Hair Loss Treatment
According to The Washington Post, American hair loss sufferers spend more than 3.5 billion dollars a year in an attempt to treat their hair loss. Unfortunately, 99% of all products being marketed in the less than ethical hair loss treatment industry are completely ineffective for the majority of those who use them.
The American Hair Loss Association recognizes that hair loss is an extremely emotionally distressing disease that can make those afflicted particularly vulnerable. For this reason, The AHLA recommends against purchasing any hair loss product that is not approved by the FDA or recommended by The American Hair Loss Association.
To learn more specific information about hair loss treatments for men and women, select a link below.
Women are in a "Catch-22" position when it comes to drug treatments for androgenetic alopecia. While many drugs may work to some degree for some women, doctors are reluctant to prescribe them, and drug companies aren't exactly falling over themselves to test existing or new drugs specifically for their ability to prevent and treat female pattern baldness.
Physicians are reluctant to use systemic treatment (a pill or other form of internal treatment that affects your entire system) unless they know that the hair loss is due to an excess of androgen in the system or a sensitized "over-response" to the so-called "normal" amounts of androgen in the system. That's because these systemic treatments may lower the body's androgen levels. Therefore, physicians often choose topical treatments (those that are applied directly to the scalp).
The best results from treatment happen when you begin treatment as soon as possible after the hair loss begins because prolonged androgenetic alopecia may destroy many of the hair follicles. The use of anti-androgens after prolonged hair loss will at least help prevent further hair loss and encourage some hair regrowth from those follicles that have been dormant but are still viable, Stopping treatment will result in the hair loss resuming if the androgens aren't kept in check in some other way. Maintaining your vitamin and mineral levels helps while you're on anti-androgen medications.
As always, treatments have the best chance of being effective if they are geared to the cause of the hair loss as well as to triggering hair growth.
Currently there is only one FDA approved treatment for female pattern hair loss.
Below you will find a list of treatments currently being used to treat hair loss in women. Some of these drugs have not been approved by the FDA for this particular application, however they have all been approved for other applications and are used “off label” to treat hair loss.
The effectiveness of these agents and methods vary from person to person, but many women have found that using these treatments have made a positive difference in their hair and their self-esteem.
Minoxidil 2% Topical Treatment
Minoxidil was first used in tablet form as a medicine to treat high blood pressure (an antihypertensive). It was noticed that patients being treated with minoxidil experienced excessive hair growth (hypertrichosis) as a side effect. Further research showed that applying a solution of minoxidil directly to the scalp could also stimulate hair growth. The amount of minoxidil absorbed through the skin into the bloodstream is usually too small to cause internal side effects.
Women with diffuse androgenetic alopecia can use minoxidil and it actually seems to be more effective for women compared to men. The makers of minoxidil recommend women only use the 2% concentration of minoxidil and not 5%. The makers of minoxidil have not received FDA approval for promoting 5% minoxidil or minoxidil extra strength for use by women. Many dermatologists do prescribe minoxidil 5% for women with androgenetic alopecia if used under their supervision. Some small clinical trials have been conducted on 5% minoxidil for androgenetic alopecia in women showing that indeed the 5% solution is significantly more effective in both retaining and regrowing hair than the 2 % solution.
In clinical studies of mostly white women aged 18-45 years with mild to moderate degrees of hair loss, the following response to minoxidil was reported: 19% of women reported moderate hair growth after using minoxidil for 8 months (19% had moderate regrowth; 40% had minimal regrowth). This compares with 7% of women reporting moderate hair regrowth after using the placebo, the liquid without the active ingredient in it, for 8 months (7% had moderate regrowth, 33% had minimal regrowth).
The American Hair Loss Association recognizes the limitations of topical minoxidil treatment in the fight against female androgenic alopecia (female pattern baldness) therefore we recommend that you seek out the advice of an informed hair loss specialist that can provide you with information on the potential treatments listed on this website.
Androgen Receptor Inhibitors.
Aldactone / Spironolactone
Spironolactone or the more popular brand name Aldactone is in a class of drugs called potassium-sparing diuretics (water pill). It is used to reduce the amount of fluid in your body without causing the loss of potassium. It is also used to treat hypertension (high blood pressure) and edema (swelling) and used to treat potassium deficiency and hyperaldosteronism (a hormonal disorder).
