Grey Hair & Hair Loss Remedy Reviews
Causes and Symptoms of Hereditary Baldness
The main cause of hereditary baldness is, as its name says, genetic. However, some people believe that losing hair is the result of poor circulation in the scalp, elevated stress, wearing hats and long hair or masturbation, which obviously is not true. Such rumours are also spread by the marketers of hair scams, who are trying to exploit our lack of knowledge. They often tell us that hair loss is due to the blocking and malnutrition of hair follicles or that scalp inflammation and a diet poor in essential nutrients cause baldness in order to sell us scalp cleansers and vitamin pills.
But how does genetics cause hair loss? Hereditary baldness in both men and women is caused by dihydrotestosterone (DHT) attacks on our hair follicles. This happens in all of us but only some people are born with hair follicles that are vulnerable to these attacks, which results in hair loss. The exact mechanism by which DHT acts on our follicles is, however, not yet known.
DHT is a metabolite of the male hormone testosterone, which plays a key role in the development of an enlarged prostate. In addition to making the prostate swell, it causes the hair follicles to shrink and produce finer and thinner hair with each hair growth cycle until they refuse to produce another hair and die. Hence, the balding process is actually hair miniaturisation. DHT is able to shut off only those hair follicles that have a genetic predisposition to baldness. They are usually located on the front and the top of our scalp, which gives us the typical horseshoe balding pattern called male pattern baldness. This pattern is less pronounced in women, who usually lose hair on their entire scalp, which leads to diffuse hair loss.
Hence, hair loss is actually hair miniaturisation. This explains why so many hair loss sufferers do not notice that they are losing hair until it becomes obvious to everybody. In the initial stage, only a doctor can tell you whether you are suffering from hereditary baldness, by performing a miniaturisation test. In some instances increased hair fall (more than 100 hairs a day for an extended period of time) can lead to baldness but more often than that hair loss goes on unnoticed until we lose 50% of our hair.
In people suffering from hereditary baldness the balding process can be greatly accelerated during the shedding periods. Those of us living in a temperate zone go through a shedding period twice a year - once in spring and once in autumn. Each shedding period lasts between four and six weeks. Somebody who suffers from hereditary baldness may, during this period, lose a substantial portion of their hair but many of them will not be replaced by new budding hair. This situation leads to the visible worsening of the hair loss condition within a few months. However, for people not suffering from hereditary baldness, increased shedding is normal and no reason for concern.
The most effective treatments for hereditary baldness are those that address its main cause - DHT attacks on our hair follicles. Such drugs are called antiandrogens and they either prevent the creation of DHT in the scalp or block the activity of DHT in the scalp by binding to the receptor sites in the follicle or blocking activity in the androgen receptor itself. Propecia (brand name for finasteride) is the best-known and the most powerful antiandrogen currently approved to treat male pattern baldness.
Tags: baldness, balding, hair loss, hereditary baldness, male pattern baldness
Touch of Gray Review
Touch of Gray is a new hair colorant from the US that hit the market in April this year. It has been designed for men, allowing them to control how much gray remains in their hair. Touch of Gray comes in the form of a gel in five shades. It is said to be easy to apply. You just comb it into your hair for five minutes and rinse it off and shampoo your hair. This product does not contain any poisonous metallic compounds; it is a mix of organic chemicals that may be, though, aggressive to the skin and eyes. Touch of Gray may not be used for colouring facial hair. It should be applied in weekly intervals until the desired shade has been achieved. The composition of Touch of Gray and its mode of action remind you of regular hair dyes but you need to apply it several times to cover most of your gray hair, which gives you better control and makes the change less noticeable.
