With all the wild claims about absolutely amazing hair re-growth sometimes it is difficult to separate the pretenders from the contenders. In this article titled "Finding The Best Products for Hair Loss" we will help you do just that.
You may be surprised to know that under normal circumstances the average person loses about 100 hairs each day most of which are replaced through the natural hair replacement cycle. Hair loss only occurs when either the number of hairs lost is greatly increased or the hair replacement cycle is compromised in some way. So for a hair loss product to be effective it must address at least one of these issues preferably both.
In cases involving stress, sudden weight loss, medications that promote balding, certain illnesses such as diabetes, bacterial or fungal scalp infections it is up to us to find, reduce, and hopefully eliminate the causative factor making it possible for re-growth to resume.
We can also do ourselves a lot of good by eating a healthy balanced diet high in protein, vitamins B and E, and natural oils.
But ultimately the best hair loss products should do two things: block the androgen hormone dihydrotestosterone (DHT), and rejuvenate damaged follicles. Why is this the case?
Over eight out of ten cases of balding and thinning hair is caused by androgenetic alopecia also known as male and female pattern baldness. This condition is part genetic (which we can't do anything about) and part androgen hormone driven (which can be addressed). In those genetically vulnerable testosterone goes through a conversion to DHT in the hair cell, once this conversion takes place DHT then binds to the follicle. Over a 4 to 8 year period DHT builds up, shrinking the follicle to a point where it is no longer able to produce new hair growth. If this process is allowed to continue the follicle will be permanently damaged and eventually die.
There is one prescription medication and a least two herbal oral remedies that have been shown to interrupt DHT's progressive march. Propecia (finasteride) is the prescription medication and saw palmetto and nettle root extract are the herbal supplements. All three work by blocking the enzyme 5 alpha reductase type 2 that converts testosterone to DHT.
As far as rejuvenating follicles there is one over the counter formula and numerous natural topical remedies which could prove helpful. Minoxidil is the OTC treatment and natural follicle rejuvenators include pumpkin seed oil, almond oil, wheat germ oil, and meadowfoam oil.
In summary, there are many different approaches and opinions as to what the best products for hair loss are but generally speaking they are the ones that are the most successful at blocking DHT. Currently there is one option that is considered by many to be the best product available for balding and thinning hair. You will also find a helpful video presentation that explains DHT balding in detail.
Subscribe