hair

Provillus

Wed, 10 Jun 2009 05:24:33 -0700

Provillus is undoubtedly one of the most popular hair loss products available, and when it comes to herbal hair loss products it probably is the most commonly used. This being the case, it seemed extremely important for a site reviewing hair loss products to investigate the effectiveness of Provillus.

The first step in looking into Provillus was to view their website. Unlike most other hair loss products, herbal and pharmaceutical, they offer a formula for women. This scores them huge points, but we'll stick to reviewing the supplement designed to combat male pattern baldness. Unlike a lot of sites which more or less simply state: "buy this and get your hair back", Provillus provides a detailed and comprehensive explanation of what causes male pattern baldness. After this they give you a lesser explanation of how their product helps to combat hair loss. Their site also contains a lot of testimonials, both written and video, though I am always skeptical of website testimonials. To get an idea of how well a product works, and what the potential side effects could be, we must examine the ingredients.

We see a lot of the same ingredients in Provillus that we see in many other natural hair loss products. Saw palmetto is a very important ingredient in hair loss products. It is key in blocking DHT from binding to hair follicles; which is the main cause of androgenic alopecia. Secondary ingredients include zinc, biotin (a vitamin B complex), and magnesium. These all contribute to growing and maintaining healthy hair, but don't address the hormone DHT, which is why they are listed as secondary information. On the negative side they have a few ingredients listed under "proprietary blend", including nettle root (or stinging nettle). The total sum of all of the ingredients listed as being part of the proprietary blend is 30mg, meaning that the maximum amount of nettle root is less than that. This is disappointing as nettle root stops enzyme-5a from turning testosterone into DHT. This tiny amount of nettle root extract seems to be at odds in contrast to the very high amount of saw palmetto found in Provillus, which is 1000mg. They also have a very small amount of eleuthero, though it is important not to have high levels of this substance as it curbs the production of testosterone. Some consider any amount of this ingredient to be a negative, though it unquestionably helps reverse hair loss.

Provillus offers a ninety day money back guarantee, which is another positive as the standard time periods are sixty and ninety days, and they offer the longer period. They have no recurring billing program, and their customer service is easy to get a hold of. While they do not have a live chat feature you can contact them by email, which they respond to within a decent amount of time, and during certain hours you can call them. While this is not the best product I've seen, I would definitely put it in the upper echelon of hair loss products.

Cloud Nine Regrowth

Thu, 26 Mar 2009 15:11:46 -0700

Cloud Nine Regrowth has continuously shown itself to be one of the best herbal supplements to combat hair loss available. I base this statement on a review of the supplement ingredients and shown results, as well as the company and customer service.

The saw palmetto and nettle root in Cloud Nine Regrowth are effective ingredients in stopping the build up of DHT in the scalp. DHT, or dihydrotestosterone, is known for getting into hair follicles through the bloodstream and cutting off further blood flow. By severing blood flow nutrients are cut off from the hair follicle, existing hair thins and then falls out never to regrow; this process is known as androgenic alopecia, or male pattern baldness. Regrowth contains the DHT fighting ingredients in abundance. Once blood flow has been returned to the scalp nutrients get through and hair begins to grow once again. At this stage the B vitamins in Regrowth go to work speeding up the regrowth process and ensuring hair comes in thick and full.

One of the major plus sides to Cloud Nine Regrowth is the fact that the formula does not have any known side effects. Many people take this for granted when purchasing any herbal or natural products, but just because something is natural does not mean that it is good for you or that is will have no side effects; many topical natural hair growth products have been known to cause rashes, hives and swelling in the area it is applied. Pharmaceutical drugs are even worse, causing things like erectile dysfunction and a swelling of the prostate. So the fact that Regrowth is an effective hair loss treatment and has no side effects is a pretty impressive achievement.

Regrowth has a very high success rate; but let's face it, everyone is different. A medication or supplement which works well for the majority of people may not work well for you. Regrowth comes with a money back guarantee good for 90 days. If you haven't noticed an improvement after three months of use then your body may be resistant to it. In this case you are free to contact the company and receive a refund. Not all online stores have a toll free number, but you can call Cloud Nine to ask details on the product and return policy. Free shipping is offered with purchases of more than one hundred and fifty dollars, but this is unfortunately done through USPS rather than a courier. This is the only downside of the product I can find, because it is delivered via the post office it takes a bit longer to arrive than it would otherwise.

Regrowth comes highly recommended customers who have tried it, as well as in other reviews. After looking over the formula, reading about the product in blogs and review and talking to company representatives I am confident in giving Cloud Nine Regrowth top marks and a position as my number one recommendation.

Nioxin

Thu, 19 Mar 2009 11:40:17 -0700

Nioxin comes offers many different products usually coming in a set. It almost always involves a shampoo, a conditioner and an ointment applied directly to the scalp to combat hair loss and thinning hair; though there are some Nioxin product which are meant only to increase the strength of brittle hair and improve follicle health. They are all products of Nioxin Research Laboratories and were originally made popular by Regis Hair Salons, who carry the products.

The combination of a wash to remove built up DHT in the scalp along with a shampoo to reinvigorate new hair growth should work in theory, and the formula seems to be legitimate. On their website, Nioxin boasts a ninety one percent success rate for those who use their products, but this is difficult to verify and seems unlikely. Many people do get positive results from Nioxin use, though it is generally a very slow process. Hair generally stops falling out within a few weeks to a couple months of beginning to use Nioxin on the scalp, but a full recovery of lost hair takes much longer. Results can vary substantially from person to person.