Touch of Gray is a product a few months old, available only to North American customers and no consumer reviews are yet available. My assessment is purely based on publicly-available information and my conclusion is that Touch of Gray is a discrete form of regular hair dye that does its job stepwise, just like semi-permanent dyes do. Its chemical composition reminds you of a permanent hair dye but its mode of action is more similar to semi-permanent dyes. Touch of Gray contains PPD (p-phenylenediamine), believed to be a leading cause of hair colour allergic reactions. The fact that it needs to be applied more often than a regular, permanent hair dye may increase the chances of triggering allergy. It contains no peroxide or ammonia, though.
Tags: Touch of Gray, gray hair, hair colorant, hair dye
Review of Nisim New Hair Biofactors
Nisim New Hair Biofactors pack is an all-natural, hair care system of topical applications, which claims to help slow the effects of hair loss and regrow hair. These products are suitable for both men and women. Herbal extracts are, besides amino acids and vitamins, the main active ingredients of Nisim products. The herbal mix consists of saw palmetto (this small palm fruit cannot be missing in any herbal hair loss remedy), panax ginseng (both panax ginseng and Siberian ginseng are used in herbal hair loss remedies, as they are supposed to stimulate hair growth), ivy (a presumed hair growth stimulant) and chamomile and rosemary as antioxidants. Chamomile should also help fight small skin infections. In addition, Nisim products contain several other common herbs that are not usually found in many other hair loss treatments, such as sweet chestnut, arnica montana and geranium maculatum. Needless to say none of the aforementioned herbs has ever been clinically tested and proven to promote new hair growth.
Consumer reviews are few and only available at hair loss forums. Although some people are pleased with Nisim shampoo, it is rare to hear any praise from hair loss sufferers regarding the entire range of Nisim New Hair Biofactors therapy. The words scam and Nisim can often be found in the same sentence.
Tags: Nisim, Nisim New Hair Biofactors, Nisim review, hair loss, hereditary baldness
Nioxin Review
The Nioxin brand includes a range of hair care products, with Nioxin intensive therapy follicle booster seemingly the key hair loss formula. The intensive follicle therapy booster contains a large number of active ingredients, including minerals (copper, silicon, iron, magnesium and zinc), vitamins (pantothenic acid, biotin, folic acid, niacin, riboflavin), amino acids, proteins, phytosterols, bioflavonoids and herbal extracts. Other ingredients of interest include caffeine and adenosine. The herbal complex is comprised of angelica sinensis (a herb from the ginseng genus, often found in hair loss products that is believed to possess anti-inflammatory properties), centella asiatica (Ayurvedic youth tonic), ginkgo biloba, humulus lupus (common hops used for brewing beer), serenoa serrulata (a synonym for saw palmetto that is found in every herbal hair loss remedy), dioscorea villosa (rich in phytoestrogens, often speculatively associated with fighting male pattern baldness), visnaga vera (a microcirculation stimulant assumed to strengthen hair), cucurbita pepo (pumpkin seed oil rich in iron, zinc and essential fatty acids), prunus africana (this is a synonym for pygeum africanum), mentha piperita (peppermint is assumed to possess antibacterial properties) and rosmarinus officinalis (rosemary is thought to be an antioxidant and natural vasodilator).
Nioxin intensive therapy follicle booster seems to contain almost any ingredient that has ever been suspected of promoting healthy skin and hair growth but this variety of ingredients is no guarantee for its effectiveness. Nioxin intensive therapy follicle booster is a topical application and it is questionable how many of its ingredients can actually reach deeper skin layers, down at the level of hair follicles. Consumer reviews are rare and inconclusive. Users at hair loss forums usually comment on Nioxin shampoo and conditioner. The Nioxin range of products is not presented and should not be considered as a hair loss therapy. It can at best be used as a complementary treatment to one of the more powerful hair loss therapies.
