4 effective hair-loss treatments we discovered in 2022

Hilary BrueckDec 27, 2022, 05:01 IST

Most people will experience some hair loss or thinning as they age.Prostock-Studio/Getty Images

A hair loss researcher says 2022 was "actually a very big year."
A whole new class of drugs came to market to treat a common, patchy hair loss condition.

Losing your hair can be frustrating because there aren't a ton of great options for treatment.

For decades, doctors have essentially relied on two proven medications: Rogaine, a topical liquid or foam that must be applied to the scalp routinely, or Propecia, an oral tablet and prostate medication that sometimes works to control and prevent male pattern baldness.

But this year, multiple new options have emerged to treat hair loss in people of every gender, each with promising years of research behind it.

"I realize I'm biased as somebody who studies hair, but I think 2022 was actually a very big year for lots of things hair-related," Dr. Arash Mostaghimi, a dermatologist and hair researcher at Harvard and Brigham and Women's Hospital, told Insider.

Here's what's new:

Dermatologists discovered a much cheaper way to use the active ingredient in Rogaine

Oral minoxidil is used to treat blood pressure, but a much smaller dose can do wonders for hair loss, dermatologists say.MirageC/Getty Images

In 2022, the FDA finally approved a treatment for alopecia areata, the balding condition Jada Pinkett Smith has

ANGELA WEISS/AFP via Getty Images

The new drug is called Olumiant, and it's a once-a-day pill for adults with severe alopecia areata

Rep. Ayanna Pressley has been open about her alopecia areata diagnosis.Drew Angerer/Getty Images

2 more alopecia areata treatments reached late-stage trials this year, and could hit the market soon

Alex Papp/Getty Images

This year, we also got the first ever comprehensive study of supplements for hair loss

Unlike male pattern hair loss, female pattern hair loss usually presents as a widening part.Su Phrrs'a Can Thrta Wang / EyeEm / Getty Images

But using supplements for hair loss might just be a waste of money

Getty Image

What's next? Training skin to regrow hair, without the need for transplants

Hair transplants are another option for people with hair loss, but they require hair from somewhere else on a patient's body.LA Hair Clinic

The 6 best exercises and fitness tips that helped the Insider health team gain muscle, boost endurance, and feel great in 2022

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