A simple Google search on herbal hair loss products will return almost a million sites. Bewildering? It shouldn’t be, the fact is there are only four recognised and proven treatments for hair loss.
The Kneejerk Reaction
The desire to find a treatment, any treatment, that might arrest, or at least slow down, the terrible advance of hair loss is completely understandable. Very few among us can handle the discovery of more hairs than normal on the comb, or a shower plughole clogged with hair for the very first time. The normal reaction is an instant forensic examination of your scalp with the most hypercritical eye.
The power of the web today is such that within seconds the new sufferer can immerse themselves in researching their options. It is invariably done from a starting position of knowing nothing, people with full heads of healthy hair have little time for reading about the causes and treatments for hair loss. It can be this combination of access to vast amounts of information and a zero start that leads some down a garden path of promises – usually centred around a promise of a return to flowing locks.
Time for some facts about what really works:
Propecia
Marketed as Finasteride this is taken as a daily pill, forever. A trusted product that has earned its stripes. FDA approved it works by blocking the hormone that causes the hair loss – It does not work on everyone but can be effective against further hair loss. Unfortunately it is not available to women due to issues around potential side effects on pregnant women.
Minoxidil
Like Propecia, Minoxidil has earned our respect by it’s longevity on the market. It comes either as a foam or a liquid and is applied daily to the hair and scalp. Available in a choice of strengths and for women to use it is the only other FDA approved medication on the market.
Laser Treatment
Low level lasers have been shown in trial to improve growth and general scalp health.
Platelet Rich Plasma Therapy (PRP)
The most recent addition to the list PRP uses the patients own blood, which is enriched with platelets and re-injected directly into the patients scalp. It is a treatment that has proven effective for sports stars in recovery from injury and works by supporting the bodies own healing processes.
Don’t Believe The Hype!
It is over-optimistic to hope that any of the other treatments you will discover online will be of any help in your situation as a new hair loss sufferer. This is not the 16th Century and you will not be suffering so badly from a vitamin deficiency that your hair has started to fall out. By all means invest in those herbs and potions that you think might help, they will almost certainly do nothing for you… and there is the odd cautionary tale from China of young men killing themselves by overdosing on a herbal remedy.
Do not be fooled, if you are serious on doing something about your hair loss you will need to choose from the list above. If you are determined to return to your original state your choices are hair systems or transplants… with Scalp Micropigmentation (SMP) now the fastest growing alternative to these mainstays.
