Balding Has Been Cured

Try telling that to 80 million men and women who are suffering from hair loss in the United States. They will laugh at you. Yet on a daily basis we are bombarded with ads for hair loss treatments like Avacor, Hair Genesis, Fabao and Procerin that use misleading advertising to sell their products. Thanks to their persuasive messages promising to regrow hair, consumers will spend nearly one billion dollars trying to find an effective hair loss remedy and fall victim to misleading advertising like this.

Thinning hair is a source of distress for millions of men and women so it is not unusual for them to seek help from anything that sounds like it will work. Most questionable hair loss products use similar, misleading marketing techniques ranging from claims to testimonials and photos.

Hair Loss Product Claims

Many hair loss products claim to be able to restore hair through the use of drugs, herbal lotions or other exotic applications like lights, lasers or electrical fields. While many of these products have been around for years, there is little evidence that they can restore hair.

How are they allowed to make such claims? These products often use small amounts of generic drugs found in Propecia and Rogaine (finasteride and minoxidil) which allows them to make the claim to stop hair loss or they imply hair growth with 'cosmetic' claims.

Misleading Marketing

Some hair loss products lead you to believe that they can stop hair loss by parsing their words. They can't come out and claim to regrow hair or stop hair loss, so they advertise vague claims like "thicker, fuller hair". This is a 'cosmetic' claim that any product can make. Be advised that cosmetic claims cannot restore hair or grow hair because they are not proven to do so.

False Testimonials

With the anonymous nature of Internet postings, people posing as users will mislead others with false testimonials. Often, positive reviews are produced by people compensated to post these messages. Since there is no real regulation of online postings, consumers are advised to take testimonials with skepticism.

Phony Photos

Most product advertising that claim that you can "Regrow Hair!" or make your hair 'thicker and fuller' and show a photo of a balding person with thin hair next to a photo of the same person with thicker hair covering the baldness. Photos don't lie, do they?

Well, yes they do.

You can prove it yourself. Take a photo of a head with thinning hair using a flash camera and then photograph the same head without the flash. The photo with the flash will look like a bald head and the photo without the flash will look like more hair.

Lighting, length of hair and how the hair is arranged on the head determine whether a photo of a head looks bald or not. Most people go through the same routine as balding advances: they push hair from here to there and hair spray it into place in the hope that no one will notice that we are going bald. To the extreme, this becomes the 'comb-over' hair style.

Review the photos of hair loss products you've seen. In most cases there will be just a few and they will all have misleading elements like lighting, hair style and length of hair in the 'before and after' photographs. If the products or services are really legitimate, there should be dozens of photos, if not hundreds or thousands.

The FDA and the FCC

Sadly, we think that the United States Food and Drug Administration and the Federal Communications Commission (agencies who regulate such issues) can stop these scams. Unfortunately, they can't. Since the FDA approved Minoxidil and Finasteride as effective in stopping hair loss, any inclusion of these products in any form enables marketing companies to make hair restoration claims.

Even the studies done for Rogaine and Propecia are not that encouraging. When Rogaine was studied (active ingredient is minoxidil), 16% of the placebo group had measurable new hair growth. Four out of twenty-five people had real, measurable hair growth when they believed they were using something that worked. Both studies were limited in time and scope. To read the studies that were done achieve FDA approval, visit the FDA web site and scroll down to Propecia and Rogaine. (http://www.fda.gov/cder/foi/nda/index97.htm )

Hair Loss and Hair Restoration

If a person is genetically prone to hair loss and balding, FDA proven hair loss treatments may help slow the process if they are used early and often. If you are like many and have already lost more hair than you're happy with, there is only one option to restoring your own natural hair: hair transplants. Hair transplants have become an art in the restoration of natural hair which is genetically resistant to the causes of balding.

Like any surgical solution, your success depends upon the quality of the doctor you choose. Doctors who are successful in restoring a natural looking head of hair are carefully reviewed by the Coalition of Hair Restoration Physicians for membership in this exclusive organization. They must allow access to past patients, confirm their training and provide photos and videos of their patients.

While hair transplants are not possible for everyone, they are now more natural and affordable than ever before.

View hundreds of real hair transplant photos done by the world's top hair loss specialists who are members of the Coalition of Hair Restoration Physicians.

For many hair loss suffering men and women, topical concealers are a necessary aspect of the "daily routine." Usually composed of hair shaft adhering microfibers or darkening cream, concealers help balding men and women both camouflage areas of noticeable baldness and increase the apparent density of thinning hair. Below, we provide our readers with a product review of the new and popular hair loss concealer Caboki.

Caboki was released back in 2005 but is only just now receiving more attention, most likely due to increased advertising. Like others before it, Caboki concealer claims to be a "hair loss breakthrough". Despite ambitious promises, Caboki's claims leave several unanswered questions: is Caboki really a breakthrough concealer? How does it compare to other, similar products like Toppik, DermMatch and COUVre? Is Caboki a worthwhile product for purchasing, or will it fall from grace like other alleged "breakthrough" hair loss miracles before it?

