month – and the fact that it must be used on a continual basis. However for many it’s still a small price to pay for the chance to stop balding in its tracks.

The other FDA approved drug – finasteride – is more controversial. It is approved at the moment for use in women, and is a pill, rather than a topical solution like minoxidal. In larger doses it is used to treat an enlarged prostate gland as it blocks the conversion of testosterone to DHT. In reducing hair loss it has been shown to be more effective than minoxidal – about two thirds of users report good results – but as the side effects sometimes include loss of libido and impotence and it costs a lot more, about $75 a month it is not as popular.