The market for care products that not only stop hair loss but also stimulate growth through caffeine and other ingredients has been growing steadily for years. After initially offering hair loss shampoo for men, there are now more and more shampoos for hair loss in women as well.
First things first
First and foremost, hair loss is a completely normal process. Hair that has reached the end of its life cycle falls out, making room for new one. So you don’t need to panic if there are a few strands in the sink in the morning. It only becomes critical when the fallen hair no longer grows back or is only very sparse. Unfortunately, this is usually not noticed until about 50% of the hair has already disappeared. Hair loss can have a variety of causes. Physical and also mental, which should not be neglected. Most of those affected don’t care about the reason. They want a remedy – as quickly as possible and as uncomplicated as possible. What could be more obvious than using a hair loss shampoo? These are available in all forms – for women and of course for men – in the drugstore, at the hairdresser, in the pharmacy, on Amazon and other online retailers.
Incidentally, the most common form of hair loss is hereditary hair loss, i.e. androgenetic alopecia. Typical infamous signs in men are the notorious receding hairline and the balding crown. When the hair loss advances, tonsure and receding hairline “connect” and the man is a classic bald man. The hair remains only in the lower back of the head. Hereditary hair loss in men usually begins in the early twenties.
Women can also be affected by androgenetic alopecia. For women, it usually only begins much later – namely with the onset of menopause, when the male hormone testosterone gains the upper hand. In women, the hair at the center parting continues to thin out until bald spots develop at some point. A classic baldness usually does not arise.
Of course, there are also women and men who fearlessly use scissors and razors and then wear their bald heads with pride. Some have even made it their trademark. Others turn to shampoos for hair loss as a “first aid”, so to speak.
What you can expect from a hair loss shampoo
A hair loss shampoo can limit hair loss in certain situations.
Losing more than a hundred hairs a day is nothing unusual on average and has nothing to do with real hair loss. Only when the number of hair falling out increases drastically, hair becomes thinner or even bald patches appear, one does speak of hair loss.
There are numerous causes, some of which can be related to physical health, but also to psychological stress. So before you try to stimulate or reactivate hair growth with any product, you should get to know the background of your hair loss.
Ideally, speak to your doctor or find out about a shampoo for hair loss in the pharmacy. Over -the-counter shampoos for hair loss from DM or other providers will hardly help you against hereditary hair loss or hormone-related hair loss.
You should not expect miracles from a hair loss shampoo for men or a shampoo against hair loss for women. However, what you can expect from a shampoo for hair loss is the following:
- cleans scalp and hair
- nourishes the scalp and provides it with moisture and nutrients
- Biotin or caffeine promotes hair growth / limits hair loss (if there is no hereditary / hormonal hair loss or an illness)
Don’t Waste Another Cent On Hair Growth Shampoos That Could Actually Be Making The Problem Worse!
You see, some hair growth shampoos contain controversial ingredients that can actually contribute to hair loss. Learn exactly what to look for and which ingredients to absolutely avoid!
Listen, there is no “magic bullet” that can guarantee hair growth, but in the next few minutes you will learn critical factors that can seriously stack the odds in your favor.
But first, you need a little background on hair loss and what causes it. There is a lot of misinformation on the subject hair loss and hair growth, from things like “if you wear a hat too much you’ll lose your hair “to there is nothing you can do about, just accept it” I didn’t and you don’t have to either.
So here goes, the most common form of hair fall in men (and women for that matter) is Androgenic Alopecia, it is also known as Androgenetic Alopecia or Testosterone Hair Loss (hormone related hair loss).
In addition there appears to be two more factors that can contribute to hair loss:
- Inflammation. An intolerance or allergy within the body.
- Environmental. Yes, our modern environment contains more and more pollutants that can affect our bodies.
For any hair growth shampoo to be truly effective you will need to address all 3 of these factors:
- Address Androgenic Alopecia
- Address inflammation causes inside the body
- Address exposure to environmental pollutants
Buying advice
Before you just buy any hair loss shampoo, we want to introduce you to to different reasons of hair loss. Because the type of hair loss and the respective symptoms could make the purchase obsolete.