Tags: Nioxin, Nioxin review, Nioxin follicle booster, hair loss, hereditary baldness
Reviews of Shou Wu Pill and Shou Wu Pian
Shou Wu Pill and Shou Wu Pian are, besides Shen Min, some of the best known Chinese, natural, herbal supplements marketed worldwide as remedies for reversing gray hair and baldness. Their principal active ingredient is Fo-Ti (He Shou Wu, polygonum multiflorum), a Chinese herb that in Chinese traditional medicine is believed to be among the best herbs for restoring hair colour and reducing hair loss. Shou Wu Pill, in addition to Fo-Ti, contains a small amount of Fu Ling mushroom (poria cocos, similar to European truffle) that is added to enhance the digestibility and absorption of Fo-Ti. The third component of Shou Wu Pill, Chuan Xiong (ligusticum wallichii), is used as a messenger herb to focus the action of Fo-Ti on the head and hair. Shou Wu Pian formula is also built around Fo-Ti as its principal active ingredient, the effectiveness of which in this formula is enhanced by various other Chinese medicinal herbs.
The magic of Fo-Ti (He Shou Wu), the main active ingredient in both aforementioned products, refers back to the legend from centuries ago of Mr. He, who restored his black hair, youthful appearance and vitality using this plant. Modern science has not confirmed any of the claims made by the Fo-Ti marketers in regards to Fo-Ti’s ability to restore hair colour and reverse baldness. Using these products will, in my opinion, have no visible impact on your hair but if you strongly believe in their magic, the placebo effect might help you feel a positive change. I have been using Fo-Ti in various forms for sixteen months, experiencing no positive change in my hair colour or hair thickness and I personally do not know anybody who has. There are no consumer reviews of either Shou Wu Pill and Shou Wu Pian and reviews of the best known Fo-Ti-based, gray hair product - Shen Min original formula - might come in useful when assessing their potency.
Tags: graying, gray hair, grey hair, Shou Wu Pill, Shou Wu Pian, Fo-Ti, he shou wu
Restoria Review
Restoria is a progressive hair colorant that alters the colour of your gray hair over a period of two to three weeks, enabling you to avoid the embarrassment caused by a sudden change. It is simple to use and it requires no mixing or use of plastic gloves. You simply apply it where necessary to dry hair and comb through. After the desired colour has been achieved, it needs to be applied just twice a week. It is available as a lotion and a cream. Restoria used to contain lead acetate but it changed from lead acetate to bismuth citrate in order to avoid being considered potentially carcinogenic. The new formula should continue to work in a similar fashion to the old one. The fact is, however, that bismuth citrate may not be a much safer option than lead acetate. Bismuth citrate is also poisonous and new Restoria should be handled with the same care as any other hair colorant. For more information regarding the health risks associated with using metallic-based, progressive hair colorants, please refer to the post “Is Grecian Formula Safe?”.
Restoria has been manufactured in Australia for more than 45 years and it can be found in pharmacies in many countries of the world. In spite of that, consumer reviews of Restoria are almost impossible to find. Restoria’s mechanism of action is nearly identical to that of lead acetate-based, progressive hair colorants, such as Grecian formula, GreyBan and Youthair, and their consumer reviews might be indicative of its potency. Restoria is not the only progressive hair colorant that switched from lead acetate to bismuth citrate. Grecian is using bismuth citrate-based formula in some countries, too, but consumer reviews of the new formula seem pretty negative. Many consumers say it does not seem to work as good as the old version.
Tags: Restoria, Restoria review, hair colorant, gray hair, graying
Follicare Review
Follicare is a hair loss treatment, consisting of four applications: topical spray, nutritional supplements, revitalising shampoo and 5% minoxidil lotion. This complex structure makes it appear more valuable than a single treatment. Follicare, like many other hair loss products, combines the benefits of the FDA-approved medicinal treatment - minoxidil - with potential gains from herbal extracts and nutritional supplements. This treatment is designed for both men and women, but for women it comes with 2% minoxidil lotion. The main active ingredients, besides minoxidil (a hair growth stimulant), include saw palmetto, beta-sitosterol, zinc, Fo-Ti, stinging nettle and pumpkin seed extract (rich in essential fatty acids), all of them assumed natural dihydrotestosterone (DHT) blockers. Follicare also contains natural vasodilators such as benzyl nicotinate, niacin (one of the main active substances of a popular hair scam from the 1980s - Helsinki formula), rosemary and ginkgo biloba. The vasodilators are believed to help promote blood flow and the supply of nutrients to the scalp. Other relevant ingredients include Procapil formula, caffeine, copper, vitamins B and soothing extracts from aloe vera, sage and chamomile that should fight possible inflammation of the scalp.
