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Treatments on the NHS
If you're suffering from hair loss, it might be helpful to know what you're entitled to treatment on the NHS. Available treatments are limited, but there are plenty of non-prescription treatments available. Synthetic (acrylic) wigs are available free of charge on the NHS, as long as you satisfy the following conditions:
• You are under 16 years old, or between 16 and 19 years old and in full time education
• You have your treatment as an inpatient (meaning you stay in hospital overnight)
• You or your partner are getting Income Support, Income based Jobseeker’s Allowance or the guarantee credit of Pension Credit
• You have an NHS tax credit exemption certificate
• Are named on a valid HC2 certificate
(Source: National Health Service)
If you are entitled to a free wig the NHS will provide you with a new one every 6 months if required.
Wigs aside, there are other treatments available. Finasteride is one such treatment. Although it's not available on the NHS, it is available on private prescription from your GP. Two-thirds of men who take the daily pill experience some hair re-growth and, in the remaining third, hair loss slows down or stops. There are side effects, but they're uncommon – 2 in every 100 men will experience a drop in sex drive. There's another downside, too – the effects of the drug won't be seen for at least 4 months.
Another treatment that's available is Minoxidil. It's available without prescription from most pharmacies and is a lotion which is applied to the head. It's the only available treatment for female pattern baldness. If you're a woman, seek out the 2% strength variant, rather than the male 5% variant. It helps hair to grow in 20-25% of women who use it.
If you're suffering from alopecia, the autoimmune condition that causes hair loss, then there is currently no effective treatment that can help. Some find that steroid creams or injections can encourage hair to grow, but it is very dependent on the individual. Minoxidil lotion may also help. The good news for alopecia sufferers is that hair grows back in 60%-80% of cases within a year without any treatment.
Further reading:
http://cks.library.nhs.uk/patient_information_leaflet/hair_loss/treatment#-277917
• You are under 16 years old, or between 16 and 19 years old and in full time education
• You have your treatment as an inpatient (meaning you stay in hospital overnight)
• You or your partner are getting Income Support, Income based Jobseeker’s Allowance or the guarantee credit of Pension Credit
• You have an NHS tax credit exemption certificate
• Are named on a valid HC2 certificate
(Source: National Health Service)
If you are entitled to a free wig the NHS will provide you with a new one every 6 months if required.
Wigs aside, there are other treatments available. Finasteride is one such treatment. Although it's not available on the NHS, it is available on private prescription from your GP. Two-thirds of men who take the daily pill experience some hair re-growth and, in the remaining third, hair loss slows down or stops. There are side effects, but they're uncommon – 2 in every 100 men will experience a drop in sex drive. There's another downside, too – the effects of the drug won't be seen for at least 4 months.
Another treatment that's available is Minoxidil. It's available without prescription from most pharmacies and is a lotion which is applied to the head. It's the only available treatment for female pattern baldness. If you're a woman, seek out the 2% strength variant, rather than the male 5% variant. It helps hair to grow in 20-25% of women who use it.
If you're suffering from alopecia, the autoimmune condition that causes hair loss, then there is currently no effective treatment that can help. Some find that steroid creams or injections can encourage hair to grow, but it is very dependent on the individual. Minoxidil lotion may also help. The good news for alopecia sufferers is that hair grows back in 60%-80% of cases within a year without any treatment.
Further reading:
http://cks.library.nhs.uk/patient_information_leaflet/hair_loss/treatment#-277917