Hair growth shampoos and hair loss shampoos are in-demand.
The American Hair Loss Association reports that, by age 35, approximately two-thirds of American men are going to suffer some degree of hair loss. This only gets worse as men age: By age 55, some 85% of men will experience noticeably thinning hair.
Men aren’t the only ones affected by hair loss, contrary to popular belief. Women, too, suffer from this condition. According to WebMD, 40% of women will suffer visible hair loss by their 40th birthday.
Hair growth shampoos are treatments that can reverse hair loss and, with it, the adverse, psychological impact of thinning hair or outright hair loss.
Two Categories of Hair Growth Treatments
Overall, the hair loss product market can be broken down into two, broad categories: those that contain drugs and those that are drug-free.
1- Drug-based treatments are very straightforward. They contain substances that are regulated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
As a result, they come under the jurisdiction of regulatory bodies. Examples would be Propecia and Rogaine, both well-known brand names in the market.
Products like this come from huge pharma companies and are the direct beneficiaries of tens and even hundreds of millions of dollars worth of research and development, compliance, production and advertising. Since drugs have the capacity to significantly change your bodily functions and can cause threatening and undesirable side effects, there’s a need for the government to protect consumers via tough regulations.
2- In contrast, drug-free hair growth shampoos… are free of controlled substances.
As a result, they’re not dangerous for you if you use them as directed. In theory, manufacturers can market these products to consumers however they want, but there are still strings attached.
How to Properly Choose a Hair Growth Shampoo
As with any other purchase decision, the research you do beforehand will ensure that you get the best possible shampoo for your condition. Instead of just buying any shampoo willy-nilly, or based on which you think has the nicest commercial, here are several, important factors to consider, so you can make an informed purchase.
- Understanding the Active Ingredients – Go deeper than just reading Amazon reviews before buying. Go with the active ingredients that have a proven track record of working, such as ginseng, Vitamin E, amino acids, and B vitamins.
- Looking for DHT blockers – there are myriad natural and clinically-proven ingredients that fight follicle-DHT sensitivity. Follicle-DHT sensitivity is one of the biggest reasons of hair loss.
- Free of Chemicals – Choose shampoos that are free of chemicals such as sulfates.
- Healthy Ingredients – The ingredients should include essential oils, minerals and vitamins.
- Relevance – Choose a hair loss shampoo that directly targets the cause of your hair loss (if you have a doctor’s diagnosis).
- Nutrition Issues – If your hair loss is due to bad nutrition, then choose a shampoo that delivers nutrition back to your hair and increases your circulation, so said nutrients travel back into the follicle.
- Comprehensive Shampoo – In case you aren’t sure as to the actual cause of your hair loss, then err on the side of caution: Choose a shampoo that addresses hair loss from any number of reason.
- Allergies – If you’re allergic to certain substances, go with a hypoallergenic hair loss shampoo, and always check the list of ingredients in any shampoo you’re considering against your known allergies.
- Avoidance – Be sure to avoid shampoos that fail to address hair loss, even if they may be marketed as hair growth shampoos. These ineffective shampoos will usually have ingredients added just for conditioning purposes, such as silicones, “pearlizing” agents, or conditioning agents.