One of the best things about Nioxin is that it is made from a natural formula. This obviously means that it is non-prescription, and it also means that there is little risk of side effects and that these side effects are generally mild. Notably absent are sexual side effects or ones which affect the prostate, as is a major problem with pharmaceuticals. It is not recommended to combine Nioxin with some other hair loss treatments, and you should ask your doctor about possible negative interactions. Some of the reported side effects include but are not limited to things which affect the skin; such as rash, welling, itching, burning and hives on the scalp neck and face. These side effects are rare, but because one Nioxin product was safe for you doesn't mean others will be. The opposite may also be true, because you had a negative experience with one does not mean you will from others; it is an unfortunate hit and miss game.

Nioxin products have a pretty good history despite some scepticism on my part and you may want to consider using them. They are fairly priced and you get good customer service from the company. They are available to purchase online if you prefer the privacy of ordering from home, but if you are the type who does not typically order things from websites you can buy their products in some stores. I would still recommend looking into all of your options, because in the end the worst choice you can make is to ignore thinning hair and hair loss due to male pattern baldness.

Scalp Med

Wed, 01 Apr 2009 04:24:38 -0700

Scalp Med has quickly become one of the more popular hair loss products on the market, being offered both in stores and online. It is a topical pharmaceutical product which uses the drug Minoxidil.

Minoxidil combats male pattern baldness not by removing or destroying DHT built up in the scalp, but rather by widening blood vessels so that blood flow is not cut off by DHT. Though the drug was originally taken orally (and was originally designed to treat hypertension) it is now more commonly added to shampoos and ointments like Scalp Med.

There are several problems, both with Scalp Med and Minoxidil. While the sexual side effects are usually not as prevalent or harsh like with Propecia, they can be quite harsh none the less. Most of the side effects relate to the area it is applied to, and many people have a negative reaction to Scalp Med, and actually lose hair at an accelerated rate because of it. It can also cause itching, swelling, rash and hives on the scalp and other skin it touches. Other than side effects of this nature, Scalp Med can cause some decreased sex drive, vision problems such as blurring, headaches, and other problems. It is also unsafe for anyone suffering from heart angina and other problems associated with the circulatory system and should not be taken by anyone prone to seizures, like epileptics. You should tell your doctor you plan to use Minoxidil and review any other drugs and/or supplements you are taking, do this before applying Scalp Med or any other form of Minoxidil because of the potential for drug interaction.

There are some upsides to Scalp Med, like its high success rate. Like most medications and supplements, a portion of users will not experience positive effects and a portion will experience negative side effects; but the majority do see an increase in hair growth and hair thickness after a few months of use. It is also relatively inexpensive and can be ordered for $14.95 per bottle (not including shipping and taxes), and each bottle should last a month to two months.

I would have to give Scalp Med three out of five stars; as explained it does work for the majority of men with androgenic alopecia (male pattern baldness) but can come at the price of harsh side effects and negative impacts on your sexual health and other complications. I almost always recommend a herbal product over a pharmaceutical, and this is no exception. There are natural treatments that are both effective and side effect free; you can get these as supplements or as topical ointments and shampoos if you prefer that method of delivery. Look into some of the other products available to you: their success rates, possibility of side effects and what these side effects include. You may still wish to come back to Scalp Med, but it never hurts to know all of your option.

HairMAX Laser Comb

Wed, 25 Mar 2009 12:09:57 -0700

One of the newest products to fight male pattern baldness and prevent hair loss is the laser comb. Designed and developed in Australian laboratories, the laser comb stimulates quick hair growth by altering the growth cycles of the hair follicle. The various hair follicles on your head are in one of three stages at any given time. The hair follicle spends most of its time in the anagen stage, in which it is growing; for the average person about 90% of the hair follicles on their head are in this stage. In the catagen phase the follicles rest and hair begins to thin. Finally comes the telogen phase in which the thinned out hair falls out to make room for new hair growth.

The HairMAX laser comb stimulates the follicles to stay in the anagen stage, so that thinning hairs are much more quickly replaced by growing ones. This helps fight male pattern baldness in a few ways. First of all, the anagen stage is significantly shortened by a build up of DHT; DHT is the hormone which binds to hair follicles, cuts off blood flow and nutrients, and eventually forces the hair to fall out. This lack of nutrients also causes the growing period to be shorter, but the laser comb helps correct this. Not only is remaining in the anagen stage very positive for hair growth, but conversely spending less time in the catagen and telogen stages helps fight hair loss. Excess DHT in the scalp causes more thinning during these stages, and extends them beyond their normal length. The laser comb has a very high success rate, boasting that 90% of customers show positive results from use of the laser comb.

While the laser comb's potential for stimulating faster and thicker hair growth in both men and women is undeniable, in the case of male pattern baldness it does not directly address the causes of hair loss and may simply delay the inevitable. The laser comb does not remove DHT from the scalp like a pharmaceutical drug or natural supplement would. This means that it will continue to build up in the hair follicles, making the hair thinner and thinner until it eventually falls out. It is uncertain whether the laser comb can keep hair growth continuing indefinitely and if not, how long it could delay the inevitable progress of hair loss.

For these reasons I do recommend the laser comb to you, but as something to be used in addition to another treatment. For the best results, you should combine use of the laser comb with a supplement to stop DHT from binding to hair follicles. The supplements will stop further hair loss and provide vitamins to promote healthy hair growth while the laser comb stimulates it to grow continuously. The reason I recommend a natural supplement over a pharmaceutical is a simple matter of price and potential for side effect.

Despite a few drawbacks, the laser comb appears to be a remarkable breakthrough and it has the clinical trials and government approval to back itself up. I would highly recommend it.