1. What It Is

Scalp micro-pigment, SMP for short, is a leading cosmetological procedure where trained professionals use microneedles to introduce pigment into your hair follicles. Hair pigmentation creates a natural shaved hair head look. The usual number of courses for SMP treatment is two. At the first consultation, the professional will decide on the correct pigment color and desired hairline. Next is the first treatment, where the pigment is applied to each hair follicle and can irritate the skin and form a scab. The scalp looks red at first but fades a few days later. The scab usually falls within 4 days, showing a thin layer of pigment.

Usually, the second treatment is given 1-2 weeks later. The professional adds more pigments to create the shade you’re looking for and provide more density. Dark shades are usually used at this stage. Every round of treatment lasts 3-5 hours. If necessary, a third treatment may be given. Some specialists require a third treatment only if the pigment appears to have faded. The third process reapplies the pigment to give your hair a finished look.

2. How Effective It Is

This process is as permanent as a normal tattoo. However, pigments may need to be retouched at a five-year marker. This usually correlates with the quality of the original treatment. That’s why it is crucial to take your time finding a highly-qualified clinic or professional. It is important to look for a professional place to achieve the best results. If you live in Florida, you can check reviews about Eximious Scalp Micropigmentation Academy and read more about the services they offer to ensure that you’re making the right decision. Quality treatments look natural and last for years, while some bad practitioners can make the scalp look unnatural and your pigment may fade after just a few months.

3. Results

When it comes to men, scalp micro-pigment results in a newly-shaved-head look. Hairlines can change based on the natural pattern of your hair, but can usually be what you want, including more youthful ones. The shaved look of the micropayment is similar to real hair. No one can tell that it’s a hairline tattoo. 

Alternatively, most women don’t desire a freshly shaved appearance and prefer to increase their hair density. For people with thin hair, specialists can use microneedles to insert color between the hairlines to create a thicker hair look. This technology can also hide scars on the scalp caused by surgeries or accidents. The pigment is inserted along the scar and around it, providing realistic and striking results.

4. Who Is It for?

Scalp micro pigmentation is the right treatment for bald people. It can beat the balding effects by introducing a freshly shaved appearance. This procedure is also recommended for thin-haired adults who like to have higher hair density. If you’re not too keen on hair transplants, this process may be a good solution for you. Scalp scars, birthmarks, and burns can also be concealed by scalp micro-pigmentation. This process can effectively obscure these types of scalp marks. Moreover, people suffering from alopecia can benefit from scalp micro-pigmentation as it can be a permanent solution instead of going for hair transplants or wearing wigs.

5. Cost

Scalp micro-pigment cost is cheaper than hair transplantation and other long-term hair loss solutions. The cost of this procedure depends on the specialist and the length of the treatment. Estimates for the cost of a typical bald treatment range from $1,800 to $4,000. However, scar treatment is cheaper; the cost varies between $1,200 and $ 2,500 because less area is covered. Nonetheless, this process is still considered an inexpensive treatment for hair loss, given the permanent hair pigmentation.

6. Downsides

Although scalp micro-pigmentation has several benefits, it has a few downsides. Some people may like the idea that it is permanent. However, this means that you’ll have to change your hairline with lasers in case you don’t like it. Moreover, pigments can fade faster from UV sun rays. Nonetheless, you can always utilize sunscreen to keep your head protected. Even though SMP hair looks natural, it doesn’t have the texture of a real shaved head. It also provides limited hairstyling possibilities.

Almost 40% of men have witnessed some type of hair loss by the time they turn 49; many of them experience severe hair loss. Women also are vulnerable to hair loss, which makes their hair look thin and undefined. Scalp micro pigmentation is the ultimate cost-effective solution that provides the most natural appearance.

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Simply put, these products are extremely similar in the way that they both use minoxidil as their primary hair loss ingredient – though Rogaine has a higher concentration of the hair loss drug.

As you might expect, normal Rogaine has 50mg of minoxidil for every gram of product (you might have guessed that from the 5% name). You can also find 2% Rogaine, but this is considered to be less effective and more appropriate for women and people with sensitive scalps.

The amount of minoxidil in Keranique is significantly less than this, though Keranique do not state the amount of minoxidil that you’ll find in their products. Like many other minoxidil shampoos, the amount of actually effective hair loss product in their shampoo is questionable.

