How To Avoid Getting Scammed By Hair Loss Treatments

One of the great things about living in this time is that men and women no longer have to face hair loss without a fight. These days, there are numerous effective hair loss baldness treatment products available, to help in your battle with balding . However, you must remember, as with any other product on earth, these treatments can also be scams. Here are some good tips to follow, so you can help to prevent getting ripped off by scams.

First, you should check data on the product via its website. Any legitimate company should at least offer a website for its product. So before you get ready to drop your money on a product, check its website first and see what it says it. A product’s website should have a clear and complete account of the causes of the condition and how its product’s features can deal with these causes. Additionally, the site data should appeal to your logic and common knowledge. Does the information it says make sense to you? Are the product and claims presented in an organized, professional and sensible manner?

Secondly, you need to perform your own research. It’s safe to assume that all manufacturers are going to tell you their product is amazing, but you shouldn’t just take their word for it. Before you buy a product, cross check what you have gathered from a website.Once you’ve done this, then start doing your own research. Look for reputable and reliable online scientific sites and journals. This is one way to see if a product site truly has the right information and if their treatment has a reasonable chance of working. You should also visit several other product sites. This will give you an opportunity to compare the product you’re considering along with other competing products. You can decide if the product in question is right for you, or if another one is instead. You can also be able to compare the prices and consider what is best for your budget as well, in case that is a concern.

Third, it would be a good idea to read reviews. This way you’ll be able to determine the effectiveness and overall popularity of the treatment. You want to find the reviews that are written by real people and consumers just like yourself, so their first hand information and experiences are unbiased and fair. Many product reviews are manufacturer-generated, which may seem unbiased at first, but in the end will always tell you to buy it. Every real review should contain both the pros and cons of the product. Some sites may also offer interactive forums, which may even better, because users are more honest and spontaneous.

Finally, you will want to know the contact information and policies. When you go on the product’s website, it should have the contact information listed somewhere. If there is a toll free number, you should call it and make sure it’s legit. Some scam sites may have fake numbers or numbers that will transfer elsewhere. When calling, you should make sure it’s a real person on the other end and ask them some basic questions about hair loss and any other questions you may have about the product. If they aren’t able to answer simple questions, then that might be a red flag. As for policies, make sure you carefully read and understand the terms. For example, some products may come with a money-back guarantee, but they may also have hidden conditions that you aren’t aware of, and if you violate those conditions, then you most likely won’t get a refund.

Coping With Baldness

Baldness is a medical condition that can cause emotional problems for those who are dealing with it, mainly because our society puts a lot of importance on hairsyles and our hair plays a big factor in how other people look at us. Losing hair is especially difficult for females, since the importance of their appearance and style is typically a much bigger concern than it is for a lot of men. Therefore, the emotional problems men face regarding baldness usually pales in comparison to the emotional problems balding women have.

Women who find themselves suddenly going bald may have many negative feelings, such as being unwanted, unattractive and not as worthwhile as other women . Eventhough women can wear wigs while being out in public, the people closest to them, such as their boyfriends and husbands know the truth about their hair, which in return makes the woman feel insecure.

Children who might be losing hair due to illness or medication has a very difficult emotional effect on them, because other kids don’t know and understand the side effects of such medications  as chemotherapy. Kids can be cruel and may tease the child for being bald, without realizing it is probably something out of his or her control. Meanwhile other kids may understand that the child who is balding due to an illness, but may be feel afraid of them, because they think they might catch the same illness.

Eventhough it’s typically more acceptable for men to cope with going bald, as opposed to women and children, it is still a major concern for a lot of them. The main reason why many men struggle with losing their hair, is because they know it’s a sign of aging and they are afraid of growing older. It can be a huge blow to their self-esteem and they may feel less confident in themselves.

Since every person is different, how each person deals with their own personal balding will vary. Some people may feel they must try to hide and disguise their baldness, in order to feel confident when they go out to the public, while some may come to terms with it and learn to accept it. However, for those who aren’t able to accept it and be happy, may find themselves developing many psychological effects, which can result in severe social anxiety and even serious depression. It’s essential for those dealing with hair loss to know that they can still live perfectly happy lives, even without hair. There are also many treatments available as well, that have been proven to be successful in many people dealing with baldness. While those treatments aren’t for everyone, and some people’s baldness simply can’t be stopped no matter what they do, there are other options they can consider. A few examples of these options could be changing their diets, getting a new wardrobe, or working out more to enhance their muscles. Doing these things could improve the person’s physical appearance and in return, may take much of the emphasis away from their balding problem.