Follicare (not to be confused with Folicure) has been on sale since 1996 but there are only a few independent consumer reviews available and they seem quite negative. In summary, Follicare is not much different from Provillus, Avacor or Scalp Med and their customer reviews might be used to help asses the potency of Follicare and vice versa. If nothing else does the trick in this formula, minoxidil should help a little.
Tags: Follicare, Follicare review, minoxidil, hair loss, balding
Grey Hair or Allergy?
Hair colouring products are thought to pose one of the biggest risks of serious allergic reaction of all categories of consumer products. In addition to containing components that can trigger allergies, all of these products are poisonous should they be digested. PPD (p-phenylenediamine) is one of the most common active ingredients in conventional hair dyes and it is believed to be a leading cause of hair dye allergic reactions. Ammonia, hydrogen peroxide and diaminobenzene are other common components of traditional hair dyes that are alleged to cause severe allergies.
Progressive hair colorants are the alternative to conventional hair dyes and are suitable mainly for men. But they seem to be no less harmful. They either contain a metallic component, such as lead acetate, or bismuth citrate or organic substances. Both lead and bismuth are heavy metals and thus feared to be poisonous, though bismuth and its compounds seem to be the better choice of the two. The concentration of metallic compounds in hair colouring products should not exceed 0.4%-0.6%, depending on the country of distribution. However, heavy metal compounds, contained in progressive hair colorants, seem to be less allergenic than organic compounds used in regular hair dyes.
Some organic-based types of hair colorants, such as Touch of Gray, also contain the aforementioned PPDs. Another organic-based progressive hair colorant, Poly Re-Nature, uses 5,6 dihydroxyindoline as its main active substance, which has been approved for use in hair colorants at concentrations below 2%. Poly Re-Nature also contains ammonia, which is thought to be the second most frequent cause of allergic reactions after PPD.
No matter which approach you take, it seems that you cannot avoid using poisonous or allergy-triggering chemicals if you wish to colour your white hair. Natural hair dyes such as Henna offer no solution either. Besides their many practical limitations, natural hair dyes are known to be extremely allergenic. If you decide to go ahead and dye your hair, no matter which product you chose, make sure you follow the guidelines for correct application and use a patch test before you apply any of these substances.
Tags: greying, grey hair, hair colorants, white hair, hair dyes
Propecia Review
Propecia is the only FDA approved oral drug for treating male pattern baldness. It appears to be the most powerful treatment currently available for treating hair loss in men. Clinical evidence largely supports this claim. The sole active ingredient of Propecia is called finasteride and it works by inhibiting conversion of testosterone into follicle harming dihydrotestoterone (DHT). Propecia can only be used by adult men. In many countries of the world generic finasteride is available under numerous other trade names. Finasteride is only available on prescription which putts off many patients. In addition, Propecia (finasteride) is often associated with negative side effects that discourage many patients from trying it. The originator of Propecia claims that side effects only occur in 0.5% of patients (I seem to be amongst the majority) but consumer feedback from various hair loss forums makes me believe that this percentage is significantly higher. Overemphasizing the negative side effects of Propecia is a common tactic used by the marketers of natural hair loss products.
Several generic topical lotions are using finasteride (generic Propecia) as their main active ingredient claiming good results. The big question mark is the effective localized delivery of finasteride. In one recent study in vitro topically administered liposomal encapsulated finasteride was shown to be an effective vehicle of delivery. The effectiveness in humans has not been established yet. Topical administration of finasteride is hoped to yield superior results versus the currently used oral form, improving the drug's efficiency and reducing its side effects. However, the currently available preparations are not believed to deliver on this expectation.