Spironolactone is an antiandrogen that works in two ways. Primarily it slows down the production of androgens in the adrenal glands and ovaries. Secondly it blocks the action of androgens in part by preventing dihydrotestosterone from binding to its androgenetic receptor.
Tagamet / Cimetidine
Cimetidine sold under the brand name Tagamet, belongs to a class of histamine blockers used mainly to treat gastrointestinal ulcers. The histamine blocking action prevents the stomach from producing excess acid, allowing the body to heal the ulcer. Cimetidine also has a fairly powerful anti-androgenic effect and has shown to block dehydrotestosterone form binding the follicle receptor sites.
Cimetidine has been used to treat hirsuitism in women (excess facial hair growth) and has been studied in women with androgenic alopecia showing promising results. Because of the high doses needed to achieve it’s hair raising results, men should not take cimettidine to treat their hair loss due to possible feminizing effects including adverse sexual side effects.
Cyproterone Acetate
Cyproterone Acetate is used to reduce sex drive in men which have excessive sex drive and for the treatment of pronounced sexual aggression. It is also prescribed to treat severe hirsuitism in woman of childbearing age and also androgenetic alopecia in women. Cyproterone acetate exerts its effects by blocking the binding of DHT dihydrotestosterone to its receptors.
Cyproterone acetate is not available in the US and is thought of as one of the last resorts for treating female pattern hair loss because of its possible toxicity and long term side effects.
As with any drug side effects other than those listed may occur, contact your doctor if you are experiencing a side effect that is unusual or particularly bothersome
Estrogen/Progesterone
Also known as hormone replacement therapy (HRT) and commonly prescribed at menopause, estrogen and progesterone pills and creams are probably the most common systemic form of treatment for androgenetic alopecia for women in menopause or whose estrogen and/or progesterone are lacking for other reasons.
Oral Contraceptives
Since birth control pills decrease the production of ovarian androgens, they can be used to treat women's androgenetic alopecia. Keep in mind, however, that the same cautions must be followed whether a woman takes contraceptive pills solely to prevent contraception or to treat female pattern baldness. For example, smokers over thirty-five who take "the pill" are at higher risk for blood clots and other serious conditions. Discuss your medical and lifestyle history thoroughly with your doctor. Contraceptive pills come in various hormonal formulations, and your doctor can determine which is right for your specific needs, switching pills if necessary until you are physically and emotionally comfortable with the formulation. Note: Only low androgen index birth control pills should be used to treat hair loss. High androgen index birth control pills actually contribute to hair loss by triggering it or enabling it once it's been triggered by something else.
Nizoral/Ketoconazole
Available as a topical treatment by prescription, Ketoconazole is currently used as an antifungal agent in the treatment of fungal infections. It also has anti-androgenic effects and can cause a reduction in the production of testosterone and other androgens by the adrenal gland and by the male and female reproductive organs (in women, the ovaries). Because of this action, it can be used to help treat hair loss. Nizoral shampoo contains 2 percent Ketoconazole and is prescribed not only for the treatment of scalp conditions, but also in combination with other treatments for androgenetic alopecia. A 1 percent version is now available over-the-counter, but it may not be as effective as the 2 percent prescription strength. There are no significant side effects.
Propecia/Proscar
The drug finasteride inhibits the enzyme 5-alpha reductase, thereby inhibiting the production of prostate-harming, follicle killing DHT. It was first marketed to treat the prostate under the brand name Proscar in 5 mg pills. In 1998, a 1 mg version with the brand name Propecia entered the market as the first pill approved by the FDA for men's hair loss. It works quite well for most men in both preventing hair loss and triggering regrowth, and it may work for some women, although women must not take it if they are pregnant and must not get pregnant while on the drug because of the risk of birth defects in a male fetus. Less than 2 percent of men experience transient sexual side effects including erectile and libido difficulties. In women these side effects do not occur.