The following overview is intended to briefly differentiate the different causes of hair loss.
Thinning Hair Reason #1: Androgenic Alopecia
This is the most common form of hair loss in men (and women) is Androgenic Alopecia. The most widely accepted understanding is that the accumulation of DHT on the scalp can literally choke off your hair follicles.
Your body produces dozens upon dozens of hormones and of those is DHT. Dihydrotestosterone or DHT for short is a by-product of Testosterone (another male hormone that is also present in women but in lower amounts).
DHT plays a number of roles in the human body: it helps with muscle mass and plays a role in your sex drive, two very important functions. But with your hair, it can spell trouble. It is believed that the accumulation of DHT on the scalp can choke-off your hair follicles, making it very hard for hair to remain strong and healthy which is critical for a full head of hair.
The challenge is to tackle DHT on the scalp but not to turn it off inside the body where it is involved with maintaining healthy lean muscle mass and sex drive.
With DHT being involved with hair loss it’s no wonder that the one of FDA approved drugs to fight this work by blocking DHT inside the body.
Finasteride (Propecia®) and minoxidil (ROGAINE®) are two drugs that can be used, but as with all medications they can come with undesirable side-effects which most people would rather avoid.
So if taking drugs everyday for as long as you want to keep your hair isn’t your thing (it definitely wasn’t mine) you’ll need a different approach.
Well, you can definitely help by being as healthy as you can…keep your body-fat low, exercise regularly and limit your alcohol consumption.
BUT YOU CAN DO MORE…
…You’ll want to use hair growth shampoos that can target DHT on the scalp and help nourish strong and health hair all without undesirable side effects.
So how are we going to do this?
Ready to learn something new?
An ingredient by the name of Polysorbate 80 was introduced as a way of preventing Androgenic Alopecia in a top selling book entitled Life Extension: A Scientific Approach.
The ingredient Polysorbate 80 has been around for a while and is a safe and simple food additive.
In this book the writers stated that studies where participants used Polysorbate 80 resulted in an average 60% hair regrowth which is quite impressive!
In the book they give two possible explanations for why Polysorbate 80 works:
One, as a deep cleanser which can help to cleanse the hair follicle of DHT – good so far. Second, to cause a histamine release, which can increase the flow of blood and help deliver nutrients to the hair follicle – another good thing.
Why have you not heard about this??
Easy.
$Money$.
The revenue generated from pharmaceutical hair fall treatments is millions upon millions of $$ every year and to acknowledge an un-patentable (read drug companies cannot make money off it) ingredient would threaten that.
Actually, Polysorbate 80 was so controversial it actually went to court in the 1992, and notwithstanding over one hundred people willing to state Polysorbate 80 created excellent results, it was ruled illegal to state Polysorbate 80 facilitated hair growth.
“So just get Polysorbate 80 and everything will be OK???”
No! For any hair growth shampoos to be really effective you need to understand a few more pieces of the puzzle…
Thinning Hair Reason #2: Nutrition And Inflammation
Yes, what you eat and drink and how you live your life can affect your hair – remember your hair grows from the inside out.
Everybody knows that chronic inflammation and stress can contribute to any number of health conditions but not many people know that it can also be a factor in hair loss. If your body is in a constant state of inflammation and stress you will make it very difficult to support strong health hair. Often chronic inflammation can be caused by consuming foods that are not well tolerated by your body.
If you want to stack the odds even more in your favor, try and be as healthy as you can.
A diet that is natural & organic will not only improve your health but will also give you the best possible chances for full healthy hair. Do your body a favor and aim for improved health. Try eating more foods high in anti-oxidants such as fruits & vegetables &/or supplement your diet with fish-oil rich in omega-3 fatty acids. In addition, do your best to minimize processed foods and keep the following in moderation:
- Gluten (found in wheat products and can cause sensitivities in people)
- Dairy, another very common food allergy
- Alcohol (some studies have shown this can increase DHT – remember that from first point above?)
Listen, I’m not suggesting you take all the joy out of your life but if you want to put another check mark in hair column head these tips.
