Preventing hair loss is one of those topics that gets little attention. Most people wait until their balding and/or thinning has reached 40 percent or more before they start to seek out information. At this point it is generally too late to restore their hair to its former glory, short of expensive hair transplant surgery. In this article we will talk a little bit about what is the cause and then put forward a few ideas that have proven effective in my personal battle for preventing hair loss.

The good news is that we pretty much understand how the balding and thinning process works. The bad news is there has yet to be developed any cures or hair re-growth products that are capable of consistently re-growing lost hair.

The process in over 90 percent of men and 30 percent of women revolves around the androgen hormone dihydrotestosterone, or DHT. DHT is what is known as an androgen hormone and is at least twice as potent as the more well know androgen hormone  testosterone.  It is the binding and subsequent accumulation of dihydrotestosterone deep within the hair follicle that ultimately leads to the process we refer to as balding.

Over a couple of hair cycles (4 to 6 years) the accumulation of DHT reaches a point where the affected hair follicles start to shrink, eventually dying. As they shrink the hair starts to appear brittle and lifeless. Advanced DHT accumulation is generally recognized as a general diffuse thinning process in women and the classic bald on top M shaped pattern in men.

Reversing the process

The reason preventing hair loss is so important is that there are products currently available which do an excellent job in protecting hair follicles which haven't been seriously damaged. On the other hand when asked to reopen and reinvigorate dead follicles most hair re-growth products show quality results only a small percentage of the time. These percentages only get worse as the age threshold rises.

For me the most effective topical has been minoxidil, which must be applied twice a day and comes in slightly different formulas for men and women. I have also seen good results when combining topical minoxidil with oral natural supplements containing saw palmetto, nettle, pumpkin oil, and B vitamins such as biotin. While I have tried using many of the above ingredients in different combinations to save a few bucks it seems that when professionally blended and balanced they are more effective overall.

There are currently a handful of hair re-growth products (specially formulated for both men and women) which have been proven to be very effective in preventing hair loss and somewhat effective when asked to reinvigorating dying or damaged follicles. These specially formulated treatments can be used both as a preventative tool, starting before hair loss becomes severe, or after loss of hair has become noticeable. Whatever the level of balding or thinning you are experiencing these products could be just what is needed to meet this latest life challenge.