Keranique vs Rogaine – How to Apply

Fortunately, it is relatively easy to apply each of these products to your scalp. Depending on the minoxidil that you buy – foam or regular – you’ll either have to squirt a few drops of product onto your scalp, or rub a small amount of foam onto your scalp (I prefer the foam myself).

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With Keranique, you’ll get 4 different products to use for your hair. You’ll get shampoos and conditioners to use, and you’ll also get an ‘after the shower’ spray that they recommend you spray onto your hair post shower. You’ll also get another spray to use later in the evening.

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For this reason, it’s pretty easy to see that Rogaine wins on an ‘ease of use’ scale – it’s considerably easier to use than Keranique.

Side Effects

Though the side effects of both of these products is relatively minimal, you will find that you may experience some adverse feeling when using these products.

Rogaine

With Rogaine, you are more likely to experience headaches. This is because the high concentration of the drug promotes blood circulation in your head, which in turn has been said to increase the likelihood of headaches.

Some people that have used Rogaine have also reported experiencing an itchy, flaking scalp. This is a common side effect of a lot of hair loss products, as some people just don’t work with certain formulas.

Another particularly concerning side effect that some people have experienced from using Rogaine is weight gain, though the people experiencing weight gain seems to be minimal.

Keranique

As keranique contains minoxidil as Rogaine does, you’re exposed to all of the same side effects as you would be using either product.

It’s worth mentioning a few other side effects that you might experience from either of these products. Another side effect that many people experience from minoxidil is chest pains and an increasing heart rate. Though much of the research behind this is still unknown, it’s though that this is related to the increase of blood circulation throughout the body.

There is also the possibility of other symptoms related to anxiety – some people have reported feeling dizzy and lightheaded after starting to use Keranique and Rogaine. It is difficult to tell whether these are symptoms related to the product itself or another issue.

Conclusion

If you are considering using either of these two products, then I advise you do a little more research into which one would work best for me. Personally, I would prefer to use the high concentrated Rogaine as opposed to Keranique – it has a better track record and a longer life span within the hair loss industry. The Rogaine name speaks for itself, which is why it’s still extremely popular today.

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If you didn’t know, Lipogaine is essentially a shampoo blend that works to support minoxidil. This makes it easy to apply to your hair. But, it may be less effective than using Rogaine because it doesn’t contain minoxidil.

That’s right – it’s very hard to compare these two as one of the main ingredients, and reasons that Lipogaine works, is that it contains 5% minoxidil. There’s no denying or arguing that Rogaine is one of the most effective hair loss products currently on the market – the only real competitor in terms of size is finasteride.

Rogaine

Rogaine has been the go to hair loss product for over 20 years now – so much so, that many people use the term Rogaine as a general name for the actual chemical, Minoxidil.

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The reason that Rogaine works so well is that in helps to increase the circulation of blood flowing through the scalp (this is also one of the reasons it’s primary side effects is headaches!). This extra circulation helps blood to flow to your hair follicles, which in turn spurs growth. The other side effects that you may experience from using Rogaine include weight gain and an itchy scalp.

Though in spite of these possible side effects, Rogaine still proves to be one of the most popular methods of promoting hair growth and dealing with male pattern baldness today. But what about Lipogaine?

Lipogaine

Lipogaine was created to help deal with the hassle of applying Rogaine twice daily. This is one of the more common complaints about minoxidil – you have to continuously apply it until you’re ready to accept balding (which is totally normal, for the record).

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Lipogaine contains Minoxidil 5%, which is the best option for people looking to tackle male pattern baldness. Along with minoxidil, Lipogaine also contains a lot of other hair loss products which will have an effect on your hair. These include;

• Keratin – Keratin treatments are extremely popular for hair loss, so including some keratin is a no brainer. This is especially true seeing as your hair is made up of a large portion of keratin.
• Argan Oil – Argan oil is pretty commonly used to help treat scalp conditions, which is one of the main reasons you’ll find it in the majority of hair loss shampoos. Often, temporary hair loss can be caused by an underlying condition.
• Jojoba Oil – Although the research on the effectiveness of jojoba oil is minimal, it’s still thought to be a good benefits to add to hair loss formulas. This is because it’s great for dealing with a dry scalp and helps to reduce the chance of getting dandruff.
• Biotin – Having a biotin deficiency is proven to have an effect on the quality of your hair. Making sure you get enough biotin in your diet is essential, and if you aren’t eating enough biotin naturally, then a supplement can make sense.

