Nothing seems to scare men more than the possibility that they may go bald. Men hope against hope that they escape baldness. Men see baldness as a sign of aging and obviously they wouldn't want to be perceived to be old by the opposite sex, especially if they are not that old anyways. Baldness does give the impression that a man is older than he actually is, so perhaps this fear is understandable. Although, the "skin is in" group would disagree and argue perhaps that bald is sexy and men shouldn't fear it; in fact, welcome it and opt for it rather. But, lets get real here. Many men wouldn't subscribe to that point of view. So, assuming that they are looking for options to restore their lost hair/reduce hair loss, or find a cure for their baldness, what are the options they have? Let us discuss a few of the options before bald or balding men.

HAIR TRANSPLANTS - A CURE FOR BALDNESS?

For those who don't quite understand what hair transplant entails, here's how it works. Apparently, the hair that grows at the back of your head is genetically more durable. So, doctors remove a section of skin, bearing hairs, from the back of your head and stitch the area in question. Next, they make holes where they want to implant the hairs (using a laser or scalpel) and in these holes they deposit tiny micrografts (i.e. tiny sections of skin containing 1 or 2 hairs per section). Seems quite tedious - doesn't it? Well, it is! This process may have to be repeated multiple times some time down the line. The natural effect can take anywhere from half a year to a year to show. Hair transplants are not for the poor. They can set you back by $3000 to $11,000 - depending on the number of sittings/visits required by you.

DRUG TREATMENTS FOR HAIR GROWTH:

The drug, Minoxidil, which is actually a high blood pressure medicine has been shown to be effective in treatment for baldness. This drug, (also known by its brand name as Rogaine), has been shown to stop hair loss and promote hair growth. The hair growth promoting aspect of Minoxidil was discovered by accident and its not quite understood how it really works. However, the important thing is it it has been shown to work, although seemingly it works better in men in the age group of 18 to early 40s, also among men who don't have a large surface area of hair loss.

Rogaine is available in three forms; in the form of a gel, as a foam, and lastly as a liquid. For best results, you need to leave the Rogaine on the hair for 4 hours or greater, after which time you can wash it out. The fact that you need to leave it on your hair could cause some inconvenience with styling the hair. Rogaine has been approved by FDA for treatment for hair loss, so you need not worry about any potential harmful effects other than the normal side effects, which may include scalp irritation, itching, etc.

There is a 2% version as well as a 5% version of Rogaine available over-the-counter. Users of both versions have claimed success rates of between 30% to 60% with the users of the 5% version claiming more success. Rogaine can by the way be purchased over-the-counter and does not need prescription.

Another drug that has been approved by the FDA for hair loss treatment is Propecia (finasteride). This drug was also originally used for another purpose, i.e. treating prostate conditions as the drug Proscar. However, just as Minoxidil, the developers of the drug realized that it had an interesting side effect - that of growing hair on bald mens' heads.

There are of course literally hundreds of cure baldness treatments out there, mostly alternative medicine based, herbal, et al. However, the treatments described above are the ones that have been proven to work for sure (as far as I know).