Hair Loss in Children

If you’re a parent and you notice your child suddenly losing their hair, this might be a shocking and even scary thing. However, fortunately, the majority of children that suffer from hair loss have a type of condition that can easily be diagnosed by a pediatrician or a pediatric dermatologist.

The first type of condition is known as tinea capitis, and is the most common cause of hair loss in kids. It is a disease caused by a superficial fungal infection of the scalp, eyebrows and eyelashes. It is known for attacking hair shafts and follicles. This condition is considered to be a form of superficial mycosis or dermatophytosis. Some other names this disease is referred by are ringworm of the scalp and tinea tonsurans. In America and other parts of the world, the incidence of tinea capitis is on the rise. Children who get tinea capitis typically have patchy hair loss, including some broken-off hairs which can be seen just above the surface of the scalp. The hair loss patches are usually round or oval, but may be in irregular shapes as well. In some cases, the hairs are broken right at the surface, which gives the appearance of little black dots on the scalp. Gray flakes or scales, may be seen as well. The best way for your doctor to diagnosis any type of fungal infection in the skin is by scraping the area, then analyzing the specimen under a microscope to see if it contains fungi. Tinea capitis is typically treated with an antifungal, such as griseofulvin and is taken for 8 weeks via the mouth. A special shampoo, known as Nizoral shampoo, is also used to treat the condition, along with the oral medication.

Alopecia areata is another hair loss condition seen in some children. This disease will show up as the sudden appearance of round or oval patches of hair loss. These patches are totally bald and smooth, without any signs of inflammation, scaling or broken hairs. They can appear overnight or over the course of a few days. The disease is caused by the body’s immune system attacking the hair follicles. About 1 in every 1,000 children has alopecia areata, so it is fairly common. With proper treatment for alopecia areata, the large majority of patients will have all their hair back within a year, even possibly sooner. Children with this condition should be under the care of a dermatologist. A small percentage of children may develop alopecia totalis, which is the loss of all the hair on the scalp. However, as long as the condition is treated at its early stages, this should easily be avoided.

Lastly, trauma to hair shaft can cause hair loss in children. Many times this trauma is cased by traction or by friction. For example, if the child is consistently wearing tight braids, ponytails or have a habit of rubbing against a bed or wheelchair, they may develop this condition. Chemical burns can be another cause. Some children may also have a form of trauma hair loss known as trichotillomania, which is the habit of plucking or twirling the hair. This is considered to be an obsessive-compulsive disorder and may be very hard to treat, however, with proper cognitive and behavioral therapy, the child may be able to overcome the disorder. As long as the hair trauma was not severe or chronic enough to cause scarring, the hair lost will typically grow back as soon as the trauma stops.

Hair Loss Procedures You Should Avoid

Are you struggling with hair loss? Are you looking for treatments to help stop it or at least, slow done its progression? If so, you should be aware that a lot of physicians in this country and elsewhere often perform outdated and even risky hair restoration procedures.

The main reason they still resort to these techniques is mostly economical. In order to perform the latest cutting edge hair transplantation, a physician or group must upgrade the infastructure of their practice. They must hire and train a full time staff, as well as purchase binocular stereomicroscopes and possibly increase the size of their facility. Time also plays an important role, because quality hair restoration can take up to 10 hours, which is typically an entire work day. There is also a learning curve involved in the conversion of a practice, therefore, it may take several months to properly train the physicians and staff to get up them up to speed. For these reasons, many physicians will still use older techniques and procedures, which you will probably want to avoid.

One of these procedures is the flap and free-form flap. In this procedure, a flap of hair showing skin is moved from the side of the scalp to the front hairline by cutting it on three sides, but not seperating it from its blood supply or severing it totally from the scalp. This is considered a major surgery and is performed in a hospital setting. With the free-form flap, all hour sides are cut and the flap is entirely removed from the donor area so that its new location in the area with the hair loss can be placed in a direction of natural growth. This procedure isn’t recommended for men or women with common androgenetic alopecia and should be reserved for only patients who have severe disfigurements, including burn and serious accident victims. Many problems can arise from these two procedures, including necrosis, infection, loosened skin in the forehead, poor positioning of the flap and scars.

Another risky procedure still being performed is scalp reduction. This procedure is also known as alopecia reduction, galeoplasty or male pattern reduction, and can have many unattractive side effects. It is performed in the physician’s office under local anesthesia, and is done by cutting out the bald part of the scalp at the top of the head, with the edges of the closest hair bearing skin being sewn together. The hair-bearing scalp from either side is brought to meet in the middle. In some cases a permanent scar is left. Other problems may result as well, including an un-natural look, infection, blood pooling, suture reation and loss of hair for future transplants. The last mentioned problem can occur, because scalp reductions don’t save hair for later procedures, eventhough some physicians may claim they do so. The same section of permanent hair is stretched to cover the wider portion of the crown, which in return, thins the permanent hair that would be used as donor hair for a future transplantation.

