The Best Hair Loss Treatments

​Men’s Rogaine Unscented Foam
Best Overall for Men and Women

Kirkland Signature Regrowth Treatment Minoxidil Foam for Men
​Generic Runner-Up

Equate Hair Regrowth Treatment for Men
​Generic Runner-Up

HairMax Ultima 12 LaserComb
A Pricey Add-on Treatment

If you were to check your spam inbox right now, you’d probably find — among the fishy links and generous offers from Nigerian princes — at least a dozen offers for the best hair loss treatments money can buy. There’s a reason these offers tend to get clicks: A lot of people are losing their hair.

According to the American Hair Loss Association, two-thirds of American men will experience some degree of appreciable hair loss by the age of 35. By the age of 50, the number of men with “significantly” thinning hair shoots up to a staggering 85 percent. Women hardly have it any better. Though pop culture tends to associate hair loss with men (Julius Caesar’s hairline-hiding laurels, George Costanza’s shiny dome), women actually account for up to 40 percent of the total hair loss sufferers in the United States.

Men’s Rogaine Unscented Foam and its sister, Women’s Rogaine Foam, are our top picks. They’re both safe, non-prescription, and easily available. They are identical formulas in different bottles — ladies, apparently, need something with a flower on it. (Costco’s Kirkland Signature Regrowth Treatment Minoxidil Foam for Men is the cheapest generic.) The most important part of their ingredients list is minoxidil, a topical drug that has been clinically proven to slow hair loss and even regrow some hair.

Prescription finasteride (sold under the name Propecia) and at-home laser treatments, such as the FDA-approved HairMax Ultima 12 LaserComb, have also been shown to be effective. The key to halting your hairline is ultimately finding a hair loss regimen that works for you. A doctor is your best bet for that kind of guidance — but we can definitely tell you which treatments your scalp (and your wallet) should steer clear of.

How We Found the Best Hair Loss Treatment

“The most common cause of hair loss in both men and women is androgenetic alopecia, which is genetic pattern hair loss,” explains Dr. Michael B. Wolfeld, a board-certified plastic surgeon and an assistant clinical professor of plastic surgery at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York. The root cause of this type of hair loss is dihydrotestosterone (DHT), a byproduct of testosterone that shrinks certain hair follicles until they eventually stop producing hair.

Other medical conditions — most commonly telogen effluvium and seborrheic dermatitis — can also cause hair loss, but most people can trace their follicular woes back to androgenetic alopecia, so we focused our search there. We started with more than 200 products, including all-natural solutions and high-tech gadgets, while skipping treatments that focus only on volumizing or thickening hair. We also limited our scope to the scalp, and left out specialty products designed only for eyebrows or beards.

We dug into clinical studies and talked to experts in the field, who helped identify specific ingredients that have proven effective in combating hair loss and aren’t just snake oil.

The ugly truth: The vast majority of hair loss treatments boast exaggerated claims, and a startling number have absolutely no scientific backing whatsoever.

Our first step: eliminating those snake oils.

To us, that meant any product with zero proven ingredients, case studies, or FDA clearance — which shrunk our list by a whopping 180 contenders. That’s right, there are only three treatments that have actually been cleared by the FDA and supported with clinical studies: finasteride (commonly marketed as Propecia), minoxidil, and laser treatments. And, since finasteride is prescription-only, it left us with two.

With those pinned down, it wasn’t hard to determine which don’t actually work. Pretty much all the “active” ingredients listed in ineffective treatments — from biotin and zinc to emu oil and saw palmetto — have never been proven, and are instead marketed based on logical-seeming correlations. It would make sense that biotin, a B vitamin readily found in hair, skin, and nails, could help hair grow more quickly. And caffeine is a stimulant that works in coffee, so rubbing some on your scalp might wake some of those sleepy follicles… right?

Not so fast. Dr. Alex Khadavi, a board-certified dermatologist and associate professor of dermatology at the University of Southern California, says that it’s a good idea to approach all of these products with a skeptical eye. “There’s people selling pills and creams and lotions and whatever else, and sometimes you can’t even trust what ingredients they have in there,” he warned us when we spoke to him over the phone. Key takeaway: The hair loss industry is crazy dishonest.

Click here to read the rest of the report

To plug or not to plug? That is the hairy question all men must one day face.
 To start, I’m a twenty-seven year old who’s been perpetually balding since I was 18.

It began when I reached my genetically predisposed peak of “growing my hair out” while in Uni. I had a supportive ex, who in retrospect, must have truly loved me for the sheer fact that my hair looked quite appalling.

He never spoke a word of my balding nature (note: he is colourist in Manhattan), and it wasn’t until my 40-something fill-in mum friend told me, “Honey, your hair looks like shit”, that I came out of the dark to accept that fact that I…in the prime of my youth…was balding.

