Americans believe stress is a leading cause of hair loss, according to a survey commissioned by hair-loss treatment makers Regaine, an over-the-counter preparation.
The firm asked Wakefield Research to survey Americans to see what their attitudes to hair loss were. 57% of those questioned said they were not attracted to people with thinning hair, while 40% of married respondents said they would prefer their partner to be overweight rather than bald.
The survey asked 1,001 adults how much they knew about hair loss. 75% said that stress was a leading cause of the condition – incorrectly – while 35% believed that wearing a hat frequenty could cause hair to thin. 24% said that overstyling hair could lead to hair loss. This last belief is partly true, as hair treatments such as hair extensions can put stress on hair and cause it to thin.
Dr. Robert Leonard, a member of the board of governers for the International Society of Hair Restoration Surgery and a leading hair transplant surgeon, said that the survey showed that people were unaware that hereditary hair loss accounts for 95% of all hair loss. He warned that diet, vitamins and thickening shampoos and conditioners were not effective treatments for hair loss.
The survey shows how little the general public really know about hair loss, suggesting that many people suffering from the condition will turn to untested or pointless treatments to cure the problem. There are lots of shampoos and serums that claim to ameliorate the condition, but as hereditary hair loss is a medical condition with specific causes, they are not going to make a difference.
There are only two products which have been clinically proven to combat hair loss. The first is Regaine, the commissioners of the survey, which uses the active ingredient minoxidil to combat heridatary hair loss. It is believed that it encourages blood to flow to the hair follicles, encouraging regrowth.
While Regaine is available over the counter, the other option, Propecia, is only available with a doctor’s prescription. It is only suitable for men and contains finasteride, which stops the production of dihydratestosterone, responsible for attacking the hair follicles in the scalp.