‘Hope for those with thinning locks’ boasted a Daily Mail article recently – yet another story promoting miracle cures available on the high street.
This time it’s Boots which has launched a three-treatment range, Hairgen. The shampoo, spray and supplement are said to target thinning hair and support re-growth, and has apparently sold out on the Boots website within days. It’s certainly not the first ‘miracle cure’ available, and I’m sure it won’t be the last. What it is, however, is symptomatic of the huge demand for treatments for hair loss – with everything from disguising sprays to permanent hair transplant surgeries often on the list of solutions for sufferers.
Essentially, there’s no such thing as a miracle cure. I have never come across a product that restores lost hair, and there is certainly no scientific evidence supporting any product claiming to do so. Hair loss is usually genetic and, for most people, no amount of shampoos, creams or drugs will halt or reverse it. The only permanent solution is a hair transplant, or our own scalp micropigmentation treatment.
Most of our clients have tried one magic phenomenon or another before coming to us. Some of them have wasted hundreds of pounds on creams, shampoos and pills which have failed to re grow any hair, but left the person short on cash – and, often, low on self-esteem.
For many people, hair loss is an upsetting and stressful condition. The desire to cure it quickly is often overwhelming, which explains why so many people turn to the internet or the high street looking for a magic cream – often accompanied by a hefty price tag. Hairgen, for example, will set you back £84.97 for a 125ml foam and spray, and a 200ml shampoo – and with each recommending that it be used for at least three months, it’s easy to see how people can end up spending thousands.
The main active ingredient in Hairgen appears to be the herb, saw palmetto. This has been available to buy for decades and is a known blocker of the production of the hormone DHT, similar to propecia. However, it is fairly weak in this action and there are no scientifically valid studies to suggest it has a worthwhile effect on hair loss.
If you’re worried about thinning hair, forget high street cures. You’d be better off spending your time researching viable solutions and investing in a reputable treatment like SMP at Scalp Clinic, or hair transplant surgery at one of the more established clinics – it’s the only scientifically proven way to slow down or restore a thinning hairline.