Tags: Propecia, Propecia review, finasteride, topical finasteride, hair loss
Eucapil Review
Eucapil is a topical cosmetic application that is supposed to halt the balding process and promote regrowth in healthy hair follicles. Eucapil uses fluridil as its sole active ingredient. Fluridil is a novel anti-androgen that can be used by both men and women and should be applied only once daily. The main difficulty in applying Eucapil is the fact that it reacts with water and quickly disintegrates. Therefore, it cannot be used as a supplementary treatment to other water-based treatments. Sweating can also significantly reduce its effectiveness. Eucapil is rich in alcohol and some consumers complain that its continued use makes their hair weak and colourless. The problem with the science behind this product is that it has not been independently verified yet.
The product has been on sale for only a couple of years now and consumer reports are only available at a few hair loss forums. They are mixed at best. There is almost no patient claiming to have regrown terminal hair with Eucapil. The best result one can expect from this product seems to be halting of the balding process and regrowing some very fine vellus hair.
Tags: Eucapil, Eucapil review, fluridil, hair loss, balding
Xandrox Review
Xandrox is one of the more popular generic topical applications for treating hair loss. It combines the benefits of the FDA-approved hair growth stimulant, minoxidil, with the assumed dihydrotestosterone (DHT) inhibitor, azelaic acid, in a single formula. There are dozens of other generic minoxidil applications that mimic this formula available on the market today. Some products are experimenting with additional ingredients, such as retinoic acid or liposomes, in order to enhance the penetration and effectiveness of their main active substances. It is also believed that increased concentrations of minoxidil in the formula can enhance and speed up its results. Hence, formulations with 12.5%, 15% and even 20% of minoxidil are now available. The difficulty is to ensure the stability of such lotions. Alcohol-based, minoxidil solutions, with a concentration of 5% or more minoxidil require propylene glycol or glycerin or other such vehicles in the base to remain stable. It results in the solution having a greasy feeling and it stiffens the hair when it dries. In addition, such vehicles often cause scalp irritation and resulting inflammation. My own experience with Xandrox and Xandrox-like lotions is that azelaic acid does not seem to deliver any additional hair-growth benefits over plain minoxidil. The only reason I am using a generic version of minoxidil, that happens to contain azelaic acid is my scalp’s good tolerance of this product compared with Rogaine (plain branded minoxidil), which gave me an itchy scalp.
Xandrox became the basis of further experimentation. Many generic producers of minoxidil lotions are now adding various other components to refine their concoctions. You can find mixtures containing minoxidil, azelaic acid, aminexil, finasteride, caffeine, flutamide, green tea extract and diverse herbal extracts, all contained in one formulation. It is impossible to draw a clear dividing line between the science and alchemy but the science seems to end here. Nevertheless, products rich in multiple components are promising fast and guaranteed results and have a bigger appeal to their potential buyers than plain minoxidil. Consumer reviews of such products are confusing and should not be used as guidance in your own quest for the most suitable hair loss product.
Tags: Xandrox, Xandrox review, azelaic acid, hair loss, minoxidil
Reviews of Dermenodex and Adenogen
Dermenodex hair therapy is intended for people with thinning hair. The exclusive distributor of this product claims that Dermenodex fortifies the scalp with vital nutrients, improves circulation and promotes capillary activity, helping to create a healthy scalp environment necessary for new hair growth. Dermenodex therapy consists of three formulations - scalp-cleansing shampoo, daily hair and scalp conditioner and thinning hair-scalp treatment. The main and the most innovative active ingredient of Dermenodex is adenosine. It is used in a strikingly high concentration of 3%. The remaining active ingredients consist of essential fatty acids, caffeine and natural vasodilators such as niacin and concentrated ivy, which are supposed to help stimulate the circulation and provide nutritional support to hair follicles.
