Bogus hairloss products seem to fall into three categories. Here we will discuss the three types of phony cures and we'll look at some comments by industry experts.

Scalp Cleansers:

Bogus claims will say something like "Did you know that years of shampooing, conditioning, and hair spraying have clogged your follicles and trapped your hair". This seems to be a logical explanation for baldness at first. It also makes a good hoax because it strokes our ego into believing.

• There is nothing wrong with me as a person.
• A large industry (in this case the makers of hair products) has done me wrong.
• It isn't my fault.
• I actually do have the potential to grow a full head of hair. This product can help me reach that potential.

Let's get back to reality and look at some honest opinions and facts:

• Dr. David Whiting M.D. and director of the Baylor hair Research and Treatment Center in Dallas said "The claim that plugged follicles cause balding goes back to the 1840's. There has never been any evidence that it is true."
• Dr. Harry Roth M.D. A dermatologist that specializes in hair loss at the University of California at San Francisco says "Believe me, it is VERY difficult to trap viable hair beneath the skin". Ask any man who suffers from ingrown hairs from shaving.
• Dr. Roth goes on to say "I've seen 40 people a day for 35 years, and I've never once seen a baldness problem related to hair-product use."

Nutritional Products To Feed You or Your Hair:

Some products claim that hairloss is the result of your poor nutrition. This claim seems to play upon our psyche in a different way.

• Most people know that they have a poor diet, we are bombarded with information about how to improve our diet and few of us follow all of the rules.
• Since we already admit to having a poor diet it is logical for us to believe it is the cause of our hairloss.

Let's look at some interesting points related to nutrition:

• Cultures with radically different diets all experience hair loss.
• Many homeless people have thick hair.
• Many overfed persons are balding.
• Back to Dr. Roth who says "Unless he is in a sever state of malnutrition, the average American man eats more than enough essential vitamins and minerals to grow hair."
• Let us not forget that while many of us are losing our hair we seem to be growing more hair in other areas.

Vibrators for Your Head:

One very old theory is that poor circulation above the ears will cause hair loss. Barbers used to try to use massagers to agitate the follicles of customers. There is no evidence that follicle stimulation will encourage new hair growth. Dr. Douglas Altchek M.D. a dermatologist at Mr. Sinai Hospital in New York says "A scalp massage may feel good, but it won't help you grow a single hair".