Maybe that’s why I was given this piece to write in the first place. Does everyone at the D’Marge office have a beautiful head of hair? Do they not suffer from male pattern baldness? Is this a way for the beloved team to suggest I get hair plugs?

All these questions quickly came to mind when I saw this topic pop up in my inbox. Anyway, here we are. And as I sit here, with a cold draft passing over my nearly bald scalp, I can’t help but wonder if now is the time for hair plugs.

Considering The Final Plug

 I can’t lie. The word “hair plugs” carries negative stigma in my mind. It reminds me of my poorly groomed, Larry David-esque uncle from the Bronx who smokes one too many cigarettes on his sun-faded plastic patio furniture. He’s the candidate for hair plugs…not me.

You love him, but you can’t help but to notice the 7 slicked over hairs that fail to cover a polished scalp. Hair plugs…plugs…gah. As a stickler for words, some I just can’t get down with.

But when presented in different context, the idea of “plugging” my dead follicles doesn’t sound all too awful. I knew if I were to go forward with this thought, I’d have to designate its alternative terms, such as “hair transplant surgery” or “hair restoration”. Just please, don’t make me call it a hair “plug”.

Knowing The Procedures
​

After I was able to come to fruition with this, I reached out to my cousin Tommy who does plastic surgery on Long Island. He doesn’t do hair transplants specifically, but I knew he’d have the information I needed to determine if I wanted hair revival or not.

There’s a few different ways to do it that did not sound appealing whatsoever: “flap surgery”, “tissue expansion”, “scalp reduction”…what the actual f*ck? But what truly resonated, and what is most common, was hair transplantation, a technique briefly referred to before.

The process is pretty simple. Someone who’s not my cousin uproots small pieces of lush hair from a donor site, and uses it as a graft to be implanted at the dead zone. It’s either that or I opt to tattoo hair onto my bald head. My body is already 25% covered in ink – I don’t need any more unless it’s truly a work of art I can admire everyday.

My dead zone is front-and-centre, Larry David style (thank you genetics), male pattern baldness. Because I have thick hair that covers the rest of my scalp, my cousin suggested that I’d make a brilliant candidate for transplant surgery.

He’s got mates that do it and I actually went ahead to schedule a consultation with one of them.

Letting Go Of Your Insecurities
​Do I feel vain or any less masculine because I want my hair back? No. Am I embarrassed to say I am considering plastic surgery for my hair? Absolutely not. I don’t believe a guy should feel discerned because he wants to have a full head of hair again.

Quite frankly, the main reason I haven’t thought about hair plugs…I mean, hair restoration surgery, is because I’ve grown used to my bi-weekly buzz. It works for my all-black, Doc Marten yielding winter-fall get up, as well as my achromatic grey, essential-only summer-spring style. I’ve grown comfortable with the low maintenance and clean look of nearly bald head.

But maybe now is the time for a change of style? Not in my clothes, but in my hair. While I don’t plan to look like Thor, more because I’m convinced I genetically can’t, a tapered comb-over with messy, long layers would be a nice change in contrast the utilitarian look I’ve been carrying for quite some time.

So in short my answer is, yes, I would get hair transplant surgery – with not an ounce of shame, vanity, or de-masculisation.

And I extend that same gesture to you out there, you balding wonder.
 
This article first appeared on D'Marge

The number one thought on most people’s mind post-chemo is how quickly will their hair grow back and what will it look like. Though I became quite fond of my bald head, the day chemo was over, I threw that love to the wind and put all my energy into regrowing my hair. After many nights of research, I settled on Biotin as my first plan of attack. I started taking the Biotin supplements the day my chemo ended (with my doctor’s approval) and I was so amazed by the results. My hair grew like weeds.

Though I was thrilled to have hair on my head again, I was not so thrilled about the hair that quickly sprouted EVERYWHERE else. One day, I even found 2 long hairs coming out of my cheeks! It was also around that time that I experienced a horrible bout of cystic acne, so I decided to take a break from the Biotin and exercise some patience.  I have since gone back on a lower dose of Biotin in a gummy form and have had no side effects.

Now I am about 13 weeks out from chemo and I am finding creative ways to style this odd little mess of hair on my head. As someone who has always had long hair, this is a new beast for me to tackle. As a beauty addict, I am taking this as just another beauty challenge. It’s a chance for me to try new styles, experiment with new products and build my confidence along the way.

As I started looking for information on how to style post-chemo hair I found that Google Image were greatly lacking. There were lots of articles on the topic, but very few photos. I wanted photos, real images of women post-cancer.  So after many unsuccessful searches, I finally stumbled upon Leo With Cancer. Her blog was everything I was looking for, beauty, fashion, hair and Dena is a breast cancer survivor. Jackpot!
​
So in the spirit of growing the post-chemo hair inventory on Google, I figured I would dedicate a whole post to tips for hair regrowth, a hair growth timeline and tips for styling your fresh new baby hair. The best thing is, this post will be FILLED with tons of photos.

