Category: Hair Products

Hello, my questions is about your terminology of “buyer beware”. That is you often say all these over the counter medicines are “buyer beware” does that indicate that you believe there are some non FDA approved supplements etc. that actually do work on an extremely small percentage of people. In essences have you ever seen someone benefit from any non FDA approved treatment?

The best example of an herbal that is popular for treating hair loss is saw palmetto. There is a suggestion that there are some positive hair effects, but without clinical studies you will not see me endorse it. I’d need to see the proof beyond isolated reports by anonymous people on the internet. I’ve yet to see a patient here that had positive hair loss treatment results from an over the counter supplement.

Expectations are everything and you don’t want to have your time wasted by trying new approaches over and over again with no value as you continue to lose your hair forever. Readers of this site and of course my own patients expect me to be straightforward and not point them in a direction that could be a waste of time when there are proven safe and effective medications. Hair loss is a progressive process and every man who has it and does not take proven medication is destined to be balder and balder over time. Safety is another issue and from time to time we see the FDA take a stand and get some product pulled from the market for safety reasons.

“Buyer beware” is just a reminder to be smart about what you’re buying. It’s a notice to folks to use common sense and be more cautious before wasting your money on some truly obvious scams. If some product claims 100% success in regrowing hair, don’t you think everyone would know about it? I’d have no reason for this site if just one of these garbage products had the 100% results that are claimed, because there would be your hair loss cure.

(female) Hello.
I’ve been diagnosed with AA. Have tried several “remedies”. Most recently began using the Unda drops, 9, 40 and 243. I actually, for the first time in 3 years so a marked decrease in shedding and my hair felt better over all. Recently though, (2-3 weeks ago) I began using Rogain 5% as recommended by my dermatologist. nearly three weeks into it I’m seeing a huge amount of shedding. more than I’ve ever experienced. My fear is that the rogaine will not work and the shedding will continue at this rate.

question. Can Rogaine make matters worse? If my stress factor allows, how long should I remain on the rogaine to see results and how long can I expect this increased shedding to continue? I’m so tempted to just throw in the towel and just continue the unda drops and biotin hair/skin/nail formula.

Thank you

Unda drops are homeopathic remedies and I am not a homeopathic doctor. I do not know the utility of what you are using, but if something worked for you why would you want to do something different? Many men and women report initial loss or shedding of hair after starting Rogaine (minoxidil) in the first month of its use, but the shedding should stop unless there are other underlying issues not related to the medication. Generally you need to use Rogaine for a minimum of 8 to 12 months before seeing the effects.

Rogaine may work for alopecia areata or androgenic alopecia (I’m not sure which you meant by your diagnosis of “AA”). It does grow hair, but I doubt it will grow back the hair you once had and if the problem is underlying alopecia areata, then you should be under the treatment by a good dermatologist who can often help with the process.

I have used propecia for over a year with good results but then I bought a hairmax laser comb. Now I using both the comb and propecia for hair loss. However since I started with the Hairmax laser comb, I am experiencing more hair loss and that is now for a year.

Have you ever heard of anyone having side effects for the Hairmax laser comb? Is it possible for the laser comb to cause increased hair loss? I know this is not normal shedding because it cannot last for a year.

I personally do not think any laser works for treating hair loss, and I think what you are seeing could be a coincidence. I have not heard of increased hair loss from a using a LaserComb.

Propecia is a great medication, but you will still lose some hair as you use it. The point is that you are losing less hair than if you are not taking Propecia at all. For some people it works just beautifully, others will have mixed results. As I’ve said many times, no medication will work exactly the same for everyone.

Paid advertisements (not an endorsement):

I’ve recently read on a couple of websites that the silicone compound Dimethicone, an ingredient in most shampoos and conditioners, could impede the absorption of topical minoxidil products (eg. Rogaine). The theory is that this ‘slilcone oil’ leaves a thin film on the scalp (even after rinsing) that prevents the topical solution from penetrating. Could this be the reason that many men see little or no result from Rogaine, while a minority of patients see significant regrowth of hair? Should all Rogaine users ensure that their shampoos and conditioners are dimethicone-free?

It is, of course, just a theory that dimethicone impacts Rogaine (minoxidil)’s absorption…. but if you’re concerned about it you can buy dimethicone free shampoo. I do not believe that any single process or product will be responsible for drug absorption or modifying the results of specific drugs. Men have seen variable results from this medication since it was first released as a topical for hair growth. I don’t have an exact explanation why, though.

I’ve actually posted something about this before — Is Dimethicone in Shampoo Preventing Minoxidil Scalp Penetration? — and the commenters at the bottom have some added information that you might be interested in.