Cyproterone Acetate with Ethinyloestradiol
Sold under the brand name Diane 35 and Diane 50, this contraceptive tablet is prescribed in Europe for women's androgenetic alopecia. The drug works by blocking some of the actions of male hormones commonly present in women. Although it's possible for the drug to stop further hair loss and trigger regrowth of hair within about a year, it needs to be used on an ongoing basis in order to maintain regrowth and eliminate hair loss. Possible side effects include breast tenderness, headaches, and decreased libido. It does have one good side effect- it helps prevent osteoporosis. The drug is a combination of cyproterone and estradiol, an estrogen. Both Diane 35 and Diane 50 contain 2 mg of cyproterone. Diane 35 contains 0.035 mg of estradiol. Diane 50 contains 0.050 mg of estradiol. The drug is as effective as, if not more than, spironolactone. Currently this drug is not available in the US
TOP TIPS FOR SUCCESSFULLY HIDING GREASY FESTIVAL HAIR
Oh we've all been there, and whether it's three nights in a tent giving you that weird combo of lanky, static locks or just that you can't quite be bothered to hit the icy cold showers, greasy hair is a given when it comes to festival season. But hair maintainance doesn't have to be a downer and if the idea of being separated from your straighteners for the weekend has you breaking into a cold sweat, we've got loads of quick and simple ideas to keep your barnet looking fresh as a daisy.
1. Accessorise it.
Hats and hairbands are the greasy haired gals best friend and with so many awesome accessories about this season, we might just be wearing them even on a good hair day. We're working on a more is more approach and where the festival is concerned, there's no reason not to go big with the fancy dress. But if a Indian headdress isn't your think, we reckon a trilby, turban or headband are the way to go.
Black Peace beanie - £15.00 from ASOS
Pink rosebud flower garland - £8.00 from ASOS.
2. Dry shampoo it
It's an obvious one, but no festival is complete without a bottle of this stuff in your rucksack. Gone are the days when you'd get that horrible white powder residue in your roots and there are loads of bargainous brands on sale that'll freshen up your locks and add a bit of extra volume too. If you don't know where to start, we've tried and tested LOADS of dry shampoos so you don't have to right here.
3. Brush it.
Science is about to be your new best friend thanks to the amazing invention that is the Boar Bristle Brush. This ain't no bog standard hair brush and despite the fact that the ristles do come from a wild piggy's bottom, they are so magical that they actualy draw out grease when you use it to brush yout hair. IT'S LIKE MAGIC.
Unless you are going to a festival in the woods where there are likely to be some wild boar you can rub your head on, get your paws on a brush here.
4. Braid it
If there's one thing greasy hair is actually better than clean for, it's rocking a style. This summer is all about big braids and piles of volume so whack in some dry shampoo at the roots and plait up ready for the weekend. There's no harm keeping the style in all weekend either as the more you sleep on it, the messeir and more on trend it'll look with absolutely no effort on your part.
If you need a bit of help, we've got a tutorial for a rope plait here and one for perfecting the fishtail plait here.
5. Colour it
If anything is going to draw people's eyes away from your greasy roots, it's a bright colour perking everything up. Dip dyes are a great way to distract people and if you don't fancy using a semi permanent dye, there's an awesome range of spray-in and brush-in colours that you can brush through for a punchy look. They wash straight out without any trace left on your hair and if you apply it on day two of the festival and don't wash until you get home, it'll stay in for the whole weekend. Don't get caught in the rain unless you like an impromptu bit of tie dye on your clothes though as you might find the colour runs all over you clobber if the heavens open.
Temporary hair dye in Violette - £4.49 from Crazy Colour.
Hair chalk duo in pink and green - £7.50 from NPW at Topshop.
Hair Art spray in blue - £2.99 from Colour Xtreme.
6. Shampoo your fringe
For those of us with big blunt fringes, festivals can be a bit of a nightmare. There's no bigger give away that you haven't washed in the last few days than a fringe that's so grimey it's separated into strands and if you don't want to clip it back, you can always have a cheats wash and just do your fringe. Take a travel size bottle of kids shampoo, lather it up in your hands and apply a TINY bit to the roots of your fringe, then have a little rinse under the tap or using a bottle of water. You'll instantly feel fresher but still won't have to bother queuing for the showers.
