Companies LOVE to capitalize on this pain point by selling us a thousand and one different products that "claim" to fix the problem. You may be reading this while thinking about your bathroom full of products that claimed to regrow hair, only for you to be met with disappointment.
Let's first start with why your hair maybe thinning. If you're not sure why your hair may be thinning then check out these blogs which may provide some insight:
A lot of what will determine the proper treatment for thinning or hair loss is determined by what is causing it. If it is being caused by something internal (diet, hormones, or other medical condition), or external (build up or trauma to the scalp, acne, or folliculitis).
If your issue is internal, no amount of external treatments will make a difference until the internal issues are addressed. Our bodies are amazing and prioritise where they send nutrition to and will eventually stop sending nutrients to less important body systems (hair and nails) to support the more vital body systems that are struggling. This does sort of feel like adding salt to a wound, because our body is suffering internally and then we also deal with confidence and self esteem issues as a result of our body fighting.
If your issue is internal we recommend talking to your doctor to get those issues addressed. Also you will want to check with your doctor to see if using topical products to help with hair thinning is safe.
If your issue is external your stylist maybe able to point you in the right direction, but a visit to the dermatologist is often the best option.
The only ingredients that are FDA approved to treat hair thinning and loss are: Finasteride and Minoxidil.
Finasteride topically, reduces DHT which causes follicles to weaken.
Minoxidil is a vasodilator which encourages more blood flow to the follicles and encourages hair loss.
While most medical testing of these products are done on men (surprise, surprise. 🙄) There is at least one study, where the results were blindly analyzed, that shows promising results in women using Finasteride and Minoxidil, typically in postmenopausal people. The reason the testing is done mostly on men and postmenopausal people is because Finasteride is contraindicated for people who may become pregnant.
Ok, now that we've covered FDA approved options lets talk about options that can be considered more "natural" or products that aren't using Minoxidil and Finasteride.
Most of these products use combinations of ingredients to keep the scalp clean and clear, and help the hair. Most of these are using ingredients that aren't FDA approved for regrowing hair but have some evidence that they work in similar ways to the FDA approved ingredients.
They help the hair stay in the growth phase longer resulting in less shedding and longer hair. The main issue with the non FDA approved products is that FDA approved ingredients work on most people, but these often need you to find the right product for you. As with Minoxidil and Finasteride these products need to be used forever and ever to maintain.
Some of our favorites not using the FDA approved products are:
They use various extracts and peptides to help clear your scalp and grow your hair long and strong.
There are times where all topical products will not solve the problem (atleast to your satisfaction), since not all hair loss will respond to topical products. If that is the case then there are solutions using hair pieces that will work in almost everyone's lifestyle. And no we aren't talking about old Uncle Harold's super fake looking toupee. 😂
In our salon we use Microlines, we find this option works for the majority of people, doesn't require any shaving, and fits into most lifestyles.
Clip on toppers are a great starting point, since you can put it on and take it off at your convenience.
Another option for advanced thinning and balding is a hair system that is glued to the scalp, this perfectly resembles hair growing out of the head but does require shaving.
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