While many products, such as "Toppik" (a popular microfiber-style concealer) and "Couvre" (a concealing cream) are popular and trusted within the hair loss community, new, unproven concealers arrive on the market every day. What's more, many of these new concealers try to "best" the products currently offered and claim to camouflage hair loss in a way "never seen before." However, as with many alleged miracle cures, these products often fail to meet expectations and leave hair loss sufferers disappointed and discouraged. So let's explore how Caboki works to conceal hair loss below.

Caboki is comprised of a series of charged microfibers that, when applied to the scalp, tightly bind hair shafts and create a denser, fuller appearance. According to the manufacturer, these microfibers are comprised of two different elements: Moroccan Gossypium Herbaceum fiber and iron oxide-based natural (mineral-based) colorants. The makers of Caboki claim these elements allow the product to create a natural, healthy appearance, capable of withstanding harsh lighting conditions, sweat, wind, and rain.

However, because these elements have been used in other concealer products (Toppik particles, for example, are both charged and made from natural keratin), Caboki still must demonstrate why it's revolutionary. So, what makes Caboki a "hair loss breakthrough?" According to the manufactures, Caboki differs from other concealers in the following ways:

• Caboki particles, unlike other microfiber concealers, are negatively, not positively charged. Allegedly, positively charged particles (usually made from wool fibers) possess a greater tendency to repel and oppose not only each other, but also the positively charged hair shafts. Because of this, when the particles attach near each other on a hair shaft, they are more likely to repel and detach. According to Caboki creators, negatively charged fibers (made from Moroccan Gossypium Herbaceum fiber) do not experience this intense phenomenon, and create a much greater (200%), electronically attractive (negative to positive), bond. If this is true, Caboki microfibers should bind and adhere to hair shafts with a much stronger, more permanent affinity.
• Because Caboki particles create a stronger charged bond, the thicker, more volumized hair shafts are likely to stand erect and less non-bonded concealer will collect on the scalp. This combination, according to Caboki, will eliminate the "dull, flat" appearance associated with other concealer products.
• By only utilizing natural elements (Moroccan Gossypium Herbaceum fibers and iron oxide colorants), Caboki avoids some of the potentially harmful synthetic dyes, fillers, and artificial preservatives used in other concealer products.

So, it's now clear why the manufacturers of Caboki believe it is a superior product, but does this mean Caboki is a legitimate hair loss concealer? Does it truly outshine other concealer product currently on the market?

While the product is still fairly new, most anecdotal experiences and testimonials from real hair loss suffering men and women are positive. Most individuals believe the negatively charged Caboki particles bind strongly to the positively charged hair shafts and create a longer-lasting increase in density. Furthermore, the particles seem to be more resistant to potentially damaging elements like water, sweat, and wind. Having said that, many individuals report some common problems experienced with other concealer products – concealer wiping off on pillows and clothes, some smearing with sweat, and difficultly creating a natural appearance in the hairline. However, these same individuals claim the problems occur less frequently with Caboki. Altogether, it's likely that Caboki is both a helpful hair loss concealer and equivalent to other products currently on the market. While it is clear that Caboki does possess some advantages and interesting claims, it could be difficult to quantify whether it truly exceeds or simply meets the standard set by other available hair loss concealers. Truthfully, only time and the opinion of hair loss sufferers will determine whether Caboki lives up to its claims and defines itself as a legitimate concealer breakthrough.

Excessive DHT in the hair follicle causes specific immune responses. These responses cause the cells to release a substance known as Superoxide. This substance combats against any viruses, cells, or foreign tissues. SOD's claim to fight hair loss by reducing the presence of Superoxide.

As a result, the body is less prone to reject any offending hair follicles, which helps to ward off hair loss. SOD's actually treat hair loss in more than one way. Besides reducing Superoxide, they also stimulate growth and they have anti-inflammatory properties. SOD’s are topical, as well. They include Tricomin, Proxiphen, Proxiphen-N and Folligen.

Click to learn more about Anti Inflammatories

If you are going bald you should seriously consider hair loss medication treatments to halt or even reverse your hair loss. While there is no “Hair Loss Cure”, hair loss drugs like finasteride (Propecia) and dutasteride (Avodart) can often stop or even reverse alopecia areata in most people.

However, just like any other drug, Propecia is accompanied by a list of potential side effects, some of which have been more recently reported as potentially long term.  You can read more about this in the "What About Side Effects" section further down this page.

Studies have shown that 80% of men using Propecia stopped or even reversed their hair loss to some degree. Preliminary clinical trials for Avodart appear even more effective than Propecia.

However, neither Propecia nor Avodart has been proven to restore hair in the frontal areas. For reasons yet unknown these drugs, along with Rogaine, only generally work in regrowing thinning hair in crown area of the scalp. Only hair transplant surgery has been successful in restoring hair in the frontal hairline area once it has been lost.

Propecia and Avodart are also less effective in growing hair in older men. These hair loss drugs work best for men who have been balding for less than five years.

Women must NOT USE Propecia

Both Propecia and Avodart are not recommended for use by women or children.

It’s been found that these drugs can cause birth defects. More specifically, these birth defects may occur when large amounts of the drug are absorbed into the body during the period of foetal development.

