If you have experienced hair loss on your scalp and are looking for alternative types of treatment from prescription drugs and/or over-the-counter treatments that may have undesirable side effects, you may consider trying a natural shampoo or topical product that promises to stop hair loss and regrow your hair. The key factor in effectively choosing hair regrowth shampoos and topical treatments is the ability of the product to minimize the presence of DHT on your scalp. So, what is DHT and what does it have to do with hair loss?
Men and women both tend to lose hair due to hormonal changes in the body. Alterations in the metabolism of the male hormone androgen is found to play a significant role in hair loss and hair growth in the human body. A naturally occurring enzyme in the body, known as 5 alpha reductase, combines with testosterone, another male hormone, to produce DHT, or Dihydrotestosterone. Androgen is adversely affected by DHT, which is the main reason for hair loss.
Hair is grown through hair follicles in the scalp. As in all parts of the body, these hair follicles are nourished through capillaries filled with vitamins, minerals and proteins the follicles need to produce healthy hair. DHT inhibits the delivery of nourishment to the hair follicles and clogs the pores. In this condition, the hair follicle reduces its production of hair growth and re-growth. Eventually, the follicle may shut down altogether and the hair shaft will fall out completely. Without proper nourishment the hair follicle may die and not be able to restore itself to produce new hair.
The best topical hair restore products and shampoos are those that accomplish three things:
1. Include ingredients with natural DHT blockers
2. Keep hair follicle pores from becoming clogged
3. Nourish the hair follicles with nutrients that stimulate growth
For any product that intends to give your body a boost to regrow hair, all three actions need to be met by the product. An effective shampoo will have ingredients that will naturally block the production of DHT on the scalp, cleanse away the buildup that has blocked the pores and nourish the hair follicles with the proteins and amino acids they need to produce strong, healthy hair. Look for natural based formulas that do not contain surfactants, which are very strong sudsing ingredients that are used commercially for heavy duty cleaning. You want a formula that is gentle and mild enough for daily use and is non-toxic.
The FDA recognizes only two ingredients as proven DHT blockers that also stimulate new hair regrowth, and they are minoxidil and finasteride. While many people who use products with these ingredients see successful results, there are natural products that use plant based ingredients to produce similar results. The FDA is paid to do testing. The reason that manufacturers of these plant based and herbal shampoos and products do not pay the FDA to test the plant ingredients is that no one can own the patent on a plant. So why pay for the testing? Many plants used in natural hair regrowth products have been used by ancient cultures for hundreds and thousands of years before the FDA ever existed.
Essential oils have been popular since ancient times in the production of hair preparations and are just as popular today in modern hair care formulas. Rosemary has been known to restore strength and shine to lifeless looking hair. The leaves of the bay tree and stinging nettles are popular in the treatment of dandruff and other flaking scalp conditions. Both lavender and tea tree oil are known to have anti-bacterial, anti-viral and anti-fungal properties. Studies have been done on an herb called saw palmetto. It acts as a natural 5 alpha reductase inhibitor to prevent the conversion of testosterone into DHT. This herb works similarly to the way finasteride works to inhibit DHT production.
There are numerous hair care treatments whose formulas rely on the properties of herbs to stimulate new hair growth. You might need to try several different types of products to see which ones your body responds to more favorably to restore your scalp and hair to a healthy state. Some of the larger and more reputable manufacturers of hair regrowth shampoos have paid for independent testing of their formulas and will gladly share this information to validate the efficacy of their herbal blends. The cost of many natural and herbal preparations are far more affordable than their prescription and chemical counterparts, so shop around and find the product that works best for you.
Author Resource:
Ms. Granley studies and keeps abreast of various hair loss and hair regrowth products available on the market. Having a genetic predisposition toward hair loss, she and fellow sufferers have experienced significant results from hair regrowth shampoo products. Visit Best Hair Regrowth for an array of wonderful products to restore and grow healthy hair.
![[Valid RSS feed]](http://www.look4articles.com/images/icon_Rss.png "XML Feed For RSS"){kind=icon}
Category Rss Feed
Print This Article
Add To Favorites
![[Valid RSS feed]](http://www.look4articles.com/images/rss.jpg "XML Feed For RSS")