If you want to give your hair a little extra support there are certain vitamins & minerals that play more of a role in hair growth then others:
- Biotin
- Selenium
- Silica
Biotin, a B-vitamin can be found in foods such as Swiss chard, chicken eggs*, halibut, berries, vegetables and has been shown to have a positive impact on hair health so make sure you are getting your biotin!
Here’s a bonus tip when it comes to biotin and chicken eggs…
If eggs are in your diet make sure they are cooked. You see, egg whites contain a glycol-protein called avidin that can actually interfere with biotin absorption in the body and given biotins role in hair growth you don’t want that! Myself, I don’t take any chances & have supplemented with biotin for years. Selenium is another mineral that can support strong healthy hair. Brazil nuts are one of the most potent natural sources of selenium, 1-2 nuts per day is all you need (selenium is NOT one of the things where more is better so don’t over do it).
Thinning Hair Reason #3: Chemicals And Pollution
Pollution, whether it is in the environment, our foods or in our homes is on the rise and it may be a factor in unhealthy hair loss.
As someone who is obsessed with health myself I have researched these topics at great length. After a lot of reading I learned something that was very concerning…
I’ve always washed my hair regularly and I now realized it may have actually been a factor in damaging my hair!!!
I discovered this:
Many shampoos contain possibly toxic elements that you would not be allowed to put in food but somehow applying it on your skin is OK?!
IF IT’S ON YOUR SKIN IT WILL BE ABSORBED INTO YOUR BLOOD STREAM…SO BE VERY CAREFUL WHAT YOU APPLY TO YOUR SKIN, IF YOU WOULDN’T EAT IT THINK TWICE BEFORE APPLYING IT!
Have you ever read what’s in your shampoo?? Would it shock you to know that some ingredients (a better word is chemicals) in personal care products are known to be harmful to your health!! Sounds crazy but it true, check out your shampoo for any of these possibly noxious chemicals:
- Chemical # 1: Sodium Lauryl Sulfate – This helps your shampoo to foam easily, but did you know it can also be an eye and skin irritant? At least one US EPA study found that in elevated concentrations it can produce severe skin irritation & hair loss – No, that’s not a typo. SLS can be referenced by many names: sodium-salt-sulfuric-acid or ammonium-laurel-sulfate or A12-00356 or Aquarex-ME or sodium-dodecylsulfate or Aquarex-methyl or sodium-laureth-sulfate or Akyposal-SDS.
- Chemical #2: Dioxine. Known to be a carcinogen (potential to cause cancer). In fact, in 1985 the FDA put in place voluntary regulations for the limit of dioxane concentrations in personal care/beauty products. Thanks but I’d rather ZERO amounts of a carcinogen – not low amounts.
- Chemical #3: DEA AKA Diethanolamine. DEA has been shown to react with impurities and/or nitrate preservatives to form NDEA…another carcinogen.
- Chemical #4 Propylene Glycol. If this sounds familiar it should…it’s used in antifreeze…the stuff in your car….another known skin irritant that you will find in deodorant and shampoos.
I’m not trying to freak you out and tell you that your shampoo will kill you, but I do want to give you every possible advantage for a full healthy head of hair – so you can stack the odds in your favor so to speak.
Make Sure Your Hair Growth Shampoo Is Stacking The Odds In Your Favor For A Full Health Head Of Hair:
- Does not include potentially noxious/toxic chemicals like sodium lauryl sulfate, DEA, dioxane, propylene glycol
- Includes Polysorbate 80 – helps target DHT on the scalp
- Includes Biotin – helps nourish your scalp and hair
- Includes Provitamin B5 (Panthenol) –helps thicken hair
- Includes Jojoba Oil, a natural cleanser that won’t wash away the natural oils in your hair
- Proper ph balance
The big challenge I had was finding hair growth shampoos that (1) were free from the above mentioned chemicals and (2) included Biotin and Polysorbate 80.
Unfortunately I could not find any shampoo that contains polysorbate 80 that also includes the other good ingredients, which is why I came up with the following solution:
Buy polysorbate 80 + a shampoo that contains good stuff only and mix it.
Usage is simple: Just put a few drops into your palm together with the amount of shampoo you usually use.
