Medical Library

Welcome to our medical library. Here you’ll find easy-to-read articles that cover everything you need to know about male and female hair loss, as well as overall hair health and wellness. They’re all reviewed by our doctors, so you can trust that they’re scientifically accurate. 

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Hair HealthCGI rendered image of hairs emerging from scalp to illustrate the hair growth cycle.

How Does Hair Grow? The Hair Growth Cycle

The hair growth cycle can be broken down into three main stages that describe the process through which the hair follicle produces a healthy hair. These stages are anagen, catagen and telogen.

Hair Loss CausesMan caressing hair experiencing the early signs of androgenetic alopecia.

What Is Androgenetic Alopecia?

Having great hair is an instant confidence boost. But for some, androgenetic alopecia (also known as male pattern baldness) can put a damper on things. The cause of this type of hair loss is mainly...

Hair loss treatmentsSurgeon performing hair transplant on patient who will need to take finasteride after transplant.

Finasteride After Hair Transplant

You may be wondering you still need to take finasteride after undergoing a surgical hair transplant. In general, it's highly recommended that you continue to take finasteride to slow down the thinn...

Hair HealthMan with advanced hair loss according to the Hamilton Norwood scale.

What is the Hamilton-Norwood scale?

Male pattern hair loss is assessed using a tool called the Hamilton-Norwood scale. A person's Norwood score provides a visual indication of how advanced their hair loss is and can provide valuable ...

Hair HealthYoung man lifting weights exploring relationship between working out and hair loss

Does Working Out Cause Hair Loss?

Exercise temporarily increases levels of testosterone and the stress hormone cortisol. Reactive oxygen species (ROS), which are metabolic byproducts, also increase in concentration. Do these change...

Hair HealthMan touching thyroid gland for signs of hypothyroidism leading to hair loss.

Hormones and Hair Loss: Hypothyroidism

Thyroid hormones and thyroid dysfunction can have dramatic effects on hair health. It's important to be aware of the differences between hair loss due to the thyroid and other causes, as treatment ...

Hair HealthYoung man in mirror worried about link between testosterone and hair loss.

Does testosterone cause hair loss?

It's no secret that androgens contribute to the development of pattern hair loss in people with a family history of hair loss. But does testosterone cause hair loss? Or is the hormone story a bit m...

Hair HealthMan shampooing his hair demonstrating how to practice optimal scalp health.

Scalp Health: 101

The scalp is more than just a layer of skin on your head. It's the foundation for great hair and requires adequate hygiene, nutrition and protection to function optimally.

Hair loss treatmentsMan holding comb experiencing finasteride shedding.

Finasteride Shedding

Shedding while taking finasteride is actually a common response to a new hair loss treatment and in most cases is not a cause for concern. It's usually an indication that your hair loss treatment i...

Hair loss treatmentsDoctor discussing finasteride vs dutasteride with his patient.

Finasteride vs Dutasteride

Dutasteride and finasteride are both effective medications for pattern hair loss. But it can be difficult to know which of the two is right for you. There are a few things that require consideratio...

Hair HealthYoung female doctor holding up a model of scalp anatomy.

Scalp Anatomy: The 5 Layers Of The Scalp

The scalp consists of five specialized tissue layers that protect the skull and provide structure for hair follicles. It's also the means through which oxygen and nutrients access developing hairs.

Hair loss treatmentsSmears of topical finasteride cream to show difference in texture compared to oral finasteride.

Topical Finasteride vs. Oral Finasteride

Finasteride is a clinically proven treatment for men’s hair loss and is available in several different forms. The route of administration of finasteride has some important implications for cost, sa...

Female Hair LossDrop of topical finasteride for women on female fingertip.

Topical Finasteride For Women

Female pattern hair loss has unique underlying causes. For this reason, women don't necessarily respond the finasteride treatment the same way men do. There are special risks associated with taking...

Hair loss treatmentsConcerned man considering stopping finasteride for hair loss.

Stopping Finasteride

Treating hair loss often requires commitment and medications like finasteride may need to be taken indefinitely in order to stop the progression of pattern hair loss. There are some important reaso...

Hair loss treatmentsMan examining hair wondering why he's still losing hair on finasteride.

Still Losing Hair On Finasteride

Although it’s a highly effective treatment for androgenetic hair loss (male pattern hair loss), there are some patients who will continue to lose their hair while taking finasteride. It can be a fr...

Hair loss treatmentsLiquid in a test tube demonstrating concentration differences in the optimal finasteride dosage.

What Is The Optimal Finasteride Dosage for Hair Loss?

Finasteride is the most clinically-effective, FDA-approved medication used to combat male pattern hair loss. The approved dosage is 1 mg/daily, but pharmacy compounding allows doctors to prescribe ...

Hair loss treatmentsMan with dark hair with early signs of receding hair line who might benefit from dutasteride for hair loss.

Dutasteride for Hair Loss

Dutasteride has been used for around 20 years to treat prostate enlargement in men. But much more recently, this drug has gained popularity as an off-label treatment for male pattern hair loss.

Hair Loss CausesDoctor discussing options for best medication for hair loss with his patient.

What Is The Best Medication For Hair Loss?

Minoxidil, finasteride and dutasteride are popular medications used to treat male pattern hair loss. When it comes to deciding which agent is right for you, there are a few key things to consider, ...

Hair loss treatmentsSmear of gel demonstrating example texture of liposomal finasteride gel.

Liposomal Finasteride Gel

Compounding finasteride into a liposomal gel is one method of delivering finasteride directly to the scalp. A liposomal finasteride gel has many potential benefits, including increased permeatio...

Hair loss treatmentsBrown glass bottle and pipette of serum containing best natural ingredients for hair growth.

6 Best Natural Ingredients for Hair Growth

Research has pointed to the benefits of using natural ingredients to help grow hair. Natural ingredients target different aspects of hair growth. Some increase blood flow to optimize nutrient excha...

Hair loss treatmentsMan assessing tablets of finasteride 5mg in his hand.

Finasteride 5mg vs 1mg

You’ve probably noticed that oral finasteride is available as a 1mg or 5mg tablet. The 5mg tablet hasn’t been approved by the FDA as a hair loss treatment, but there are rare instances when a docto...

Hair loss treatmentsCloseup of rosemary plant known for its hair growth benefits.

Rosemary Oil For Hair Growth

Rosemary oil may be beneficial to hair growth and scalp health and help manage the signs of androgenetic alopecia as a result of its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and DHT-blocking capabilities.

Hair HealthCloseup of red clover plant, the source of red clover extract known for its hair growth benefits.

Red Clover Extract for Hair: Can Red Clover Help Regrow Hair?

XYON’s shampoo and conditioner line features red clover extract as a key ingredient. It's been found to help stimulate hair growth, thicken hair and reduce scalp inflammation and may be helpful in ...

Hair HealthMan in shower using saw palmetto shampoo to help with hair loss.

Saw Palmetto Shampoo: Does It Help With Hair Loss?

Saw palmetto, the active ingredient in saw palmetto shampoo, has been found to have DHT-lowering capabilities, similar to finasteride and dutasteride. In this way, saw palmetto shampoo may be a use...