Dermenodex is a relatively new product that is being distributed exclusively through folica.com, which makes it easy to manipulate consumer feedback. Consumer reviews are only available at folica.com and they seem extremely positive and might be fake. Independent reviews are not available yet. Adenogen is a similar product that could be used to estimate the potential effectiveness of Dermenodex but its consumer reviews are also rare. This might be due to its unrealistic pricing. Adenogen was among the first products on the market that used adenosine as its main active ingredient. Adenogen is manufactured by the Japanese cosmetics giant Shiseido and knowledge of Japanese might aid in assessing the efficacy of adenosine. Other hair loss products that use adenosine in their formula are Spectral DNC and Nioxin but they can not be used as a proxy because of their many other active ingredients.
I would like to encourage readers to share their experiences with either Dermedonex or Adenogen, to help others asses the potency of these new products. For the time being, watch out for consumer reviews but do not bet on these two products growing you a full head of hair. Although I do not believe that either Adenogen or Dermenodex can regrow hair (despite the bold claims made by the Dermenodex distributor), research indicates that they can help thicken thinning hair affected by androgenetic alopecia. It remains to be seen whether adenosine can be considered as a potential substitute to minoxidil.
Tags: Dermenodex, Adenogen, adenosine, hair loss, hereditary baldness
Fabao 101 Review
Fabao 101 formula is a Chinese herbal hair loss product. It is said to be a safe and effective treatment proven to stop hair loss and regrow hair all over the scalp, including the hairline. Fabao 101 made big waves in Asia back in the mid 1980s. The manufacturer of this product mentions on its website that Japanese travel agencies were then organizing trips to China so that people could purchase this product. The formulas 101D, 101F and 101G are all designed to treat different stages of hereditary baldness. Fabao 101 consists of two dozen herbal extracts, including my “favourite” herb - He Shou Wu (Fo-Ti). The manufacturer claims that the product was subjected to rigorous clinical testing in China but to my knowledge no relevant documentation has been released for independent evaluation and no study has been published in any respected peer-reviewed medical journal outside of China.
When I first started gathering information for this site, I thought it would make an excellent story for my “miracle cures” section. But then, following confusing reader feedback, I decided to discontinue the “miracle cures” section in order to avoid possible misinterpretations.
Fabao 101 happens to be commercially very successful in North America. This success comes despite the lack of scientific data backing the bold claims made by the manufacturer and it is aided by the mystery surrounding traditional Chinese medicine in non-Asian cultures. There do not seem to be too many bald people amongst the Chinese population but I do not think it is due to either Fabao 101 formula or any Chinese herb. Consumer reviews of Fabao 101 products are plentiful but many of the five star posts appear to be spam. Using this product will probably not hurt anybody but keep in mind that it is a “buyer-beware” market. Apparently, a number of Chinese and Japanese scientists are wasting their time researching hair multiplication and other novel hair loss treatments, not knowing that there has been this miracle cure for baldness lying on their doorsteps for nearly 30 years.
Tags: Fabao, Fabao 101, Fabao 101 review, hair loss, hereditary baldness
Consumer Review of Poly Re-Nature
ReNature - works for me
by GreyHunk from Hungary, age 43, who has been using this product for 3 months by now:
After trying various hair-dye products, I found that I am allergic to PPD, the component used in most darker shade hair-dyes. As I also like my short beard, even the slightest allergic reaction or irritation renders a product unusable - even ones that claim to be OK on facial hair. So, as an option, I found ReNature that has no PPD and gave it a try. I also liked the fact that it seems to have one of the least scary ingredients. It does break up the outer "skin" of the hair as all permanent dyes do, but the synthetic pigment is most nature-like unlike the metallic ones in other anti-grey hair products, and no PPD as in pretty much all darker dyes. Read more...
June 20, 2008