Hair Loss Basics

On the human body, hair grows practically everywhere, with the exception of the palms of our hands and the soles of our feet. Our hair is made up of a protein known as keratin, which is also the same protein in our nails. This protein is produced in hair follicles in the outer layer of the skin. When follicles make new hair cells, the old cells get pushed out through the surface of the skin, at the rate of about 5 or 6 inches a year. In other words, the hair you see is really a string of dead keratin cells. An average adult has about 100,000 to 150,000 hairs on their head and loses as many as 100 per day, under normal conditions. You shouldn’t be alarmed if you noticed some stray hairs on your brush after you comb your hair, because it happens to everyone and it’s not out of the ordinary.

At any point in time, around 90% of the hair on a person’s scalp is growing. Every follicle has its a life cycle of its own, which can be influenced by disease, age and various other factors. There is three phases to this life cycle. The first phase is known as Anagen, which is active hair growth and lasts as few as two years or as much as six years. Second, there is Catagen, which is transitional and lasts just two to three weeks. Third, there is Telogen, which is the resting phase and lasts around two or three months. When this phase is over, the hair is shed and a new hair takes the place of it and the growing cycle begins over again.

The more people age, the slower their rate of hair growth gets. The gradual thinning of hair with age is natural and is known as involutional alopecia. This occurs when more and more hair follicles go into the telogen or “resting phase”, and the hairs that are left become shorter and less in number.

Another form of hair loss is called androgenic alopecia. This is a genetically predestined condition and affects men, as well as women. Men who have this condition may notice significant hair loss as young as their late teens or early 20s. As for women with this condition, they aren’t likely to have any major hair loss until over the age of 40. When men have this condition it’s typically referred to as “male pattern baldness” and when women have it, it’s commonly called “female pattern baldness”.

Even some children and young teens can get a form of alopecia, known as alopecia reata. With this condition, hair loss is usually patchy and its onset is sudden. There is a chance that it may result in complete baldness, but fortunately, in about 90% of the cases, the hair returns within a couple years. Another hair loss condition that mostly affects only children or mentally ill adults is trichotillomania. This is a psychological disorder, in which the person tears out their own hair.

Male Pattern Baldness Treatments

In recent years, medicine has made incredible breakthroughs in the treatment of men’s hair loss. With the introduction of 5-alpha-reductace inhibitors, such as Propecia, men living with unsightly hair loss is no longer completely inevitable. For the first time, it’s also finally possible to stop or at least slow down the progression of hair loss, as well as replace lost hair through restoration surgery, with natural results.

Unfortunately, while some hair loss treatments have been proved to be effective, there are many on the market today that provide little or no results.

You’ve likely seen commercials on tv or seen ads in magazines for hair loss treatments that claim miracles for men dealing with balding, but if those products aren’t approved by the FDA or recommended by the American Hair Loss Association, it’s probably safe to say that you would just be wasting your time and money with them.

They key to having successful treatment of hair loss, is by attacking the problem as early as possible. As soon as you start to notice unusual hair loss, it’s crucial that you take action and begin a treatment. The two most widely used and recommended treatments are Finasteride and Minoxidil.

Finasteride is the generic name, for such brand name medicines as Propecia and Proscar. Finasteride was actually not even orginally intended to be used as a balding treatment, in fact, it was developed to treat enlarged prostate glands. However, when patients began taking the drug, a side effect turned out to be hair growth. Once this was discovered, the makers of Finasteride began to develope finasteride as the first pill taken to treat male pattern baldness. At the time, the liquid solution, known as Minoxidil was already on the market. After being approved by the FDA in the late 1990′s, finasteride was available on the market and showed to be the first medicine in history to effectively treat male pattern baldness in the majority of those who took it. The reason why it’s so successful, is that it has the ability to inhibit 5-alpha-reductase, which is the enzyme that changes testosterone into a more powerful androgen dihydrotestosterone or DHT. When taken daily, a 1mg dose of Finasteride can lower DHT levels in a man’s scalp by over half. During clinical trials, over 80% of men who took the drug found a stop to their hair loss, and well over half found that their lost hair had begun to grow back, as well. The American Hair Loss Association strongly supports finasteride and says it should be the first choice for men who want to combat against male pattern baldness.