Buy Polysorbate 80 from Amazon now!
Below you will find a table of the best hair loss shampoos that you can use together with polysorbate 80 that so you won’t need to do endless research on Google. You can choose any from the list – in my opinion they all work well.
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The best shampoo for hair loss that nourishes and strengthens the hair
As you now understand, there is not a single shampoo that can counter every form of hair loss equally well. For some people, a hemp shampoo helps against hair loss, which promises little relief for other people.
After you have done thorough research with your doctor, you can pay particular attention to the following properties when buying:
Is the shampoo suitable for your hair loss and gender?
For shampoos against hair loss, men and women should choose the gender-specific variants. Because the ingredients are better tailored to the respective needs and often women do not like the strong smell that some of the male-targetted shampoos have.
Does the hair loss shampoo suit your hair structure?
If you have colored hair, you should choose appropriate shampoos. If you have a wild curly hair or particularly fine hair, you should also use products that are suitable for this.
Do not simply choose a particularly affordable shampoo for hair loss, but treat yourself to a care product tailored to your needs. For example, if you have no problems with dandruff, then keep your hands off shampoos for hair loss and dandruff. This would only irritate your scalp unnecessarily.
Estimate the price-performance ratio based on the amount of content
In the drugstore or supermarket, usually only the total price for the respective product is shown. Therefore, be sure to compare the quantity in ml of the different bottles in order to actually determine a comparable price.
In this way, supposedly expensive products can quickly become the winner in the price comparison. Save yourself the hassle of wanting to make a hair loss shampoo yourself – better pay attention to special offers.
Are herbal ingredients a good thing?
Numerous anti hair loss shampoo manufacturers use a variety of herbal ingredients with which you make an important contribution to the health of your hair and scalp. The most important of them are:
- Caffeine: stimulates scalp blood flow
- Zinc: Can inhibit DHT, strengthens the hair root and protects against inflammation
- Biotin: strengthens the hair to the tips
- Argan oil: Strengthens and nourishes the scalp and hair
In addition to shampoos, there are other ways to do something for the scalp and hair . One of the most well-known measures is probably the so-called beer hair mask, which can be carried out once per week.
However, we find that beer rinsing has several disadvantages compared to a shampoo:
BENEFITS
- allegedly promotes blood circulation
- Ingredients are said to provide nutrients
DISADVANTAGE
- very fluid and therefore difficult to use
- unpleasant smell
- afterwards hair has to be washed
Shampoo for hair loss in men
The main target group for the manufacturers of these special hair loss shampoos are men. But that’s because men are more affected by hair loss than women. Pretty much every man suffers – at least according to the statistics – from hereditary hair loss. In contrast, only 40% of women are affected.
A well-loved anti hair loss shampoo is Pura D’or Anti Hair Thinning Shampoo. It has over 3000 reviews on Amazon USA alone with an almost 5 star rating. Pura D’or uses a powerful formula with different herbs, vitamins and plants that are proven to be effective against hair loss, such as Biotin, nettle extract, black seed oil, pumpkin seed and more.
Another big player for shampoo against hair loss is definitely Alpecin – formerly known as ‘doping for the hair’ (and only for the hair). The main active ingredient is a special caffeine complex, which is supposed to prolong the growth phases of the hair roots. In addition to the shampoos, so-called liquids (formerly called hair tonic) are also offered to support the hair care regimen. After about three months you will see the first results – provided you have used the shampoo continuously. Alpecin is manufactured in Germany by Dr. Kurt Wolff GmbH & Co.KG.
Of course there are other hair loss shampoos as well, which are definitely worth trying. Check the table below to see our selection of the 7 best hair loss shampoos for men.
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Shampoo for hair loss in women
Unfortunately, hair loss is not just a male problem. Women are also affected. Of course, the cosmetics industry knows how to address this problem and offers plenty of shampoo for hair loss for women. Popular hair loss shampoos for women are the Pura D’Or Shampoo, Nioxin, Ultrax Labs Hair Surge or the Lipogaine Big 5 Shampoo. Check our table below to see the 7 best hair loss shampoos for women!