7. Wash it less
If you're a wash it every day sort of gal, get your hair ready for your weekend without access to water by washing it less in the run up to the festival. Start by adding an extra day in before wash or if you can't bear that, try using a kids shampoo instead. They're generally less harsh than adult shampoos which means they don't strip away as much grease allowing your hair to get used to regulating the oiliness itself.
Plus they'll make your hair smell like you were brought up in a sweetshop and who doesn't want to smell like a human dolly mixture?
L'Oreal Kids 2-in-1 So Strawberry Shampoo - £2.19 from Boots.
Kids Detangling Shampoo - £2.05 from Boots.
So what do you reckon - will you be trying any of those tips? Do you have any top tips for avoiding greasy hair?
The Prettiest Ponytail DIY To Try This Weekend
The inspiration for Adam Selman’s beauty look was questionable: "1970s cult members from California." The look? A super-cute update to the segmented ponytail. (Although, wearing it with 25 of your friends at once might lead people to believe you are indeed in a cult.)
To get the look, hairstylist Jimmy Paul misted Bumble and bumble Prep through the hair, followed by Bumble and bumble Thickening Hairspray. He rough-dried with his hands, and then created two ponytails — gathering the top half of the hair into a ponytail at the crown, then pulling that tail together with all the hair at the nape.
The result was a segmented ponytail — been there, done that. But here's the fun part: Paul took strips of fabric from Selman’s collection (any patterned scraps will do) and tied them around each ponytail in knotted bows. Keep the bows floppy and imperfect — otherwise they'll look too cutesy — and you’ve got a cool, fun update to your typical weekend pony.
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Meet The At-Home Treatment That Actually Repairs Your Hair
As beauty editors, we get inundated by product pitches claiming to "heal" our hair, when the reality is that they actually just gloss over the rough patches and damaged bits, filling them in or coating them so they look smoother — they don't actually do anything for hair's structural integrity. However, a new 3-step salon system is changing that game with a lineup that both prevents breakage during the coloring process and "glues" the broken bonds that happen as a result of coloring back together. That system is called Olaplex.
If you're part of the bleach brigade, then you probably know all about Olaplex — the hair colorist and beauty community has been singing its praises since it first arrived on the market late last year and it's been steadily introduced into salons around the country. The brand's founders, Dean and Darcy Christal, are in the process of introducing Olaplex worldwide, which is a testament both to the buzz and the power of the salon grapevine — so many colorists are raving about it to other pros that salons are beating down the doors to add it to their services.
My bullshit meter was on full alert when I went in to try the treatment for myself — I've been burned before with so-called reparative treatments and didn't have high hopes for this unicorn of hair color. I made an appointment with Olaplex ambassador Chad Kenyon to get my blonde on and prepared to be underwhelmed.
Kenyon walked me through the process, noting that there were three parts to the Olaplex system, conventiently called No. 1, No. 2, and No. 3. The first part of the treatment, No. 1 (in case you were unclear on the numerical order), is mixed into the bleach, powder lightener, or hair color, and applied to the hair. What No. 1 does, Kenyon says, is repair the disulfide bonds that are separated as a result of chemical treatments or heat styling. "Those bonds are separated and momentarily broken to achieve a different color or hair texture," says Kenyon. "Numbers 1, 2, and 3 all rebuild those bonds."
No. 2, is done in-salon as well and is needed to complete the coloring process. After the color has been applied and "cooked" (for lack of a better term), your colorist will take you to the bowl and rinse the color out of your hair — just a rinse, not shampooing. Hair is then towel-dried and No. 2 is applied to the hair and left on for a minimum of 10 minutes. Then it's back to the bowl for a rinse, shampoo, and conditioning.
Now that's all well and good for getting your hair professionally colored, but what about those who don't have the cash for a pro color treatment? That's where No. 3 comes in. "[It's] a retail-friendly version of No. 2 that allows consumers to protect their hair from themselves (curling irons, flat irons), as well as rebuild broken disulfide bonds in the days prior to visiting their colorist," explains Kenyon. The 3.5-oz bottle is only available from Olaplex affiliated salons and will cost you anywhere from $40 to $75 per bottle.
The at-home treatment is a less potent version of the salon-exclusive No. 2 that can be used every 10 days to resuscitate dry, damaged hair. According to Olaplex's vice president of education, Slim (just Slim, like the Beyoncé of color care), No. 2 is a 15% concentrate whereas No. 3 is 12.5%.
