Hair Loss: How to Choose the Right Products and Avoid Wasting Time and Money

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If your hair is thinning and you are reading this article you probably want to find a real solution to your hair loss problem; you are also probably trying to distinguish between a neutral review and one which, in fact, is trying to sell a specific product (often their own!).

Well, the first trick I learnt on the Internet when I was researching hair loss solutions was to independently check ingredients and what their specific action was; this way I was able to eliminate the money-time wasters and keep to the ones which have a proven track record of working really against hair falling.

Side Note: if your hair is falling in patches and you suffer from ‘alopecia areata’, the following paragraphs do not apply to you because ‘alopecia areata’ (boldness in patches) is either due to stress, fungal infections, specific reactions to certain drugs and so on; if you eliminate these causes (through your dermatologist or even general practitioner), your hair will grow back fully.

The Main Problem: general hair thinning, the most common form of hair loss men and women suffer from usually affects either the top of the head and (sometimes) the sides, or, especially for men, the top back area of your head). This is almost always due to the damaging effects of DHT, dihydrotestosterone, a testosterone-derived hormone which, on your scalp, binds to your hair follicles and weakens them, until they stop producing hair.

Don’t make this mistake: in this particular case, the general remedies of scalp massage, hair nutrients, hair oils, hair vitamins and minerals and so forth will not help. Why? Because, if DHT has ‘attached’ to your hair follicles, your hair cannot receive the nutrients it requires; so, no matter what you do, you need to make sure you either remove DHT from your scalp or you stop it from binding to your hair follicles. The rest (blood circulation, hair supplements, hair oils and so forth) is secondary and relevant only if the first problem is addressed. I hope this is clear, because I lost so much precious ‘hair life’ and so much money with useless products claiming to help my hair, when in fact they were not addressing the ‘DHT problem’, that I would not want you to make the same mistake. Once DHT is removed or not allowed to bind to the hair follicle, you can then nourish your hair and increase blood flow to it with good results.

Good hair supplements (useful in any case) usually are:

1) Vitamin A – a good hair, skin and scalp vitamin all around. Not only is it a good anti-oxidant but it also helps your scalp regulate its own production of sebum (scalp grease, which in itself can damage the hair follicle when in excess).

2) Vitamin E. Another good anti-oxidant, it also stimulates blood circulation (including circulation to your hair).

3) Vitamin B complex, which are important to keep good hair color and hair shine. They also stimulate blood circulation.

4) Iron (this is especially relevant to pre-menopausal women). Iron deficiency creates anemia which, even in mild form, ‘weakens’ your hair follicles to some extent. Always take iron with vitamin C to help your body to process the iron.

5) Green tea extract. It has a mild DHT-blocking effect (not enough by itself, but a good ‘help’ in conjunction with other supplements).

6) Scalp massage. I don’t do it, but many claim that massaging your scalp regularly for a few minutes a day (gently) promotes hair circulation and scalp health. Some add hair stimulating oils or skin soothing oils but, to avoid making a mistake, I would just do it without oils. I say this because you may be allergic to some oils and create scalp irritation.

A dermatologist may (if it’s suitable) prescribe large doses of Vitamin A, E, Iron, Vitamin C and so forth, but unless you are supervised by your doctor you should not exceed the maximum dose per day with vitamin A and Iron. Do your research, read the labels and do your math.

The key to stopping your hair thinning is, for most common forms of male and female hair loss, reducing DHT levels on your scalp and/or preventing DHT from binding to your hair.

You can buy over the counter products that can do this; if so, make sure you research each ingredient independently; many forums, articles, blogs and the like have some entries which are not genuine but rather a ‘hidden’ way to promote a specific product, one which they are selling themselves or are linked to financially in some way. So, the key is to read as much as you can from different sources and draw your own conclusion.

A great help: my hair loss was also accompanied by dandruff and scalp irritation (my scalp was very itchy at times for no apparent reason); this led me to research a few shampoos and other topical products and I luckily ‘stumbled’ across DHT-blocking shampoos (which you can find in most well-stocked pharmacies) and DHT-blocking topical products, which have made the world of difference to me. My hair has grown back, thankfully, and it does not fall as much as it used to. I continue to take the supplements indicated above but I would never stop using my hair-saving shampoo and my DHT-blocking drops.

About the ingredients: again, when you are about to purchase the product you have chosen, make sure you research each ingredient independently and don’t just believe the claims a product writes on the label or on their advertisement. Moreover, just because it states that it’s FDA-approved, it does not mean that it’s the best product or the most effective. For example, my chosen shampoo is FDA-approved against dandruff and other scalp conditions but I use it against hair loss (very effectively). So, do your research but rest assured that there are effective treatments to stop your hair from falling.