www.hair-loss-and-baldness.com - guide to hair loss and baldness, 50 best hair loss tips
Fifty Best Hair Loss Tips
by Greg Chambers
Massage
1. Massage relieves scalp tension and increases local blood
circulation, both useful for keeping hair in good health. There is an
acupressure point on the top of the head, a circular indentation that
should feel softer than the surrounding scalp. Use two or three
fingers, press down hard on this area and massage with a circular
motion.
2. The front of the scalp responds best to an up and down movement.
Either use both sets of fingertips or the palm of one hand (if you
want to do the two massages together) and move the scalp skin back and
forth gently but firmly. Do both these massages every day when having
a shampoo. The longer you do them the greater the effect, but a few
minutes is usually sufficient to reduce scalp tension and increase
blood circulation.
Shampoos and Styling Products
3. Don't believe people who tell you a daily shampoo isn't necessary.
It is! The only reason that shampoo manufacturers recommend doing a
repeat shampoo is to sell more product. A single rinse is sufficient.
Only a small amount of shampoo is necessary.
4. Conditioners shouldn't be used, they overload thinning hair with
excess product, make the final result look straggly. Combined shampoo
and conditioner also a waste of time.
5 Use cold(ish) water, preferably out of a bottle (at least for the
initial soaking, shower water can be used to rinse out). Hot water
causes the scalp to flake and doesn't do anything for hair (think
about it, what's the most natural thing - hot or cold water?). A lot
of tap water has such high concentrations of chemicals that it wrecks
hair. Try using bottled water a few times, the results are often
stunning!
6. Different shampoos and styling products work for different people.
I have fine, sensitive hair that reacts poorly to many shampoos, so if
the following worked for me they should work for you: Nicky Clarke
Hair Thickening Shampoo, Redkin Fat Cat Shampoo, Nioxin, VO5
Thickening Shampoo, Clairol Anti-dandruff shampoo; Nicky Clarke Sport
Gel, VO5 Hair Thickening Gel/Mouse, Body Shop Aloe Gel. By the way,
the Clairol shampoo is the only one I've found that's effective
against dandruff without leaving thin hair in an awful mess.
7. Natural products (tea-tree, herbal, etc) work well for the scalp
but tend to leave fine hair looking pretty awful.
8 Olive oil soap can be used as a cheap and effective alternative to
the more expensive shampoos; olive oil having hair growth properties.
9 Persistent scalp problems can be dealt with by rubbing in organic
apple-cider vinegar - best done before going to sleep as it has a
distinctive smell. Tea Tree Oil is another alternative.
10. Shampoos that claim they will make hair grow have yet to be proved
to work - the components that make shampoos work for cleaning the hair
and scalp are too strong, and too poorly absorbed by the scalp, for
any hair restorative to work or even survive. Save your money!
Hair Tonics
11. The vast majority of hair tonics don't work, it's the actual
action of the massage when applying them that causes hair growth in
some cases.
12. The sign of a good hair tonic is its ability to deal with facial
pimples very rapidly (hair is a form of skin); the signs of a bad one,
increased hair fall-out, hair looking awful and scalp irritation.
13. The one hair tonic I've found that does work is Fabao 101. This is
the original formula of a series that has worked its way up to 101G.
101D is the second best choice. 101S is a double strength version of
101 - I had great success with 101 on hair that had just started to
thin and am currently using it at the front with limited success. I
haven't tried 101S nor ordered from the above company but it's one of
the few places to buy the original 101 formula, though I disagreed
with their opinion that it was originally formulated to cope with
stress related hair loss.
14. For thinning hair, once daily or even once every other day should
be sufficient; once the hair has grown back only infrequent use is
required. For hair that has been lost for over a decade, five or six
times a day is necessary to start the growth.
15. Fabao 101 is available in most Chinese pharmacies, the price
highly negotiable - anywhere from 30 to 100 dollars! Bargain down and
ignore people who tell you 101 (no suffix) isn't manufactured any more
- it most definitely is!
16. There are loads of hair tonics out there, many making large
claims, but no others I've tried have worked - I deliberately didn't
massage them in, to eliminate that effect. Fabao 101 is the only one
I've found that works! You can tell if it's the original, full
strength (some companies water it down to make extra profit) and fresh
101 by the way the scalp tingles in an invigorating way.
