Hair Care

A High-Tech Tools Look at Hair Thinning

By Kathryn Holl

Hair can be one of our most defining characteristics. A good hair day can make you feel like you can take on the world, while a bad hair day may make you want to fade into the background. But when hair takes a deadly turn from unmanageable and unruly to the far-worse and scarier thin and sparse, hair anxiety becomes an entirely different monster.

According to a recent article in Allure magazine, George Cotsarelis, associate professor of dermatology and director of the Hair and Scalp Clinic at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, confirmed about 30 percent of women will experience female pattern hair loss, defined as thinning on top of the head, by the time they’re 50 years old.

If you’re already suffering from fine hair or are beginning to see signs of a receding hairline, this could be a very scary stat. Clinical studies prove hair thinning has emotional and psychological effects on women – more so than men who are losing their hair. While there is no cure for thinning hair, there are some products available that promote growth and may offer hope.

The use of lasers to promote hair growth and prevent hair loss is not a new technique but one that is associated with side effects and can be extremely costly. Recently the FDA cleared the first laser device clinically proven to promote hair growth. The HairMax LaserComb claims to be a side effect-free pharmaceutical alternative with 93 percent of its users experiencing results in 12 weeks (results based on a double-blind, controlled clinical study of men with varied degrees of Androgenetic Alopecia, or male pattern baldness).

This hand-held device is supposed to stimulate hair growth factors with the hair follicle by increasing adenosine triphosphate (ATP), which increases cellular metabolism and cellular activity. The comb uses a patented “teeth” mechanism that parts hair to allow laser energy to penetrate the scalp into the follicles. This at-home device can be used three times a week for 10 to 15 minutes each treatment. Visit http://www.hairmax.com for more information.

But for some, lasers are a bit TOO high-tech. If you’re not ready for the at-home light-saber treatment, supplements are an option to consider. Viviscal, an all-natural brand of hair thinning supplements, is now available in the U.S. Five independent studies have validated Viviscal’s effectiveness at decreasing hair loss and promoting growth.

AminoMar C™ the proprietary ingredient found in Viviscal, nourishes and strengthens existing hair and encourages its growth. In addition to its proprietary ingredient, Viviscal also includes vitamin C and silica compounds. For more information visit http://www.viviscal.com.

Originally published June 2009