Many of our patients walk in our door highly frustrated, anxious, and needing answers regarding their hair loss. Hair loss, also known as Alopecia, is a complex problem caused by numous factors such as genetic heredity, stress, hormonal imbalance, diet, medication and illness just to name a few. Oftentimes we are able to provide solutions, such as surgery, medication, vitamins, supplements and lasers but there is still the problem of waiting for your hair to grow. Healthy hair normally grows an average of one half an inch per month.

What to do in the meantime? Or what to do if there is no solution? We are a visual society, and a thinning or balding scalp can have adverse psycological effects on some, causing many to avoid social gatherings for fear someone will announce to everyone that "John" or "Jane" is blinding them with their shiny scalp. I know…some people have no tact!

There is a solution to your thinning problem. It is an instant fix that works by concealing the bald, thin area of your scalp. There are a few products on the market that help to cover the area of concern. Toppik and SureThik are 2 products our patients use on a daily basis. It literally takes seconds to apply, and lasts all day, then washes out. Both of these products work by using protein fibers that bind to your hair and scalp much like your own hair – disguising your hair loss problem. Each product comes in various colors to match your hair color.

Negative:One complaint we hear from our patients is in high humidity areas, the fibers will bind together in the bottle and form a "cottonball" mass making them useless. One solution is to always keep the lid on securely when not in use, and do not store it in the bathroom where there is the potential problem with steam. Of course, you naturally want to use it in your bathroom where your mirror is. Another negative – it must be applied daily.

Positive: Instant gratification. I always see a smile when we apply it in the office. They no longer avoid the mirror – they enjoy looking at the new person with all that hair! Talk about an instant change with increased confidence. Patients also exclaim how the products make their hair thicker.

Brenda M. Stilwell, RN 6/18/2010