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Hair Loss
There are a growing (pardon the pun)
number of options open to you when you decide to do something about
your hair loss. We'll go over each of them in this article, along
with providing links for products and more information.
1) Topical Regrowth Applications
Minoxidil-based products have enjoyed booming
sales in recent years, especially since they have been approved for over-the
counter sales. Rogaine is the name brand, but there are lots of generic brands
out there seeking to underprice Rogaine. You can get 2% Minoxidil or extra
strength 5%. Rogaine/Minoxidil does work for some people, provided your bald
spot is on the crown, or vortex of the head. It is not recommended for receding
hairlines.
There are plenty of other topical-based hair
regrowth formulas out there, from the heavily advertised Avacor and Kevis to
lesser known brands such as Follicure and Revivogen, which are priced lower
and make the same general claims. Some of these topical products also offer
oral supplements.
They all site the same basic reason for male-pattern
baldness: a hormone called DHT. DHT is produced from testosterone
in the prostate, various adrenal glands, and the scalp. DHT actually gets
within the hair follicle, and after a period of time, an overabundance of DHT
causes the hair follicle to degrade and shortens the active phase of the hair.
The main thrust of these products is to combat the DHT, topically and sometimes
internally.
Another factor that has been linked to hair
loss is the amount of sebum in the scalp. Sebum contains a high amount of DHT,
and clogs pores in the scalp, both of which cause the malnutrition of the hair
root. The amount of sebum in balding hair is related to the amount of oil in
the hair. most doctors agree that frequent shampooing is advised in hair loss
cases with oily scalps.
You'll find testimonials to support all of
these products, but you're best off trying them for yourself. Make sure the
guarantee period exceeds the amount of time they say to wait before expecting
results. These non-Minoxidil products do claim to handle
the hairline as well as the vortex (bald spot). The best place we've found
on the web to buy these products is Folica.com
.
2) Surgical Hair Restoration
You've probably seen the infomercials, seen
the ads in the sports section for "4000 grafts for half price!".
Well, half price is still a lot of money. There is big money in surgical hair
replacement, but for some men, it is what they want, and they are happy with
the results. If you are beyond being able to benefit from topical treatments,
or if you want a fast and expensive solution to your hairloss problem, surgical
hair replacement might just be for you.
This is where the doctor cuts a swath of hair-populated
scalp from the back of your head, sews the area back up, and cuts the strip
he removed into small plugs that he inserts into the balding areas. There is
also a technique called "scalp-reduction", where they actually cut away hairless
skin on your head, so the areas with hair are pushed forward. They've got lots
of clever surgical tricks these days.
If you can stand all of this cutting
and pasting on your head, the results
attainable are far better than the old Ken Doll look that early hair plugs gave
you. You'll want to meet your surgeon, and hopefully see some of his work before
putting your appearance in his hands.
3) Hair Loss Concealers
There are actually some excellent products in
this category, provided your hair loss is not advanced. If you're a cue ball,
these products will not work for you, but if your hair is thinning to a point
where your scalp is more visible than you'd like, there are a few very affordable
products that could help you out a lot. The two main ones are Toppik and Couvre.
Toppik is a complex of tiny, microfiber "hairs" that
blend with your hair. Toppik fibers are made of the same organic Keratin protein
as your own hair, The manufacturer claims that they "stick" on to
your hair through some sort of static charge. You sprinkle it on like a salt
shaker. Some users seem to think that the stuff just falls on to your scalp,
as opposed to binding with the hairs themselves. Either way, it does work.
If you keep your hair at least slightly long, a bald spot can virtually disappear
with this stuff, and it does stay on pretty well, even through wind and moisture.
You might want to be careful with a white pillow, though. Toppik also sells
a hair spray that they recommend for holding it on better.
Couvre has a lot of happy customers as well
- it relies on the same principle of lessening the contrast between hair color
and scalp color. Couvre is a lotion - it comes with an applicator, and you
basically sponge it on. Like Toppik, Couvre will stay on even through moisture
until you shampoo it out. It won't start running down your face if you get
caught in the rain.
There are other hair loss concealers, including
aerosol sprays and similar products to Toppik and Couvre. They all have their
limitations, and again, the best place on the net to view and purchase these
products is Folica.com.
4) Oral Treatments
There are quite a few oral treatments for thinning
hair - everything from vitamins to prescription drugs like Propecia. The "possible
sexual side effects" warning with prescription drugs like Propecia is
enough to scare me off. You can go to Folica.com, or a Health Food Store and
see many different vitamin formulations designed to support healthy hair. Some
formulations are sold as part of an overall program - like Avacor and similar
products. I'm sure there is some benefit to be had in these "hair vitamins",
but most balding folk want something a bit more powerful. If you can afford
it, it's probably not a bad idea to take them in addition to whatever else
you do to combat your thinning hair.
There is a product called
Procerin that claims to restore hair much the same way that Propecia does
- by blocking DHT - without drugs. They use herbs, etc., and offer a 90-day
guarantee. And they do say you'll see results before the 90 days are up. Sounds promising.
I'll be trying it soon and reporting back here on the site .
5) Shampoos for Thin Hair
There are also plenty of shampoos
for thin hair out there. The shampoos will generally be either "thickening" shampoos
or "anti-sebum".
Do they work? Hard for anyone to say, not many scientific studies have
been done on them. You may want to have one of each type. I personally have
used an anti-sebum shampoo for years, and I think it helps, so I keep using
it. I have to say I don't see as much hair on the pillow since I started using
it. Again, the best place to check out the selection is at Folica.com.
6) Home Remedies/Books
Finally worth mentioning are the many home
remedies and books out there all cliaming to handle hair loss "naturally".
These are all well and good, and for all I know may work just fine. The problem
with them seems to be the amount of time and effort involved with reading the
book, then procuring the ingredients, mixing them together, or cooking
them, making some sort of paste or whatever, applying them in the way proscribed,
and then following through with it day after day, week after week. In a fast-paced
society such as ours, most people won't have the time and patience to use these.
I can speak from experience on this one. I have several books at the house
on home baldness remedies, and have never used a single one.
