Category: Hair Products

Snippet from the opinion article:

I read with interest your article Chemotherapy Hair Loss Invention From Sweden Might Help Patients Keep Hair but it really is old news !

Around thirty years ago, Dr. Bill Williams, of NASA, conducted research on thermo control of body temperature (very important to astronauts in space suits). He patented his invention of the “Cool Head and Cool Neck Band”.

Read the rest at the Epoch Times — Chemotherapy Hair Loss Prevention Pioneered by NASA, Thirty Years Ago

The above is part of a letter by a retired NASA researcher, and it should be noted that it is in the opinion section.

It basically says that a NASA scientist helped develop a cooling system for helmets, and although the headline might lead you to believe there’s more info about hair loss and chemo, it only briefly mentions an “experiment to save the hair of chemotherapy patients“. But that’s it. Unfortunately, it doesn’t discuss the study or what that experiment was… and I’m coming up empty when trying to find if the study was ever published. Anyone?

Paid advertisements (not an endorsement):

Hello,
I recently purchased an issue of mens health and they were discussing shampoos for various hair types. They listed Bosley Professional Strength Nourishing shampoo as their shampoo of choice for thinning hair. The website for Bosley describes the shampoo as saying:

Gentle, sulfate-free cleanser that helps to recondition hair and rejuvenate the scalp. Cleanses and removes toxins such as DHT, a primary cause of thinning hair and hair loss, from the hair and scalp. LifeXtend complex contains Saw Palmetto extract to help promote healthy follicles. Pentapeptides help stimulate production of root-strengthening Keratin Protein. Soy Amino Acids help restore strength, thickness and volume. Vegetable Protein helps fortify hair shafts. Plankton Extract helps protect from photo-aging, frequent washing & damage from brushing.

Is there any benefit to purchasing this shampoo for around 20 bucks a bottle or is everything claimed false. Thanks!

The claims are extensive and suggestive, and the various elements in the shampoo have never been proven to treat thinning hair any better than other shampoos. If Men’s Health feels that the Bosley Pro is a good shampoo, it may be worth a try… but I truly doubt that it will treat hair loss in the way that balding men may hope.

Also, I have no idea if this was just a paid product placement or if there is some study the magazine conducted that lead them to the conclusion they made.

I was flipping through the current Nov/Dec issue of the Hair Transplant Forum International (a print newsletter for the hair transplant industry) and wanted to share something I read. Dr. Paco Jimenez, the co-editor of the Forum, reviewed three oral presentations from the International Society of Hair Restoration Surgery (ISHRS) meeting in Boston a couple months back. His brief review of Dr. Hugh Rushton’s presentation on the efficacy of the laser hair comb therapy caught my attention.

Dr. Jimenez writes, “In this study Dr. Rushton found no differences between the laser treated side and the control side regarding length, density, and diameter of the hairs. The interesting aspect of this study is that I believe it to be the first well-designed blinded study I have come across in which the methods used for hair analysis and the hair counting could not be called into question.”

It is important to call a spade a spade and with good science behind it, that is the best we can do.

Hi Dr,

I read your blog everyday. It’s great. My question is simple: have you ever heard of a new treatment called Phytolium 4? [Press release here]

I’ve just seen a billboard ad in a bus stop and I guess it is being launched on a few countries (not sure if they’re already in the USA, I live abroad). They claim some numbers but I can’t find any real reviews online, so I guess we have to wait a couple of months to confirm the hype (if any).

I just wanted to check what is your opinion/expectations about this product. Thank you very much

I like to see what are called double blind studies and other controlled research that would prove value beyond a shadow of a doubt. The problem here is that there is no proof that I would define as objective, just claims that the product works.

This Phytolium stuff is a French-made, plant-based shampoo and lotion treatment, but regardless of the ingredients, they are marketing it as an alternative to the only two proven medications that grow hair (minoxidil and finasteride). And just like hundreds of other products, they claim no side effects and great results with this Phytolium 4.

The same maker of this product sells Phytocyane, which we wrote about here. I would love to believe these products work as promised, but I would need to see more proof than a slick website and the seller’s word. Please feel free to try it and report back, though.

I am suffering from male pattern baldness and was recently surfing through the internet looking for some breakthroughs in the hair loss area. I came across a webpage of an interesting company called Aidoo International and they had posted some very compelling information and results on their website claiming to have achieved a breakthrough solution in this area way back in 1997. Just wanted to know if you are aware of this company and it would be nice to know your thoughts on their claim.

I’m not familiar with Aidoo products, but if they really achieved some great breakthrough over a decade ago, I expect I would’ve become familiar with it by now. Or I would’ve at least heard of it.

I found their site, and there’s really no substance to it. The product appears to be a kit containing shampoo, conditioner, and some kind of lotion. I can’t find the ingredients, but I do see a bunch of outrageous statements with no science to back it up. Aside from the basic hair loss treatment claims I see all the time from products sold online, this one even boasts about curing alopecia totalis! If that were true, it definitely would’ve made headlines.

Hope springs eternal. If you do end up trying it, feel free to let us know in the comments.