The other popular hair loss fighting drug, Minoxidil has been around a little while longer, and was the first medicine approved by the FDA for treatment of male pattern baldness. Like Finasterride, Minoxidil was also originally designed to serve a different purpose other than fighting hair loss. When Minoxidil was first introduced, it was in pill form, and it was aimed to treat high blood pressure. However, as soon as patients began taking it to treat their blood pressure, they noticed hair growth in unusual places as a side effect. Researchers decided to make the drug in a liquid form, rather than a pill, and applying it to the patient’s head. While it’s success rate isn’t as high as Finasteride’s, at the time, Minoxidil was quite a revolutionary discovery. While still not proving to be extremely effective in most patients, The American Hair Loss Association still supports the drug, especially for those who don’t respond well to Finasteride.

Causes of Hair Loss in Women

Widely thought to be a man’s disease, hair loss is actually quite common in women as well. In fact, nearly 40% of women will experience visible hair loss by the age of 40. As hard as it can be for men to deal with balding, the emotional well-being for women dealing with the problem can be much more serious. In recent years, scientific research has shedded a lot more light on the causes behind hair loss.

One major cause of hair loss in women is stress. If a women has severe enough emotional or physical stress, she may begin to lose hair, whether or not it’s predestined or not. Fortunately, hair loss associated with stress is usually not permanent. Some examples of emotional or physical stress include a death of a loved one, surgeries, strenuous training, severe illness or drastic weight loss. In the time immediately following a surgery or illness, the body is focused on repairing the necessary parts it needs to survive, therefore, production of hair isn’t at the focus of your body’s healing powers. This process may last weeks or even months, depending on the severity of the illness or surgery. Other health problems, which are normally undetected, such as anemia or abnormal thyroids, can also be the cause for hair loss. Simple blood tests can be done to determine if a woman has these diseases.

Hair loss, known as alopecia, can be caused by heredity and changing hormones. Although is it mostly predominant in aging women, in rare occurances, it can also show up in women as young as 25 to 30. Almost half of women who experience permanent hair loss have female-pattern baldness, which is the female equivalent of male-pattern baldness. Alopecia has various forms, including Alopecia Areata, Alopecia Totalis, Alopecia Universalis, Androgenetic Alopecia and Traction Alopecia.

Chemotherapy and radiation are direct causes of hair loss as well. Drugs used in chemotherapy are designed to kill cancer cells, unfortunately in the process they also poison the hair follicles and usually result in complete hair loss for the patient undergoing the treatment. The same can be said for radiation, if it is applied around the head or the neck, because it will destory the cells ability to grow and reproduce. While virtually all chemotherapy patients eventually grow back their hair, many radiation patients don’t.

Finally, there are some chemicals used for hair coloring, bleaching, perming or straightening, that can cause hair loss. However, this typically only occurs when they are overused or used incorrectly. Excessive hairstyling or hairstyles that pull your hair too tightly (ie: corn rows) can contribute to hair loss as well. Fortunately, hair loss specifically associated with hairstyles or hair care products are virtually never permanent and any lost hair will usually grow back as normal.

Connections Between Hair Loss & Vitamins

Everyone knows that vitamins are good for your body, right? but did you also know that the intake of certain vitamins may also help in keeping your hair healthy and help to prevent or slow down hair loss?

First, there are the B Vitamins, which are essential for healthy hair growth. Some foods that are rich in these vitamins are fresh fruit, fish, whole grains and meat. These vitamins dissolve in liquid, therefore the likelyhood of buld-up in your body isn’t virtually non-existant. There are various B vitamins that provide help for hair growth and preventing hair loss. One example is Niacin, also known as B-3, which helps circulation of blood to the scalp. Another example is Panthenol, also known as B-5, and this is believed to be good for stopping you from losing hair, as well as helping it to regrow. Also there is Biotin, or B-7, found in egg yolks, liver, cereal and liver. If your body lacks this nutrient, it may result in dermatitis or even hair loss. It’s also believed to help prevent your hair from turning gray early.

Secondly, there is Vitamin E, which happens to be one of the most studied vitamins for hair loss. Research has shown that it’s important to have a good intake of this nutrient, because it can help to prevent balding. You can find vitamin E in such foods as whole grains, leafy greens and nuts. Vitamin E is also an antioxidant, and like B vitamins, it can help to increase circulation of blood to the scalp.

Third, is there is Vitamin C. Eventhough this vitamin is typically associated with fighting and preventing colds, it has also been shown to be good for your hair as well. Vitamin C can provide additional strength to the hair follicles, which in return, helps to promote growth.