17. Be aware, with all hair remedies and especially tonics, that
there's a delay before the result shows up - three months usually,
though it's possible to invigorate and thicken hair slightly so that
it looks better almost immediately (an effect of 101 on thinning hair,
by the way). Also hair grows, falls outs, rests and starts growing all
on its own, so it may just be coincidence when something works; almost
certainly is if you relate use of a product to immediate growth.
Stress Relief
18. Massage aids stress relief, as mentioned. But there's a deeper
stress problem caused by hair loss. What happens is that someone who
starts losing their hair begins to panic, goes to sleep thinking about
the hair loss, which stresses up the whole system, which in turn
causes more hair loss. And so on. How to break out of this vicious
circle? Re-educate the subconscious. Think of the latter as extremely
powerful but very stupid. It takes its pitch from the conscious,
especially just as you're falling asleep. And if you fall asleep
thinking about hair loss the subconscious thinks you want to lose
hair! If that sounds unlikely and simple-minded, ignore it at your
peril. The way out of the vicious circle is to repeat a manta over and
over again as you fall asleep: 'Hair is growing strongly all over my
scalp.' Not only does this get the subconscious working positively it
also stops you thinking negatively. You can do this during the day as
well if you have hair related panic attacks!
19. You can take this further by looking at a picture of yourself when
you had a full head of hair, visualising this as you fall asleep.
Note, hair loss due to stress occurs on the top of head rather than
the front, though stress can speed up frontal male pattern baldness
that anyway would've happened a few years down the line and can also
cause hair to thin dramatically. Using either or both of these
techniques stress related hair loss can be cured rapidly and at zero
expense.
20. If you need instant calm, use the acupressure point on the web of
your left hand, between thumb and finger - use the same digits from
the other hand to clamp down on the web and press hard with a circular
motion from the thumb.
Inversion
21. The Chinese, in their ancient wisdom, reckoned that hanging
upside-down would reverse hair loss. Modern technology offers the
inverter (or backswing), a device you can strap into and then turn
yourself upside-down. This was primarily invented for back problems
(though I reckon Callenetics much more effective) but at least it
doesn't do your back or neck in as when you try to do a handstand!
Increased blood circulation its main claim, though it also helps the
lymphatic drainage system.
22. If you're going to invert - and it does have a minor effect on
thickening up hair on the top of the scalp - make sure your diet is
good, otherwise the increased blood flow is just going to result in
more noxious substances reaching the scalp!
23. I've found that lying on a bed and hanging my upper body down over
the edge just as effective as using an inverter, though I do it for
ten minutes rather than the five recommended for the inverter. As this
costs nothing it's worth giving it a go.
Diet
24. Diet has a major effect on hair loss and quality. Not so much
getting the right nutrients to the scalp as making sure the body
doesn't have an excess of noxious substances to get rid of. The basis
of a good hair diet, vegetarian plus fish. As well as doing lots for
your hair, this diet will do wonders for general health, improving
blood circulation and limiting the amount of DHT in circulation.
25. One of the best things you can eat to combat hair loss is millet.
Cook it like rice, add white fish and you have a delicious and highly
effective way to start the day.
26. The other main meal should be an oily fish plus vegetables and/or
salad. Only use olive oil for cooking and organic cider apple vinegar
for dressing.
27. Eat lots of fruit, especially pineapple, melon, mango and apples.
A handful of pumpkin seeds for their high zinc contents and other
useful nutrients is recommended daily. Soya milk should replace all
dairy products.
Nutrients
28. The only nutrient combination I've found that really works is Maxi
Hair from Country Life. They can be bought for around ten dollars for
a month's supply over the internet and are a bargain in comparison to
other products on the market. Thc combination of amino acids,
minerals, vitamins and other nutrients is highly effective, so much so
that it's possible to decrease the dose to one a day, or one every
other day, once hair is back in its prime condition. The tablets do go
off after a month unless some cotton wool is stuffed in the bottle to
keep the air away from them! The ultimate test of Maxi Hair's
effectiveness was a decline in hair quality a few months after I
stopped taking them.
29. If you're only worried about thinning hair, the above is
sufficient. If you're trying to regrow hair, Saw Palmetto berries have
a minor effect on scalp DHT repression - lots of suggestions to dosage
and different types of Palmetto but I've found they all work as well
as each other so go for the cheapest and start with the recommended
dosage. Kelp and Bee Pollen also have a minor effect on hair quality
and can fight off grey hair to a limited extent. GNC's Hair Formula is
the most effective thing I've found for fighting grey hair but it
doesn't do anything for growth as such.
