How To Find Your Perfect Hair Treatment Combo (Oral vs. Topical Hair Loss Treatment)

posted in Women's Hair Loss on Jan 13, 2025

Is your hair starting to thin? Female hair loss is more common than people think, with upwards of 40% of women aged 50 and up reporting some degree of hair loss.


Whether you’re in need of a hair growth treatment to address hair loss or you’re looking to take your hair game to the next level with a hair treatment, it’s important to gain a clear understanding of what hair treatments will work best for your hair. There are so many different types of hair as well as different types of hair loss. Understanding what your hair needs is the key to finding your perfect hair treatment combo. 

What type of hair loss are you experiencing?

The main types of hair loss are  telogen effluvium and androgenetic alopecia, both of which can cause you hair loss or thinning. Telogen effluvium typically consists of more temporary hair loss and can be caused by any significant physical stressor, while androgenetic alopecia has long-lasting effects and usually develops as a receding hairline, thinning or widening part.



Telogen Effluvium

Telogen effluvium is a form of hair loss characterized by hair thinning or an increase in hair shedding. It occurs more often in women and is typically  triggered by a disturbance to the hair cycle. Disturbances to the hair cycle can be caused by a number of triggers, such as:

  • Severe stress. 

  • Poor diet. 

  • Sudden weight loss. 

  • Pregnancy and childbirth.  

  • Menopause. 

  • Certain drugs. 

  • Underlying health conditions.

  • Surgery. 

  • Metal toxicity.

Androgenetic alopecia

Androgenetic alopecia is a form of hair loss that is common in both men and women. The pattern of hair loss in women is different from male-pattern baldness. In women, the hair becomes thinner all over the head, and the hairline does not recede. Androgenetic alopecia in women rarely leads to total baldness.

Androgenetic alopecia in men has been associated with several other medical conditions including coronary heart disease and enlargement of the prostate, prostate cancer, disorders of insulin resistance and high blood pressure (hypertension). In women, this form of hair loss is associated with an increased risk of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS).


Other types of hair loss include Anagen effluvium, Alopecia Areata, Tinea Capitis, and Cicatricial Alopecia which can result from medical treatments such as chemotherapy, infections, and diseases. When speaking with your assigned Musely dermatologist about your hair loss, they will look at a variety of factors and identify possible causes in order to better assess which hair loss treatment is the best fit for your scalp.

Scarring and Non scarring hair loss

Scarring hair loss is typically caused by inflammation that results in destruction of the hair follicle and can lead to irreversible hair loss. However, if the condition is treated early, it is sometimes possible to regrow hair. Causes of hair follicle destruction include fungal infection, chemicals such as hair relaxers, mechanical traction, and inflammatory disorders. 

 

Non-scarring alopecias are more common than scarring alopecias and include male and female pattern hair loss, alopecia areata, telogen effluvium, and trichotillomania as well as other less common conditions. Musely’s hair loss treatments work for nonscarring hair loss conditions. Fortunately, both telogen effluvium and androgenetic alopecia are considered nonscarring hair loss conditions and are therefore more receptive to treatment. 

No matter where you are in your hair loss journey, it is likely that your hair loss is treatable. 


Musely offers treatment for hair loss in both a prescription oral medication and a topical medication, known as The Hair Pill and The Hair Solution, which can be formulated with just minoxidil, minoxidil and spironolactone or minoxidil and dutasteride.


Getting the right prescription

Now that you’ve identified your hair loss and what type it is, it’s time to choose a prescription. Do you go with a pill or serum- which one is better?

Of course, it depends on what type of hair loss you are experiencing, how aggressively you want to treat your hair loss,  as well as what kind of hair growth routine will be the most comfortable for you.


Topical: You may not be a fan of taking pills. In that case, you should try The Hair Solution, a topical minoxidil. There are also different versions of it available at different percentages of potency. Your assigned dermatologist will work with you to determine which level is best for your hair growth journey. Topical treatment is the best option for patients who are committed to regular use of the topical treatment. The Solution is applied twice daily and can be applied directly to targeted areas. 


Oral: Your dermatologist may recommend taking the oral hair pill if a topical minoxidil causes irritation on the scalp or if it hasn’t worked or you want an easier routine. Being able to maintain a precise and consistent routine of applying the serum is great! However, oftentimes the pill is preferred as it is easy, convenient and all in one. Topical minoxidil can often be more difficult to apply as it needs to be applied twice a day for maximum results. If you are the type to struggle with maintaining a consistent regimen, oral minoxidil may be the way to go as it’s much easier to remember to take a daily pill. Taking oral minoxidil also means that you aren’t putting the medication directly on your hair. Instead, it works from the inside, so it doesn’t affect the texture or quality of your existing hair like a topical solution might do. Clinical studies show that both the topical and oral solutions are equally effective in reducing hair loss, but are even better when used together!


