Retaining Hair Health began as a hair loss blog in 2009 and is read by visitors from all over the world, particularly in America. So we decided to run our very own “The X Factor ” Poll of Blogs. We are pleased to announce that the Top Ten of Popular Entries are as follows:- No.1 Nizoral (Ketonazole) Shampoo No.2 Finasteride (Propecia or Proscar) Cancer Warning No. 3 The Norwood Scale for Hair Loss No. 4 Hair Loss Product Advertisement on London Underground No. 5 Early Signs of Hair Loss No. 6 Stem Cell Research into Hair Loss No. 7 James Bond and Indiana Jones No. 8 Does your Hair Actually Breathe? No. 9 James Nesbitt’s New Hair No. 10 Genetics… read more

Saw Palmetto is a popular herbal treatment for benign (non cancerous) prostatic hyperplasia, also known as an enlarged prostate. However, this tiny fruit has also been used to help prevent hair loss. Saw Palmetto has existed for hundreds, if not thousands, of years. It has been known to be used by both North and South American Indians, as well as Aborigines. The herb was used for a number of purposes including appetite stimulation, painful menstruation and even as a treatment for infertility. The Link between Saw Palmetto and Hair Loss It appears that the Saw Palmetto fruit contains an agent that works against the male hormonal metabolite, dihydrotestosterone (DHT), which is known to be involved with causing pattern baldness in… read more

In a number of previous blog entries and also extensively in the forums, it has been reported that a cocktail of hair loss products often works better than one single hair loss product, therefore attacking the chemical and physiological causes of hair loss from a number of angles. For example, ProFusion Shampoo and Conditioner can be used with Propecia (Finasteride) and Regaine (Minoxidil). How does Finasteride Work? This involves a lot of biological terms but we have tried to explain these where possible. Finasteride inhibits an enzyme in your body called Type II 5α-reductase. This enzyme converts testosterone into Dihydrotestosterone (DHT). Two distinct isoenzymes (or isozymes) are found in humans: Type I and II. Isozymes have a slightly different chemical… read more

It has been said on this blog and on a number of others, that hair loss products often work best as in combination, with people often using three or four products together therefore tackling the issue from a number of different directions. It is well reported that hair loss is caused by the hormone DHT in the scalp, causing a reduction in blood flow to the hair root. Therefore some shampoos and conditioners work by suppressing DHT in the scalp and others work by increasing blood flow, which is where ProFusion shampoo and conditioner are generally accept to fit. ProFusion shampoo and conditioner can be used with Regaine (Minoxidil) or Propecia (Finasteride), but we would like to hear your experiences… read more

There has recently been some important health information published regarding Finasteride (Propecia/Proscar) that could save your life. The European Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency included a report in the latest edition of “Drug Safety Update” The report concluded that an increased risk of male breast cancer associated with finasteride could not be excluded. So far 50 cases of male breast cancer have been reported worldwide with use of finasteride at a dose of 5mg and three cases at a dose of 3mg. Most cases occurred within five years of starting the product. The MHRA have suggested that patients using finasteride should be advised to go to their doctor as quickly as possible should they experience any changes in their… read more

Nizoral shampoo has an active ingredient of Ketonazole. It was originally marketed back in the 1980′s as an anti dandruff shampoo, and was very effective since it acted as an antifungal and was effective against the yeast which caused dandruff which is a bug called Pityrosporum ovale. So far so good. However, ketonazole had previously been available in tablet form for treatment of fungal infections and a well known and well documented side effect of the tablet was testicular atrophy. Put bluntly your testes stop working properly and in extreme cases they actually get smaller and stop producing testosterone. The reason that ketonazole produces testicular atrophy is the same reason that some people find it also helps with their hair… read more