30. Expensive nutrients that didn't work for me - Shen Min, Nourkrin,
Pils Hair Food, Amino Acids and Vitamin B complex (though the latter
two may well have been adequately covered by the Maxi-Hair).
Hair Transplants
31. Avoid any transplant doctor who claims that he has to have another
doctor present to check you out for transplant suitability (it means
he isn't properly registered), consultants with weird hair
transplants, bald surgeons and anyone who comes on heavy with the
pressure to sign up straight away.
32. Consultants act as middlemen between the public and doctor, their
mark-up can double the cost of a transplant. But they won't turn money
away and will come out with some special deals if you hold out. Being
put on standby is a good way to save loads of money if you have a
flexible timetable. Some consultants try to do a mind trip on you,
keep you waiting and act as if you're some kind of creep to want a
transplant - just laugh at them! Doctors, on the other hand, tend to
do a very quick interview, don't suffer fools gladly. Come armed with
a quote, or make one up, these people will negotiate!
33. The going rate for a 400 graft transplant from a reputable surgeon
is 1200 to 1300 pounds in the UK, about 2000 dollars in the States.
The good surgeons don't require any money up front!
34. 300-500 grafts are the optimum in terms of quality and yield -
mega-sessions can work out okay but the donor site is often left with
a massive scar that's difficult to hide.
35. The accepted way of taking skin from the donor site is to cut out
a long, thin strip with a scalpel. Lasers don't work well in this area
and run away from anyone still using the ancient technique of taking
out circular plugs of skin.
36. If you have thick hair it's difficult to merge with existing
frontal hair, if you have thin hair it's difficult to gain density -
even with the latest techniques it's highly unlikely that you will get
away with just one transplant session; two the minimum, sometimes
three sessions necessary. However, a good surgeon combined with a
reasonable patient can achieve excellent results that are close to
impossible to distinguish from the real thing. Consult your own doctor
to make sure the surgeon is a member of all the necessary bodies.
37. Photographs can tell lies, just optimising the lighting can make
an amazing difference, so do meet some former patients (the
consultants have often had a transplant from the surgeon they're
representing).
38. The most painful part of the surgery is the donor site, both when
the skin is removed and as it heals over the next few days. The
transplant site is a bloody mess and you won't want to show your face
until the scabs fall off 7-10 days later. A bloated forehead may also
occur but it should disappear after a day or so. Stock up on food and
videos, go into exile for a week!
39. Use either Folligen or Iamin (see below) on the transplant site -
both help heal the scalp and tend to stop the hairs from dying, so you
may well see immediate growth. The surgeon should know about these
products, if he doesn't wonder where he's been for the past year! Some
surgeons have their own concoctions, which may or may not work better.
40. The best results come from micrografts, although more sessions are
needed to get the density, but there's a lot less scarring than using
the larger minigrafts. Some lunatics still want to do punch grafts,
which mess up the scalp in a big way. Laser surgery is good for single
hair transplants but has a poorer yield when large groups of hair are
transplanted.
Serious Drugs
41. Minoxidil doesn't work for the vast majority of people and
certainly has no effect on frontal hair loss. Worse yet, if you stop
using it, any hair that you grow disappears rapidly. 5% Minox is
better than 2%, there are even some internet companies selling 12.5%
gel, effectiveness unknown. Minox works by stimulating the follicle
rather than depressing scalp DHT but, when it does work, only has a
minor thickening effect on the top of the scalp. Neither 2 nor 5% had
any effect on my hair. People even report scalp problems, and hair
ending up looking horrible, when using Minox.
42. Proprecia works better than Minox but in a different way - by
depressing scalp DHT. The theory behind the drug is that its ability
to depress DHT in the prostrate can be transferred to the scalp. Alas,
two different types of enzyme are involved and Proprecia is mostly
effective in depressing the prostrate enzyme, its effect on hair
growth limited. Some people suffer from libido problems, others have a
heavy hair shedding phase. Saw Palmetto has a stronger effect on the
prostrate enzyme, though still only a limited one on scalp DHT, but
also has none of the potential side effects - even used as a sexual
stimulant! Some websites selling Proprecia also heavily advertise
Viagra - which tells you all you need to know about the drug industry!
