Peppermint oil has been used for centuries to treat a variety of health conditions including hair loss, and a 2014 clinical study suggests that peppermint essential oil facilitates hair growth. How reliable is that 2014 study? And should we consider using peppermint oil to treat hair loss? In this article, we’ll explain what peppermint oil … Read more…
Finasteride is among the most effective drugs for androgenic alopecia. And while side effects are often overstated, it can lead to reduced libido or lowered sperm counts in some men. For this reason, many choose topical versus oral finasteride, hoping to limit the drug’s DHT-reducing effects to the scalp. But at certain doses, even topical … Read more…
Studies show that within 3-6 months of stopping minoxidil, any hair growth resulting from the drug is lost. After quitting minoxidil, hair counts can even temporarily fall below where they would’ve been had we never sought treatment at all, before eventually rebounding back to baseline. Why does this happen? Is there a way to lessen … Read more…
Minoxidil is just one of two FDA-approved hair loss drugs. But FDA-approval doesn’t necessarily equate to guaranteed results with Minoxidil. In fact, many hair loss sufferers use minoxidil (i.e., Rogaine®) for six months and still don’t see significant benefits. Why is that? In other words, why do 50% of people seem to respond favorably to … Read more…
Apple cider vinegar for hair growth? My failed experiment Ten years ago, I decided to start rubbing apple cider vinegar (ACV) into my bald spot every night. Why? I’d read on a hair loss forum that ACV was a powerful health tonic – and that its antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory properties might help regrow hair. My experiment … Read more…
A deep dive into the evidence: reishi mushroom for hair loss Reishi mushroom – a kidney-shaped fungi – is known in health circles for its immune-enhancing properties. More recently, researchers have found that reishi mushroom can help lower levels of dihydrotestosterone (DHT) – the hormone implicated in pattern hair loss. This has led people to … Read more…
Vitamin E is a cornerstone ingredient in many cosmetic products – especially those marketed to people with hair loss. The rationale from marketers of supplements and topicals? That vitamin E acts as an antioxidant, protects our hair from free radicals, and is clinically studied to improve hair loss outcomes. So, is there any truth to … Read more…
Caffeine & Hair Growth: A Scientific Deep-Dive In recent years, there’s been an explosion of interest in caffeine shampoos / topicals and their potential to improve pattern hair loss (androgenic alopecia). The hope: that applying caffeine to our scalps might stimulate growth factors, improve blood flow, and maybe even reverse hair follicle miniaturization. At first … Read more…
The Ultimate Guide to Saw Palmetto for Hair Loss Saw palmetto is (maybe) the world’s most popular hair loss supplement. It comes from the Serenoa repens fruit, and studies show that it can lower levels of DHT – the same hormone implicated in pattern hair loss, and the same hormone that finasteride (Propecia®) reduces to … Read more…
In 2016, an Italian surgeon made hair loss headlines after announcing the accidental discovery of a topical formula that showed promise in slowing, stopping, and even reversing hair loss. Its name? Brotzu Lotion — titled after the creator himself: then-81-year old Giovanni Brotzu. What happened next is what always happens: hair loss forums went wild. Hair loss sufferers began … Read more…