Hair loss prevention is a multibillion-dollar industry in the U.S. In Japan, it is expected to grow to $7.23 billion by 2012, reports Stophairlossnow. For such an exploding industry, it may come as a surprise that less than handful of hair loss products have any significant scientific literature documenting their effectiveness. It may also come as a surprise that the most traditional hair loss products are also the most safe and effective.
Minoxidil
Minoxidil is the number-one-selling hair loss product in the world, reports Harisite.com. It has been used to treat male patten baldness and female pattern baldness for over 15 years. You may recognize minoxidil from the former patent name Rogaine. Perhaps most significantly, it is an FDA-approved treatment for hair loss.
The International Society of Hair Restoration Surgery highlights a year-long observational study conducted by Dr. Jerry Shapiro at the University of British Columbia on the effectiveness of minoxidil on androgenic alopecia, or male pattern baldness. Dermatologists found that 97.1 percent of men using 5 percent minoxidil either regrew hair or maintained their hair count after one year. Hair loss from washing or showering decreased by more than 50 percent over the course of the year.
Finasteride
Finasteride, sold as Propecia, is a prescription hair loss product and the only FDA-approved oral antibalding tablet. It is only for the treatment of male-pattern baldness, so it is critical that you consult your doctor or dermatologist to determine the cause of your hair loss.
The International Society of Hair Restoration Surgery highlights a five-year Merck study led by Dr. Keith Kaufman that found Propecia to significantly scalp hair density in men with androgenic alopecia. Researchers for Merck reported that the hair count differential between those men on Propecia and those not on Propecia significantly grew over the course of five years. Men who ingested 1 mg of oral finasteride daily had an average of 227 more hairs than those who received the placebo. Before-and-after photos confirm the hair count differential on the vertex of the scalp.
Ketoconazole Shampoo
Ketoconazole shampoo is FDA-approved for the treatment of excessive dandruff and flaking but it is also a safe and effective hair loss product. Unlike other hair loss shampoos that promise to restore thinning hair but have no peer-reviewed scientific research to support their claim, ketoconazole was proven to be safe and effective in a 1998 Belgian University study published in the Journal of Dermatology. Researchers found that ketoconazole treated hair loss "almost similarly" to 2 percent strength minoxidil. Hair density and the number of hairs in the growth phase mirrored the effects of the 2 percent minoxidil test group. Belgian dermatologists concluded that long-term use of ketoconazole shampoo may be effective in the treatment of male pattern baldness.
References
- StopHairLossNow: Tapping into the hair loss industry
- Hairsite: Rogaine
- International Society of Hair Restoration Surgery: 5% Minoxidil Effective in Treating Male Pattern Hair Loss
- International Society of Hair Restoration Surgery: Five-Year Propecia (Finasteride) Hair Regrowth Study
- PubMed; Dermatology; Ketoconazole Shampoo: Effect of Long-Term Use in Androgenic Alopecia; 1998
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