Avoiding Scams

P.T. Barnum said, “There’s one born every minute.” The sad truth is that many, many people are desperate to find a solution to their hair loss and will grasp at anything that looks remotely likely to solve their hair loss problems. Hair loss products have been estimated to be in excess of $1 billion a year industry. With that kind of money at stake, if there were truly a product that could stop your hair loss and regrow your lost hair, everyone would know about it – it would be very, very big news. Small advertisements in obscure sections of newspapers would not be the likely domain of a product with such earning potential if it were capable of delivering results.

The fact is that some follicles slowly shrink and die in the presence of DHT. This is the cause of 95% of all hair loss. DHT (Dihydrotestosterone) is created naturally inside your body when the enzyme 5-alpha-reductase combines with the hormone testosterone. Your follicles aren't blocked, malnourished or suffering from poor circulation. They're dying from DHT. Anything that will stop hair loss or regrow hair must block DHT or overpower its effects. This can only occur at the molecular level inside your body.

The most obvious scams are based on crazy explanations of hair loss. They'll tell you ridiculous things are causing your hair loss and offer their product as a cure. Now that you know what causes 95% of all hair loss, you'll spot these guys a mile away.

Beware of “before” and “after” shots. Any 9 year old with a computer can alter a photo. Professional graphic artists can certainly create a realistic head of hair—or erase one! Money-back-guarantees, while not necessarily bogus, are calculated on the fact that sellers know that only a tiny portion of buyers will actually ask for a refund, even if they are not happy with the product.

In 1989 the FDA passed a ruling making it illegal to claim that any non-prescription product will regrow hair. The have recently released a memo that this law may not apply to the internet. The ruling is before the courts, so be especially cautious when look at offers over the internet

You can find information about products warnings against them at the Federal Drug Administration (FDA) ( www.fda.gov) and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ( www.ftc.gov) websites. You can also log complaints with these organizations if you feel you have been the victim of a scam. They are also very good resources for general information.

Remember, if it seems to good to be true, it is.