1. Biotin Supplement or Biotin Gummies
2. Hair Pomade 
3. Cute Headbands

The Faux Hawk
As your hair is beginning to grow in it will still be patching and the middle may be longer at first. Using water or hair paste (more effective) mold the middle into a mohawk with your hands. This is a way to add a playful fun touch to this length.

Headbands
Headbands are fantastic during this time. Look for headbands with thin sparkly bands. This will add some dimension to your hair and dress it up.

The comb over
Using hair paste comb your hair over to the side and define a deep side part. This will be easier the longer your hair looks. When we hear “comb over” we general think balding old men, but this look can actually look can actually be very feminine.

Fringe
The inclination when you are growing your hair out is to cut the hair around your ears, because it’s so dang annoying and somewhat unsightly. If you plan to grow your hair out longer, stay away from the scissor. Instead ask your hair stylist to feather that area. This will take away some of the weight and help the hair lay smoother, while still keeping the length.

Pixie
By about 6-8 months you will have more of a pixie look, which gives you more styling options. Investing in mini straightener and some touchable curl cream will allow you to easily options to wear your hair curly or straight. Hair oil is also great for smoothing the frizz that comes with chemo curls. You may also find that you need hydrating products at this stage to combat the dryness that comes with curly hair. The hydrating shampoo and conditioner from Pureology were lifesaving products for me.

Strong Eye Makeup & Brows
Strong eye makeup and brows can really balance out your face with a short hairdo. Strong brows  in particular will bring definition to your face.


Check out my updated Post-chemo hair styling article on I Had Cancer


This article first appeared on My Cancer Chic

A common question that new mothers ask, is whether or not hair loss is normal. We’re going to admit that a few months after you give birth, attempts to use your professional curling wand might end in disaster as it pulls out strands and leaves you wondering whether or not something is wrong with you. You’ll get the same result when you step into the shower, without a doubt. Not only will you get a clogged drain, you’ll get a head full of worry, and it’s definitely not pleasant. That being said, you probably want to know what’s going on, and it all has to do with the growth cycle during the pregnancy.

Hair growth cycles do last longer during pregnancy, and as a result, your hair gets thicker – this is a direct result of increased estrogen in the body, and it does increase the anagen phase of hair growth. Following pregnancy, the anagen phase returns to normal and your hair falls out, so ultimately, the question is, what can you do about it?

Try Different Hairstyles along with a Professional Curling Wand
There are quite a few things that you can do to address the hair issue, and once you first start to experience the problem, you’ll probably be attempting to compensate for the loss of volume. Use the following steps to fix your hair problems and get it back on the right track.

Get a Haircut
Is there ever a good reason to not get a good haircut? Seriously, any excuse to rush into the salon and take care of business is a good one. If you speak to your hairstylist, there is a good chance that you can get them to give you a haircut that helps to increase your volume while giving you a style that perfectly supports the condition post-pregnancy has left your hair in.

Start Using Different Products
If you were a huge fan of your hair during pregnancy then there is a chance that you want it to keep the same volume, and who can blame you? On many people, pregnancy hair is absolutely beautiful, and with that being the case, we would strongly recommend that you start using volumizing products in combination with your hair curler set or any other heat tools that you have on hand. Most importantly, when you decide to experiment with different products, we would strongly recommend that you use those of the highest possible quality. One of the biggest mistakes that we see people make is the purchase of cheaper products, even if they own professional curling sets.

Let’s be clear: you don’t want to buy 50 cent shampoo at the dollar store. Instead, choose something that’s infused with argan oil and can give your hair the healthy shine it needs. It’s a bit more expensive, but you’re going to thank us at the end of the day. If you need any hints or tips on great products, make sure you take a look at our store, you’re going to be quite pleased with what we have to offer!
​
Style it Properly
There are many ways to maintain your volume, for example, if you are using a hair straightener, you can pull upward on your locks, rather than downward to create the illusion of additional volume. It’s a pretty simple trick but it works very well.

Take Good Care of your Hair
Just as with any other major change, this will put some stress on your body, and with that being the case, you do need to make sure you’re taking proper care of it. Use the right products and as per always, use the right protection with your hair wand set. Once your hair returns to normal you’ll have a lot to learn, again, but it won’t be too difficult. As always, make sure you check out our Carebox, which, for a fairly low price contains all of the products you need to make your hair sleek and shine every single month.

This article first appeared on HSI Professional

Shocking footage of stylist pulling out huge clumps of a client's locks reveals the true extent of post-natal hair loss

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-5152277/New-mother-shares-shocking-video-postpartum-hair-loss.html#ixzz58EknLFTG