Don't call it a conditioning treatment. "[No. 3] conditions and that’s synonymous with moisturizing," says Kenyon. "We all need moisture in our hair, but No. 3 does something completely different. It’s in no way, shape, or form a conditioning treatment. It’s reparative — it rebuilds broken hair and it will reconnect those [broken disulfide] bonds."
And you don't have to have had an Olaplex coloring service or even a hair color session. Kenyon says the product can benefit those who have damage due to other chemical treatments (relaxing, keratin, straightening) and those whose hair is just wrecked from wear and tear from styling tools.
As far as different hair textures go, Kenyon says Olaplex works for everyone. No, seriously: curly, thick, fine — it helps them all. Kenyon explains that by repairing broken bonds, Olaplex is returning your hair to its natural state. That means it will help reduce frizz, dullness, and even make curls more defined.
So the big question: Does it live up to the hype? In my experience, that's a big, fat, resounding yep. Post-bleaching, Kenyon handed me a few bottles of No. 3 to use on my own at home, with the instructions to use it when I first washed my newly dyed hair. Fast forward three days and I was about to give No. 3 its first test-drive.
I jumped in the shower and shampooed my hair as advised by Kenyon. I then towel-dried my hair and applied No. 3, saturating my strands and combing it through. I popped on a shower cap and a bathrobe and bustled productively around my apartment (read: Sat on my couch binge-watching Arrow while devouring Panda Puffs and sending out random gibberish on Twitter). Kenyon says that while the instructions say 10 minutes, he advises clients to leave on for at least 30. Since my color was fresh (meaning my hair had just gone some through chemical trauma), Kenyon told me to keep it on my locks for an hour or two.
I got antsy at the hour-and-a-half mark (there's only so much superhero angst one can handle in a sitting), so I took off my cap and popped in the shower. Following Kenyon's very specific instructions, I first rinsed the (somewhat sticky) treatment out of my hair, then shampooed and conditioned. I immediately noticed a difference — my hair felt so silky and smooth I almost didn't feel it as my hands rinsed it out.
Now, I've tried my fair share of conditioning treatments and felt the silky aftereffects, but this was a whole new sensation — my hair was weightless and basically had the same feel and consistency of the water trickling out of my shower head. I toweled off my hair and added some styling product (Reverie Milk, my current go-to) and let it air dry. The end result was lustrous, healthy-looking hair that had movement, definition, and zero greasiness or added weight. Oh yeah, I think I'm in love.
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Allow The "Ice Bun" To Cool You Down This Weekend
Long-haired ladies know this scenario well: You're heading out the door and your hair is looking good. But 10 minutes into your day, your strands are sticking to the back of your sweaty neck, and it's time again to don the season's go-to hairstyle: the it's-too-hot-for-this-shit bun. While the bun will save you from essentially blanketing your neck and shoulders in a human-hair afghan, it doesn't actively cool you. So this Labor Day, I offer you the ultimate hot-weather hack, the ice bun.
The ice bun was developed (by me) many years ago. I grew up in Atlanta, where summer is both hot and enduring, and, save for a very ill-advised bob my freshman year of college, I've always had hair that hit somewhere between my shoulders and my ass. In the endless summer months, I needed a reprieve, and it came in the form of wedging ice into my hair. The steps to creating an ice bun are simple and as follows:
Step 1: Put your hair into a high bun (topknots work especially well).
Step 2: Find a small piece of ice, even a small ice chip is a great option. Cubes work well, but if it's a piece of that crescent-moon-shaped ice, I usually bite it in half.
Step 3: Take the ice cube and work it into the center of your bun.
Step 4: Wiggle your head around a little bit to make sure it's in there firmly.
Step 5: You're done.
Now, the ice will slowly melt, keeping your head extremely cool and bringing you relief from the midday-BBQ sun. The trick is to not pick a giant piece of ice because it will fall out and confuse people. Sure, your hair will get a tiny bit wet, but this isn't a hack meant for a job interview; it's for an outdoor (or indoor) situation where you're sweating a little bit anyway. No one will notice.