Do Hair Products for Balding Really Help Hair to Grow?

QUESTION: I am a young man, and really too young to start balding. But the
hair loss is now pretty visible, and I am confused by all the advertising for
hair products that I see on television. Are any of them proven, and do they
really help hair to grow? I don't want to spend my hard earned bucks for
nothing.
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ANSWER: You pose an excellent question, one that applies as well to many
types of advertising for health products on television. The secret is in the
listening. The ads I've seen do not claim to promote new growth in so many
words, but tell of "stopping the loss" of hair through natural means. By this
they mean that their product is not a medication in the sense that it acts on
disease process through chemical means, and therefore it is not approved by
the Food and Drug Administration. "Natural means" could refer to a cleansing
process that might help the general scalp condition, but these claims are
never quite clear. The one product that does have scientific evidence to back
its claims and an FDA approval is Rogaine (minoxidil is the generic name)
produced by the Upjohn Company. It is an active agent that has been used in
the control of high blood pressure, and was found to promote the hair growth
in balding men. It is indicated for male pattern baldness of the top of the
head (vertex). The medication, obtained with a doctor's prescription, will
cost you about $2.00 a day, must be used continuously for life, and is most
effective in younger men, men with balding of less than ten years duration,
and men whose bald spot area is less than 4 inches. And it doesn't work on
everyone. About 1/4 of men using the medication over a period of 1 year
displayed no growth, or growth of only very fine (vellus) hair. You can
obtain more information directly from the manufacturer by calling the Rogaine
Hot Line, 1-800-635-0655 from 9 A.M. to 8 P.M. Eastern Time, Monday through
Friday. An attentive and polite representative will answer all your
questions.