What are The Best Hair Growth Products and How Well They Work?

09/17/2012 10:19

You can choose from a huge variety of hair growth products. Which is the best product? The answer will depend on many factors including your gender and the cause of your hair loss problem. It is worth looking at the main types of hair growth products that really work and how well they work. The main types of medical hair growth products are actually quite a few, despite the huge hype surrounding newly released items. In general, the only ingredient for hair growth approved by the FDS is minoxidil. It is effective for inhibiting the hormone dihydrotestosterone (DHT) which is responsible for pattern baldness in both men and women. Minoxidil is the main ingredient of different topical treatments like shampoos, creams and lotions. Men can safely use products with 5% concentration of the active ingredient while women need to use treatments with 2% concentration to get results safely. Minoxidil is effective for stopping the spreading of pattern baldness. It stimulates hair growth in areas that are affected by the production of DHT. However, as soon as you stop using the medication, hair loss will reoccur. Plant based hair growth products have gained huge popularity in recent years. Saw palmetto is considered to have powerful chemicals that can prevent DHT from causing baldness. Stinging nettle is a great source of iron and other powerful minerals and vitamins that promote hair growth and strengthen hair. Green tea is considered to be among the milder yet effective herbal hair growth products. It contains powerful antioxidants that promote the health of cells. One of these, EGCG, has been found to inhibit the effect of DHT. Herbal products are good choices, but you have to be careful with them as they may affect the hormonal balance adversely. There are plenty of dietary supplements sold as hair growth products. For healthy hair, you need omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin B12, vitamin B6, biotin, vitamin C and vitamin A, iron, zinc and calcium. All of these are responsible for natural healthy hair growth. You can readily take them in the form of supplements. However, if you have not been diagnosed with vitamin deficiency, you can readily get too much of these nutrients. Most are not dangerous, but large amounts of vitamin A present in the body, for example, can actually cause severe hair loss. That is why you should be extremely careful if you decide to take supplements for hair growth. Consult your doctor before using any one of these hair growth products. How do you choose the best one among the different hair growth products? Have your hair loss diagnosed by a physician. The doctor will run some tests to figure out what has caused your problem. Then, he/she will recommend the best course of treatment. If you have pattern baldness, you can readily use minoxidil medications. If you have vitamin deficiency, you can get supplements. In some cases, hair loss is caused by a medical condition or the intake of a certain medication. These call for individual treatment plans.