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Tips and remedies for hair loss
If you lose a lot of hair, various means can help you minimize hair loss. Which means these depend entirely on the cause of the hair loss.
Remedy for hereditary hair loss
In the case of hormonal-genetic hair loss, two active ingredients help particularly well:
- Regaine (Minoxidil): You can buy Regaine without a prescription. You can buy it as hair tonic or hair foam.It dilates the blood vessels and thus promotes blood circulation to the scalp. This is how hair growth is stimulated.
- Propecia (Finasteride): Propecia is a prescription medication that helps with baldness in the back of the head. A receding hairline can not be treated with this drug.
Remedy for diffuse hair loss
If your hair loss is not hereditary, you can give your hair a real strength boost with various products. A hair loss shampoo can help you get your hair back to its former strength. These are other products that stimulate your hair growth:
- Dietary supplements for hair loss: Dietary supplements strengthen your hair from the inside. They should contain valuable vitamins and oils that sustainably strengthen the hair. Biotin tablets are especially helpful.
- Hair serum against hair loss: A hair serum is particularly effective against hair loss. It stimulates blood circulation to the scalp and promotes the growth of new hair. It is best to massage the serum into your scalp for a minute or two.
Hair loss shampoo reviews
The shampoo for hair loss reviews are mixed, with the positive experiences outweighing the others. Most users – both female and male – report that hair has actually grown back a bit more densely after using the shampoos for some time. Even the best shampoos for hair loss have a big catch. They cannot grow new hair. This means that they only work if the hair loss is not too extreme. Even the best shampoo in the world cannot make a lion’s mane out of a bald head.
By the way, many women use hair loss shampoo to grow their hair back long. The shampoos prolong the growth phases of the hair and are therefore, at least for a certain time, part of the daily beauty routine. The testimonials speak for themselves. For example, enter “Shampoo hair loss review” on YouTube. You will also find a lot of vlogs and testimonials from men and women talking about their hair loss shampoo experiences.
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What’s next?
Surely you have already noticed that most shampoos against hair loss – unfortunately – are not exactly cheap. No matter whether they are for men or women. The catch is that the hair starts to fall out again when you stop using the shampoo. In addition, there are certain limits to such shampoos, especially when it comes to full hair growth. Because androgenetic alopecia – hereditary hair loss – cannot be cured even by the best shampoo for hair loss, it can only slow down the hair fall.
But there is one solution that works permanently – a hair transplant.
“A hair transplant? It’s terribly expensive!” This is what you might think now. But this is not the case. You can get your own hair transplant in Turkey for a fraction of the price you pay in the US, Canada, Australia, UK etc. A hair transplant “Made in Turkey” is by no means of poorer quality – on the contrary. The extremely low price results from two factors. On the one hand, there are the much cheaper cost of living in Turkey. Groceries, clothes, even the rents in the big cities are much cheaper than ours.
On the other hand, there are many providers and clinics for hair transplants in Turkey. Competition is known to stimulate business. That means: bad for high prices – good for you as a consumer.
In Turkey, the modern FUE method is used almost exclusively. With this special technique, the hair follicles are individually removed from the donor area and reinserted into the recipient area. The risk that unsightly scars can form, as is the case with the FUT method, for example, is almost zero. In addition, the clinics in Turkey also offer a host of additional services such as PRP treatments.
Shampoo after hair transplant
Immediately after the procedure you will receive a special shampoo from the clinic, which you should use after the hair transplant. This shampoo supports healing and that the scalp regenerates faster.
Of course, as soon as the healing phase is over, you can use a shampoo for thicker hair or against hair loss. Also a shampoo with argan oil is a great choice in order to accelerate hair growth in a natural way.
Conclusion
A hair loss shampoo enhanced with polysorbate 80 can be a good first aid when hair loss begins. The emphasis here is on the “beginning”. Once hair loss has progressed, even the best hair loss shampoos won’t help. In addition, there are certain limits to shampoos and hair lotions. You can only slow down hereditary hair loss, but not reverse the process. The only thing that permanently helps against androgenetic alopecia is a hair transplant.