Products for Hair Loss: Anti-Hair Loss Shampoos
Written by Male Pattern Baldness Writer on October 28th, 2008It’s easy to get confused when investigating the many shampoos available. With some background knowledge of what has shown to be effective in previous studies, however, you can make more intelligent choices about the hair loss shampoo you choose for experimentation. And that is the great thing about shampoos – they are relatively inexpensive in this maze of hair loss/regrowth methods, so you can try a few without breaking your budget!
When you’re checking out shampoos that might help you fight your own hair loss problem, look for these ingredients and consider how they should effect your choices:
1. Surfactants. These ingredients cause shampoos to lather when they are applied. You may have the idea that the more lather a shampoo creates, the cleaner it will get your hair. Shampoo manufacturers are on to the fact that this belief is common and they load products with surfactants. This misconception is not true, and as a matter of fact surfactants can actually irritate your scalp and accelerate your hair loss. Avoid shampoos that boast of copious lather.
2. Herbal Additives. Of all the herbs that can be added to shampoo to promote hair growth, Saw Palmetto has been documented to be the most effective. You should be sure to find shampoos that include this natural remedy and try them out. Saw Palmetto has been proven effective in limiting the amount of dihydrotestosterone (DHT) your body creates, and DHT is the primary cause of a large percentage of hair loss cases in adults. DHT is found in the blood streams of both men and women (to a lesser degree) and causes hair-producing follicles to atrophy (die).
3. Nettle and bay have also been helpful to some people. Medicinal herbs, these contribute to the development of nutrition in the scalp, and stimulate hair follicles. Shampoos which include these might help you too.
4. Essential Oils. The concentrated oils from plants such as lavender and other aromatics, essential oils have been used since ancient times to treat the scalp and hair. These still have value in hair care and the reduction of hair loss, proving once again that we have much to learn from long-forgotten medicine.
5. Tea Tree Oil. Many swear by this ingredient, and there are several brands of this on the market. So popular are these shampoos, you can find them at most any drug store as well as health product retailers. As an aside, tea tree oil has also been found to be effective in the prevention of head lice infestations.
There are no definitive studies to show that shampoos can actually result in regrowth of hair that is caused by what we all “permanent” conditions, largely the result of heredity and hormones. However, early prevention is important, and experimenting with shampoos during these early stages may provide invaluable help in reducing the rate of loss.