chewbaca
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http://www.embarrassingproblems.co.uk/hairlosscd.htm
Male pattern hair loss - what not to bother with
Some treatments certainly don't work. The most popular medical book of our great-grandparents' day, The Household Physician, advised that baldness could be prevented by 'quickening the circulation in the scalp, such as by washing the head every morning in cold water, then drying with a rough towel by vigorous rubbing, and brushing with a hard brush until the scalp becomes red'.
Others recommended smearing the area with fresh cowpat or rubbing in onion juice, curry paste or Marmite with a stiff brush to irritate the scalp.
In fact, lack of circulation is not the problem in baldness and these measures would make the problem worse by damaging the hairs. Similarly, hanging upside down to improve the circulation in the scalp will not produce any improvement.
It used to be thought that excess grease on the scalp caused hair loss, and male pattern baldness was called seborrhoeic (greasy) baldness. In fact, bald areas appear greasy only because there is no hair to take up the grease; the actual amount of grease being produced is normal. Some baldness 'cures' claim to act by reducing grease; they make no difference. Removing grease makes hair look more fluffy, but doesn't actually increase the amount of hair.
Some treatments probably don't work. Thousands of products for baldness are advertised in the small ads and on the Internet. They claim to make hair regrow, or simply to stop further loss. Almost all are a complete waste of money.
Most have not been assessed by proper research studies, and aim to persuade by one or two 'true life' success stories. Because hair loss is often noticeable for a month or two and then stops for a few months it is easy to imagine that a product is having an effect. Without proper research studies, treating hundreds of people with the product and an equal number with a dummy version of the treatment (a randomized, placebo-controlled trial) it is impossible to know one way or the other about effectiveness and safety. So before trying a private treatment, ask the company for a copy of published evidence about the treatment and ask your family doctor to check it.
Electrotrichogenesis claims to stimulate the hair follicles by static electricity. A hood, resembling a salon hairdryer, directs static electricity at the scalp. Treatments are initially twice a week for 36 months, with monthly boosters thereafter. It is of no proven scientific benefit, so people may have spent large amounts of money for no appreciable result.
Fenugreek is a herb with a chemical structure similar to the drug Regaine (see below). It is claimed that it may delay hair loss when applied to the scalp. (It is also claimed to help baldness by dilating blood vessels, but this is nonsense.) It can be taken as a tea or as tablets.
Saw palmetto is an extract of palm. Its chemical structure is similar to finasteride (see below), but its action is very weak and so it is unlikely to make any difference to baldness. Proper scientific studies to investigate whether it is effective have not been done.
Male pattern hair loss - what not to bother with
Some treatments certainly don't work. The most popular medical book of our great-grandparents' day, The Household Physician, advised that baldness could be prevented by 'quickening the circulation in the scalp, such as by washing the head every morning in cold water, then drying with a rough towel by vigorous rubbing, and brushing with a hard brush until the scalp becomes red'.
Others recommended smearing the area with fresh cowpat or rubbing in onion juice, curry paste or Marmite with a stiff brush to irritate the scalp.
In fact, lack of circulation is not the problem in baldness and these measures would make the problem worse by damaging the hairs. Similarly, hanging upside down to improve the circulation in the scalp will not produce any improvement.
It used to be thought that excess grease on the scalp caused hair loss, and male pattern baldness was called seborrhoeic (greasy) baldness. In fact, bald areas appear greasy only because there is no hair to take up the grease; the actual amount of grease being produced is normal. Some baldness 'cures' claim to act by reducing grease; they make no difference. Removing grease makes hair look more fluffy, but doesn't actually increase the amount of hair.
Some treatments probably don't work. Thousands of products for baldness are advertised in the small ads and on the Internet. They claim to make hair regrow, or simply to stop further loss. Almost all are a complete waste of money.
Most have not been assessed by proper research studies, and aim to persuade by one or two 'true life' success stories. Because hair loss is often noticeable for a month or two and then stops for a few months it is easy to imagine that a product is having an effect. Without proper research studies, treating hundreds of people with the product and an equal number with a dummy version of the treatment (a randomized, placebo-controlled trial) it is impossible to know one way or the other about effectiveness and safety. So before trying a private treatment, ask the company for a copy of published evidence about the treatment and ask your family doctor to check it.
Electrotrichogenesis claims to stimulate the hair follicles by static electricity. A hood, resembling a salon hairdryer, directs static electricity at the scalp. Treatments are initially twice a week for 36 months, with monthly boosters thereafter. It is of no proven scientific benefit, so people may have spent large amounts of money for no appreciable result.
Fenugreek is a herb with a chemical structure similar to the drug Regaine (see below). It is claimed that it may delay hair loss when applied to the scalp. (It is also claimed to help baldness by dilating blood vessels, but this is nonsense.) It can be taken as a tea or as tablets.
Saw palmetto is an extract of palm. Its chemical structure is similar to finasteride (see below), but its action is very weak and so it is unlikely to make any difference to baldness. Proper scientific studies to investigate whether it is effective have not been done.