Physicians advise pregnant women to not handle Propecia tablets, as this may harm male foetuses. But as of yet, there has not been a single reported case of birth defects caused by handling these tablets.

Furthermore, there’s also no evidence that pregnant women exposed to the semen of Propecia or Avodart patients will risk any birth defects.

Propecia and Avodart are also not advisable for men with liver disease or prostate cancer.

Get a Prescription for Propecia or Avodart.

Often our member physicians will prescribe Propecia or Avodart to halt a patient’s hair loss and then restore the hair already lost with hair transplant surgery. These treatments in combination can work synergistically. The drugs work to halt the hair loss, while hair restoration surgery restores what was lost.

To get a prescription for Propecia or Avodart schedule a free no obligation consultation with any of our quality hair restoration physicians. Find a physician in your area.

Propecia and Avodart should be taken once a day. It has been found that after two years of treatment, Propecia effectively grows hair in about 66% of patients. Also, about 83% of the subjects receiving this treatment continue to maintain their existing hair after two years.

Propecia (Finasteride) was originally a drug called Proscar, which was used to treat and reduce men's prostate conditions such as benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH).

Its parent company, Merck & Co., soon realized that the drug had a unique side effect - it grew hair on bald men's heads.

In December 22, 1997 the FDA approved Propecia as a hair loss pill. Merck & Co. then marketed the drug as a hair loss treatment under the trade name of Propecia.

More recently Dutasteride, sold as Avodart, has generated interest as a promising new hair loss medication. Like finasteride (Propecia) it inhibits the creation of DHT and was originally developed as a treatment for men’s prostate condition.

However, unlike Propecia, Avodart inhibits the creation of both type one and type two 5 alpha reductase enzymes. Dutasteride has been shown to decrease levels of DHT by 90% after only two weeks, making it a more powerful and faster acting weapon against hair loss than Propecia (Finasteride).

Dutasteride is not yet FDA approved for the treatment of hair loss. However, some hair restoration physicians also prescribe it for the treatment of hair loss. Like Propecia, Avodart is not safe for women and children.

Sticking with the program to see results

Losing your hair took time. So too will regrowing your hair using Propecia or Avodart. These drugs require patients to take the drug daily for at least three months before any obvious changes will be noticeable. Most physicians advise taking these drugs for a year before evaluating their effectiveness.

At this time, Propecia and Avodart are only available by prescription. Our member physicians are available to discuss these hair loss drugs with you and prescribe them if appropriate. To find a quality hair restoration physician in your area.

Other DHT Blockers

Aside from Propecia and Dutasteride, there are other treatment options (all topical) that may or may not work to block the effects of DHT on vulnerable hair follicles. These include Revivogen, Crinagen, Progesterone Creams, and Xandrox (a type of minoxidil). Other DHT Blockers

To learn more about these treatments, as well as all other topical options, visit our Topical Hair Loss Products and Treatments section.

How hair loss drugs inhibit DHT and Alopecia Areata

Baldness is largely the result of dihydrotestosterone (DHT) interacting with those hair follicles that are genetically vulnerable to their effects.

DHT is essentially the active ingredient or catalyst for the hair loss process. DHT binds with the receptor sites of genetically vulnerable follicles and gradually degrades the follicles ability to produce healthy hair. This eventually results in baldness in the affected areas.

Hair loss drugs like Propecia or Avodart work by inhibiting the conversion of testosterone into dihydrotestosterone (DHT). By reducing the amount of DHT present in the scalp the hair loss process is slowed and in some cases even reversed.

What about side effects?

Up until a couple of years ago, side effects when taking Propecia or Avodart were only considered temporary. However, over the last several years, many me have reported ongoing side effects from Propecia even after stopping treatment.  This more permanent condition has become known as "Post Finasteride Syndrome" or (PFS). Side effects included but aren't limited to reduced semen production, a reduced libido and softer erections.

As a result, in April of 2012, the FDA mandated labeling changes to finasteride related products.  Labeling changes to Propecia include "libido disorders, ejaculation disorders, and orgasm disorders that continued after discontinuation of the drug".  Labeling changes to Proscar include "decreased libido that continued after discontinuation of the drug".  Labeling changes to both Propecia and Proscar include "reports of male infertility and/or poor semen quality that normalized or improved after drug discontinuation".

While most men don't experience any side effects at all, it should be known that a small percentage of men may experience persistent side effects even after stopping treatment.  Most men who experience side effects however, only experience them temporarily and stopping treatment makes them go away.

For a list of potential side effects and more information on Post Finasteride Syndrome", visit http://www.pfsfoundation.org/.

Our physician members perform a very refined hair transplant procedure called "Follicular Unit Hair Transplantation". Today there are two methods for doing this procedure. They differ only in the methods used to harvest and prepare the grafts.

Follicular Unit Extraction Video is provided courtesy of Dr. Alan Bauman.

How the follicular unit extraction (FUE) hair transplant procedure is different than standard strip excision hair transplant surgery.

How the minimally invasive hair transplant procedure known as Follicular Unit Extraction or FUE is performed.

How follicular unit grafts are created under microscopic dissection and then placed into tiny incisions in the balding areas.