At least 2 months, though usually significantly longer. Many do not notice any apparent improvements until well after a year. Best results are often seen after the two-year mark. This is because hair follicles undergo a relatively long dormancy period in between growth cycles (usually about 3 months). In addition, hair only grows about 1/2 inch per month in non-thinning areas and usually considerably slower in thinning areas. Since it generally takes several cycles of growth/fallout/regrowth, with the hair getting thicker and longer each time, it can take a great deal of time to see noticeable improvement. Note that best regrowth results are seen with hair that was lost within the last five years and in areas of the scalp in which there is still some fine hair.

Please view our Women's Guide to Hair Loss Treatment and our Men's Guide to Hair Loss Treatment for specifics.

Treatments for individuals with Alopecia Areata (patchy hair loss), Alopecia Universalis and Alopecia Totalis are limited. Topical steroid injections are used for less severe Alopecia Areata, and experimenting with your dermatologist, or autoimmune specialist can yeild some results. You may wish to read more about these conditions in our Alopecia Guide, or talk with others also experiencing these more extreme forms of Alopecia in our Alopecia Community.