The Hair Pill is formulated with dual action ingredients for hair loss offense and defense that simultaneously prevent hair loss and promote hair growth. It is available in three powerful formulas: Sprout, Bloom, and Growth. Musely Medical Director, Dr. Brandon Kirsch, shared, "The combination of two synergistic prescription-strength ingredients in a single hair pill, along with curated vitamin and mineral supplements, is something that has never been done before." The Bloom formula contains Minoxidil 1mg and Dutasteride 0.4mg and is prescribed to women over the age of 45. The Sprout formula contains Minoxidil 1mg and Spironolactone 60mg and is prescribed to women under 45. Lastly, the Growth Formula contains Minoxidil 1mg and is prescribed to men. Each formula includes additional supplements including, Biotin 1mg, Vitamin C 100mcg, Vitamin D 62.5mcg, Folic Acid 400mcg and Zinc 8mg.

Offense

What we mean by having an offensive hair loss treatment is driving growth. And how is this done? With Minoxidil! Minoxidil acts as the "offense" for hair loss by opening blood vessels to increase blood flow and promote oxygen and nutrient delivery to the hair follicles thus shortening the telogen (resting) phase of the hair and causing the hair to enter the anagen (growing) phase more quickly.


Defense

In terms of defensive hair loss treatment, this means slowing down the rate at which the hair sheds and speeding up the regrowth process. not all hair loss products should be treated equally. Which ingredients are scientifically proven to be more effective at treating hair loss? In addition to low-dose oral minoxidil, hair regrowth has also been observed in the use of two other prescription oral medications - dutasteride and spironolactone. 


Dutasteride acts as hair loss "defense" by preventing the production of the 5-alpha reductase and blocking the dihydrotestosterone (DHT) hormone. Spironolactone also helps defend your scalp from hair loss by slowing down testosterone production. Reduced production of these hormones can prevent the progression of hair loss caused by nonscarring hair loss such as androgenic alopecia or telogen effluvium.


Paired Together: Pairing The Hair Solution and The Hair Pill together is a great way to help maximize your results and speed up possible hair regrowth and prevent any further hair loss. If you are experiencing balding or hair thinning, combining the treatments is the holy grail of treating your hair loss. When used together, they can deliver rapid and long term results! Check out the Hair Solution Set.

How they work: 


The Hair Solution is a topical minoxidil treatment which works by speeding up your hair’s growth cycle. Hair follicles go through four different stages before they reach a resting period and eventually start shedding. Minoxidil works by putting your hair follicles into the anagen phase prematurely, causing hair follicles to move through the resting and shedding phases before they start to regrow. This results in a faster hair cycle and helps stimulate new hair growth. The Hair Pill is an oral minoxidil treatment which works by opening up the blood vessels which helps to encourage hair growth. By increasing blood flow and nutrient delivery, minoxidil is able to shorten the telogen (resting) phase of the hair and cause the hair to enter the anagen (growing) phase more quickly.


Some of our hair treatment formulas also contain Dutasteride which is used to combat hair loss and can also be used to regrow hair. Dutasteride has been shown to be 3 times more potent than finasteride, a hair loss ingredient known to be primarily effective for men and not women. Dutasteride is recommended for women over 45 or who are post menopausal. Some of our formulas also contain spironolactone, which is also an effective treatment for female pattern hair loss caused by androgenic alopecia. 

Embarking on your Hair Growth Journey


If you are experiencing any form of non-scarring hair loss, Musely can help you treat it with The Hair Solution and The Hair Pill. 


To start your journey with Musely, visit our site, select the hair loss category and add the treatment you are interested in to your cart. 


Each online doctor visit is $20, which gives you a valid prescription for one year, and a 60-Day Consultation Period with your assigned dermatologist. If you are interested in more than one treatment, we recommend ordering them at the same time, to avoid multiple doctor visit fees.


From here your assigned dermatologist will help guide you through the process of finding the perfect hair treatment for you. Remember, throughout this experience, your dermatologist will be the best source to turn to in order to help you maximize your hair growth results!


In order to get a better idea of how long you may need to continue treatment, our dermatologists can help provide you with plenty of helpful information to guide you along your journey and maximize your hair growth results!


Another key factor to ensuring effective hair growth results is maintaining Auto-refill for your Musely treatment. This is the best way to help you stay consistent with your treatment thus providing more effective results and avoiding losing more hair.