43. Combining Proprecia with Minox is a popular, and more effective,
regime, though it also has the potential to combine their side
effects! A small minority of people have reported frontal hair growth
after a year or so on this regime.
44. The combination therapy can be taken even further by combining
Proprecia with products like Xandrox - a topical solution that
combines 5 percent Minoxidil, Azelaic Acid and Betamethasone Valerate.
The latter is included to counteract the effect of the Azelaic Acid
which can cause skin irritation - but some people still suffer from
quite severely flaking scalps. Azelaic Acid suppresses scalp DHT
whilst the Minox pumps up the circulation. The formulation also leaves
the hair in a slightly yucky state. Proxiphen is a similar alternative
from another long established hair loss doctor. The long term effects
of both are not known.
45. Copper Peptides attack hair loss in yet another manner, using the
copper at a molecular level to reinvigorate the follicle and
surrounding blood supply. Iamin, as mentioned in hair transplants, was
the first example of the technology, though as it forms a protective
crust it has penetration problems. Tricomin was developed from Iamin
to overcome this problem and made it through FDA Stage 2 trials before
the company decided to turn it into a cosmetic hair product. This
product has great promise but it's too early to tell how effective it
is. Many on the above regimes use it to stop the hair and scalp
problems that the hard drugs and strong lotions create - and it is
very effective at this level. Priced at fifty dollars a bottle this is
quite an expensive option.
46. The doctor who developed Iamin left the company that manufactures
it, went on to develop his own Copper Peptide products. Folligen is
available as both a lotion and gel, the latter used, as mentioned, to
(very successfully) heal hair transplant sites, but also to make hair
grow at the front - the site has many testimonials from people who
have succeeded. Priced at less than twenty dollars a tube it's one of
the great unsung bargains of the hair loss industry. Again, this is
marketed as a cosmetic to overcome the expensive trials necessary for
a drug, but the science behind it is so strong that it deserves to be
listed under serious drugs.
47. Be very wary of all steroids and hormones. The side effects can be
pretty horrific for a man taking these strong substances - there's not
much point having a full head of hair if the price paid is shrunken
marital tackle. Even applied topically rather than taken orally, the
long term effects aren't really known. A particular favourite of some
doctors is Spironolactone, which is quite an effective DHT suppressant
used locally or taken orally but is also used by transsexuals to
generate female characteristics!
Some Personal Conclusions
48. Hard drugs can have serious long term effects and even in the
short term can cause initial hair loss and scalp problems. Certain
combinations do work well for certain people and they are happy with
both the result and the hundreds of dollars a month cost! If you want
to go this route be prepared for some heartache and consult your own
doctor before ordering any of the products on offer over the internet.
Personally, I won't try these products - I don't need to as my hair
loss problems have been solved with the advice below!
49. Much better to come at the problem from the other end, actually
increase blood circulation and decrease DHT in the body. That way, you
can get away with spending the minimal amount of time, effort and
money on your newly grown hair. One of the products recommended may be
sufficient in some cases but it's much better to start off using a
combination of strategies; once the hair is grown each can be stopped
in turn to see which is really having the effect. There are so many
different causes of hair loss that it's easy to waste years finding
the right one, and, anyway, a combination of therapies usually works
much better.
50. The following is my suggestion for thickening up thinning hair,
regrowing hair and having hair that looks strong, shiny and healthy:
an extremely healthy diet (vegetarian plus fish minus dairy products),
Maxi-Hair tablets, daily shampoo (using hair thickening shampoo),
massage and inversion, stress relief and hair tonic. For thickening up
hair use Fabao101 once a day, sparingly. For regrowing hair use 101 as
often as possible during the day (four or five times) and use Folligen
Gel before going to sleep (not at the same time as 101, keep a few
hours between their application). Also add Saw Palmetto and pumkin
seeds to your regime. You should see fairly rapid improvement in
appearance and some growth after three months, but it could take as
much as a year for the strong growth to occur. Once regrown, hair will
need a fairly minimal amount of the tonic, ingestion of low doses of
the Maxi-Hair - as long as you keep up the good diet, shampoo, massage
and stress relief (which cost nothing but a bit of time). Use modern
hair transplant techniques as a quick fix for long lost hair.
This info is a couple of years old and I am in the process of updating it for a forthcoming book.
If you have any comments, or experiences, please email me Greg Chambers, putting HAIR LOSS in the subject line.
I am especially interested in recent hair transplant experiences.
