Myths regarding the Business of Hair Restoration

Myth: MPB can be cured in a few days.

Never happens. MPB has no cure. Products that are effective in treating MPB require "the norm of 4 to 6 months" to see significant results, e.g. either a loss reversal or new hair growth. The reason is simple. What we are trying to do is to replace thin or fine hair shafts by thicker ones. In order for that to happen, the follicle producing the fine hair shaft has to shift into the telogen phase, which lasts ~100 days, shed the fine shaft, and start growing an observable thicker shaft. That requires 4 to 6 months.

Myth: Hair analysis is a reliable source in determining the causes of MPB

Big mistake. Here's an excerpt from a TIME magazine article in 2001: "Each year a quarter of a million Americans shell out up to $70 a pop for a hair analysis, but reports show that the tests, which is supposed to diagnose nutritional problems, are, at best, unreliable. Six popular labs were asked to test hair samples, all from the same head, for 30 minerals and metals, including selenium, aluminum and lead. Result? Reported concentrations for the same hair differed wildly from lab to lab, often varying 10-fold. If that's not enough to make your hair curl, most of the labs also sell supplements to remedy the ills they purportedly find."
Here's another article: Hair Analysis Debunked by Dr. Isadore Rosenfeld A study reported 15 years ago in the Journal of the American Medical Association found no scientific basis for using hair analysis to determine nutritional needs. Still proponents continue to offer it to patients. A new study, in the same journal, reports similar findings.

Hair samples from the same people were sent to six labs specializing in this technique. Results varied widely, and recommendations often were completely contradictory. For example, one lab said a patient was a 'fast metabolizer' and should avoid vitamin A. Another said the same individual was a 'slow metabolizer' and suggested vitamin A supplements. So, if advised to have a hair analysis to define your nutritional status, I suggest you use the $30-$70 instead for a new shirt or take your spouse to dinner.

Myth: Money back guarantees improve the credibility of hair loss products

Not so. In medicine there are no absolutes and there are no guarantees. Likewise, legitimate hair growth medicines cannot be guaranteed to reverse hair loss. If a product is guaranteed to reverse hair loss or your money will be refunded, then you should be wary of the product. Any marketing specialist will tell you that less than 1/3 of consumers will ever demand their money back from a product, regardless how egregious the product might have been. In medicine (as in life), there are no guarantees. A surgeon can never guarantee the result of an operation anymore than an internist can guarantee the result of any particular medication. You should feel uneasy when there is a 'money-back guarantee' on any 'medical' products.

Myth: Massaging the scalp is effective in treating MPB

It would be nice, if MPB could be so easily treated. In fact, it doesn't work. There have always been advocates of scalp massages to improve circulation, but there is no proof that doing so is of any benefit in treating MPB.

All organs and tissues require proper circulation to maintain their health and function. 20% of the output of the heart goes to the head, so the scalp is highly vascularized. MPB is not caused by poor or decreased circulation. Numerous studies have shown that the vascular supply to the balding scalp is just as good as the non-balding scalp.

Common sense would tell you that if poor circulation were the cause of MPB, then hair loss would be in a pattern corresponding to the blood flow and it isn't. Furthermore, if poor circulation were the cause of MPB, then hair transplants would never be successful, since hair is being placed into balding areas supposedly having decreased blood flow.

Myth: A large list of ingredients improves the effectiveness of a hair growth product

It's just the opposite. First of all, take careful note of the active ingredients. Have the ingredients been proven to do whatever has been claimed in the advertisement? Are there references to studies in recognized scientific or medical journals? That's going to be very unlikely. If the manufacturer makes it difficult for you to find the list of ingredients, you have reason to be wary of the product.

Here's why you should have misgivings in regards to products that have multiple 'active' ingredients: each ingredient may be safe and effective, but there could not possibly be sufficient studies to prove that the ingredients are compatible together. Nor can you know whether or not they may have adverse reactions with one another, either while they are in solution or on the scalp. There are many substances that become ineffective when combined, although they may be effective when applied separately. Minoxidil and spironolactone is a good example of this type of incompatibility. Another example of medications used for the same purpose (antibiotics), but shouldn't be used together because they become ineffective, would be tetracycline and penicillin.

Myth: 'Bricks and Mortar' have nothing to do with the validity of hair loss products

This should really speak for itself. Is there a business site other than the Internet? The development and production of products to treat MPB require a physical space for such activities. If the manufacturer does not give you a postal address and a telephone number, it should raise suspicions as to the legitimacy of the business. There should also be a way to contact the business by phone or email.