Lastly, there is Vitamin A. In addition to promoting overall health, this vitamin can help the follicles associated with your roots maintain the proper balance of oil. You can find vitamin A in many vegetables, as well as in eggs, liver and leafy greens.

In summary, while taking these above mentioned vitamins may not completely prevent you from eventually balding, there is a great deal of research that supports they will help to at least slow down the affects of balding and keep the hair you have healthy and strong. The other good thing to note is that you probably are already getting many of these vitamins in your daily diet, and by adding the ones you are lacking, you will be taking an important step in your fight against hair loss.

Theories & Myths About Baldness

There are a lot of theories and myths surrounding baldness and what exactly causes it. While several of these theories and myths have been debunked in recent years, there are some others which have some degree of truth.

One of the most popular theories is that baldness is inherited from your mother’s father. Previously, premature balding of the androgenic type was believed to be sex linked dominant in men and to be sex linked recessive in women. More recent research suggests that the gene for the androgen receptor, which is important in determining likelyhood for balding, is located on the X chromosome and therefore, always inherited from the mother’s side. There is a 50/50 chance that a person will have the same X chromosome as their maternal grandfather. Since women have two X chromosomes, they will have two copies of the androgen gene, meanwhile men have just one. Research has also shown that an individual with a balding father, will have an increased chance of facing early baldness as well.

Another widely heard theory is that baldness can be caused by emotional stress and lack of sleep. In studies, indeed emotional stress was shown to accelerate baldness in those individuals who are genetically susceptible to hair loss. However, in other studies, there wasn’t sufficiant evidence to conclude that one’s sleep patterns or lack of, had any direct connection with premature balding.

What about excessive use of hair products, such as mousse, gel, shampoo or spray? Could this lead to baldness? The answer is simply no. While an over use could potentially give you an itchy scalp, there aren’t any known connections between baldness and the use of hair care products, therefore, that myth can easily be thrown out as a factor in hair loss.

A lot of people also believe that cutting their hair will make it grow back thicker. However, this is just a misconception, because eventhough it may appear thicker at the base than it is at the tip, it does not affect the growth at all.

Finally, probably the most popular theory or myth is that wearing hats will make you go bald. Once again, this can easily be ruled out as a contributing factor to baldness. In order to lose any hair from the use of a hat, you would have to wear the hat so tight that it cut off circulation to the follicles. So next time you throw on a hat to go outside, don’t live in fear that wearing that hat will make you go bald.

Excessive Hair Loss & It’s Causes

Hair growth normally has a cycle of 2 to 6 years. During this phase, each hair grows about one centimeter per month. At any one time, 90% of the hair on your scalp is growing, while the other 10% is resting. After a couple months, the resting hair falls out and new hair begins to replace it. However, some people may experience excessive hair loss and find themselves losing more than they are getting back. Hair loss of this type can affect men, women, and even children.

So what can cause excessive hair loss? The answer could be a number of things. For example, after a major surgery or sickness, you may find yourself losing a lot of hair. The loss of hair is related to the stress of the sickness or surgery and is most likely only temporary. Another possible factor in excessive hair loss, is hormonal problems. An overactive or underactive thyroid gland could result in hair loss, as well as androgens or estrogens that are out of balance. Correcting the imbalance of hormones should help to stop the hair loss. Also, some types of medicines are known to cause hair loss. Some of these medications include blood thinners, chemotherapy, birth control, antidepressants and even vitamain A (if too much is taken). Types of infections may result in hair loss as well, such as a fungal infection. Lastly, hair loss may be an early sign of a disease. Some diseases linked to hair loss are lupus and diabetes. So if you suddenly find yourself losing unusual amounts of hair, it is very important that you consult with a doctor to find the source of the problem.

Now that you know some of the causes of excessive hair loss, what can be done to treat it? Fortunately there a few options available for you. If you can determine that a medicine is causing your hair loss, your doctor may be able prescribe a different medicine. If you recognize and treat an infection, this may help end the hair loss. As mentioned earlier, hormonal imbalances could be causing hair loss, so if you’re able to correct the imbalance, this may prevent further losing of the hair. Finally, there are a few forms of medication available, designed to help slow, prevent baldness, and even help regrow the lost hair in some cases. One of the most common is minoxidil. This is available without a prescription and it used by applying it to your scalp. Another known medication is finasteride, this is available with prescription and is taken in pill. If you’re unable to find treatment through medication, you may consider trying different hair styles to cover up the bald spot, or find an artificial hair replacement (ie: a wig or a toupee).