Yelp Review #1:
John S. says (2019): “The De Oliveira Hair Care System claims to cure baldness using a range of shampoos, conditioners, and hair tonics to be used daily, accompanied by scalp massages and heat treatment. It takes over an hour every day. The initial package of products costs c. $1500, and, as the products run out, you need to spend $500-$1000 a month after that to maintain the treatment. This represents a major sacrifice in time, effort and money, thus it is prudent to be very thorough in examining the company's claims.
Here's how they sell it to you: when you first go to their store, you see lots of awards and press clippings, trying to prove they are world-renowned experts in hair loss (try googling them to see if they're genuine). A nice middle-aged lady wearing a white lab coat (as if she were a doctor), examines your scalp and she concludes there are some areas of "weakness" that you should be concerned about (she couldn't be lying, could she?) While you're freaking out, she explains their system, with clear promises of how well it restores hair. An impressive album of "before and after" photos of past customers convinces you. Not wanting to irritate the nice lady by asking too many rude questions, you buy the initial package of products and take them home to begin treatments. After a few days, you see a miracle: your hair shedding has stopped! After a month or so you'll come to have your scalp re-checked. The nice lady says she sees hair growth everywhere, and that you did an excellent job, but adds she still sees signs of weakness here and there. Not wanting to give up, you will buy more... Soon a cycle is established: your hair re-growth goals are always just a month or two away, and in the meantime, you are ponying up $500-$1000/month.
So is this end of shedding, followed by new growth, really a miracle? Of course not! By and large, all of your hairs grow naturally for a few years, after which they stop growing and are shed a few months later, to be replaced by a brand new hair. This is happening continuously: old hair is shed and new hairs start growing. "Hair loss" is, as often as not, caused by more hair getting into the shedding phase than is normal, due to illness, stress, giving birth or some similar event. Daily vigorous washing will shake loose this dead hair quickly (whether you are suffering hair loss or not), so in a few days shedding stops. Afterwards you will always be able to find new hairs, regardless of what products you use, because that is part of the natural hair cycle.
The album of "before and after" pictures can easily be staged by cherry-picking the few clients that actually do see a lot of natural hair growth; there is no scientific evidence these products will restore your hair. Their products have not been certified by Health Canada, as they are legally required to be before making claims of therapeutic value. The ingredients of their products (which are not clearly displayed on the bottles, again against the law) are very standard, and can be found in budget-friendly products available anywhere: "Miracle Formula #2 Nourishing Treatment Conditioner", for example, is made of 87% water, other generic conditioner ingredients, and has about two tablespoons of milk proteins in a 500ml bottle; it costs $340 (roughly seven times the price of a comparable conditioner available at Fabove).
Before paying them these exorbitant prices, try asking them about their medical or scientific credentials; ask why these products are so expensive and the ingredients are not clearly labeled; ask for unequivocal evidence that the system works, not just photos of a few good-luck cases; ask how long it's going to take to get the results you desire; ask how many clients are satisfied at the end, and how many give up in frustration after spending a lot of money for no worthwhile result. Remember, it's your money; no matter how charming the person you are dealing with, make sure you know what you are getting.”
