If You're Worried About Hair Loss, Don't Bother With "Hair Growth" Shampoos
If you've started to notice an increase in hair swirling around your shower drain or clumping up in your hairbrush bristles, you're likely searching for a hair growth solution to re-grow those precious strands before it's too late. According to the American Hair Loss Association, while 85% of men will experience visible hair loss by the age of 50, so will 40% of women. No wonder the hair loss treatment manufacturing industry made a total of $4 billion in 2018.
Everything from hair-thickening vitamins to scalp massaging tools promise to restore and regrow your locks, but shampoos for hair growth may be one of the most popular options for people looking to make hair grow faster. But before you run out to grab yourself a bottle of these so-called magic elixirs, you should get the low-down on whether or not these shampoos and other hair growth products are true on their claims.
Do hair growth products like shampoos actually work?
One of the most common ingredients advertised on hair growth shampoo bottles is biotin, a B-vitamin found in egg yolks, liver, and yeast thought to strengthen hair and nail proteins. Dihydrotestosterone (DHT) blockers are another set of common ingredients you'll see. DHT is a derivative of testosterone that can combine with enzymes in the hair follicle to reduce its size and make it impossible for healthy hair to grow. DHT blockers are believed to prevent DHT from attaching to the hair follicle, instead leaving the follicle wide open for growth.
While it's true that DHT blockers may prevent hair from falling out, it is still unclear whether they can help generate new hair growth. As for biotin, despite its popularity among consumers, there has not been enough formal data that supports it as a hair growth supplement. Keep in mind that, like eyelash growth serums, if a product is "able to claim hair growth, it would have to be regulated as a drug by the FDA," says Birnur Aral, Ph.D., director of the Beauty Lab at the Good Housekeeping Institute.
Is Rogaine the best product for head hair growth?
In short, yes. It's the only over-the-counter ingredient has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for head hair growth: Minoxidil. You may know it better as the topical treatment Rogaine. Our beauty experts recommend that you only use products that contain a maximum 2% Minoxidil, like Women's Rogaine 2% Minoxidil Topical Solution Hair Regrowth Treatment or Hers Minoxidil 2% Topical Solution. While products with higher doses exist, they have not yet been approved by the FDA for women.
How does Minoxidil work?
Scientists aren't entirely sure. Originally, Minoxidil was a oral drug used to treat high blood pressure, but one of the side effects was excessive hair growth. Seeing that this side effect could be beneficial to some, scientists developed a topical version of this drug meant to increase blood flow to the scalp, opening follicles for new growth.
How do I apply Rogaine?
The topical treatment should be applied to the scalp twice a day when hair is dry — as to not dilute the product. If you stop applying the treatment, your hair will begin to fall out again, so you need to keep up with regular application to see results.
What products should I use along with Rogaine?
Since hair growth shampoos tend to be a misnomer, we recommend trying shampoos that instead boost the appearance of the hair your already have. To combat thinning hair, try a hair volumizing shampoo or serum, which work by adding space between your strands so it looks like you have more hair than you actually do. "The diameter of the hair shaft diminishes as we get older," explains Zoe Draelo, M.D., a North Carolina-based clinical and research dermatologist, and thickening serums increase the diameter of individual strands by forming a semi-permanent coating around each hair to create a plumping effect. Volumizing products also contain less of the heavy moisturizing ingredients that can weigh down your hair.
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