Do minoxidil shampoos like Lipogaine even work?

It’s debatable as to whether minoxidil shampoos even work to their full potential when they are diluted significantly. There’s little research to back up how effective that minoxidil shampoos can really be.

The main reason that there is an issue with minoxidil shampoos is that to really work, minoxidil needs to be applied to your head for an extended period of time. If you’re using your shampoo in the shower, then there’s a good chance that you’re going to wash some of the formula off of your scalp before it really gets the chance to have an effect on your head.

Conclusion

For the main reason that minoxidil shampoos are likely to be less effective than the real thing, I’d be inclined to opt for Rogaine as opposed to Lipogaine. Although there are many people who say that Lipogaine worked well for them, there are far more positive reviews of people who have used Rogaine successfully. There’s a reason it’s one of the big three hair loss products along with Fin and Nizoral – it just works!

If you’re looking for a good way to mitigate any further hair loss and actually have a standing chance at fighting baldness, then I’d advise to opt for Rogaine out of these two options.

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Nioxin vs Rogaine – A Quick Roundup

The main difference that you’ll want to consider between these two products is that Rogaine is great for those experiencing male pattern baldness, whilst Nioxin is better for those experiencing thinner hair.

It’s a common misconception about Nioxin that it works well for male pattern baldness, but if you head over to their website then they make no such claim! Nioxin is aimed at those experiencing temporary and thin hair; not permanent hair loss.

Rogaine, or Minoxidil as it’s known scientifically, is designed to help prevent male pattern baldness. This means that it’s a great option if you’re a guy, but it isn’t targeted at those experiencing temporary hair loss at all.

This is the main difference between the two, but there are several other differences and we’ll have a closer look at what the real differences are between the two.

Nioxin

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Like I mentioned, Nioxin is used for those experiencing hair thinness. You shouldn’t just opt to use it if you’re experiencing hair loss; you could consult your salon or barbers beforehand to see what type of Nioxin you see.

Type of Nioxin, I hear you ask? Well, yes actually. There are various different types of Nioxin, which vary dependant on what you hair is currently like. For example, Nioxin 1 is ideal for those with thin and wispy hair, whereas Nioxin 6 is better for thick and coarse hair. If you want to know a little more about the scale of each Nioxin, then have a look here.

If you have fine hair, then Nioxin may be the option for you. It’s a pretty simple option for a hair loss solution that you can try without the adverse side effects that are sometimes associated with other hair loss products. I think it’s important to note that Nioxin are a relatively old brand, with over 30 years of experience in the market. This could indicate that this brand really helps to improve the thickness of your hair. I mean, if they were a shoddy brand, would they really have lasted this amount of time and been bought by major corporation Proctor and Gamble over 10 years ago? I very much doubt it.

Rogaine (Minoxidil)

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Whilst I commend Nioxin for being in the hair loss industry for a super long time, you also have to consider the same things about Rogaine. It’s over 20 years old, and has really stood the test of time, which speaks volumes about the product itself. Another thing to consider is that the Rogaine name is essentially the same as Minoxidil, although Minoxidil is the chemical term for it, many people just refer to it as Rogaine nowadays anyway.

Anywho, Rogaine is a more permanent solution for hair loss that you’ll want to consider if your shedding hair is the result of genetics.

Side Effects you may experience

The good thing about both of these products is that the side effects are pretty minimal. This is especially true if you consider them with a hair loss product like Finasteride (have a look at why I’d never use Finasteride here!).

Minoxidil Side Effects

• Inflammation – Some people experience redness of the scalp when they try Minoxidil for the first time, or inflammation. If you do experience this, then you should stop using it immediately.
• Headaches – One of the less common side effects of Minoxidil is headaches, which is reported by a very small amount of users. This is likely because of the increase in blood flow that your body isn’t necessarily use to.
• Weight Gain – Again, it’s hard to be sure on which of these side effects are actually caused by Minoxidil and which are just a circumstance of living or caused elsewhere. Personally, I wouldn’t imagine that Minoxidil has the ability to make you gain weight, but that’s my personal opinion.

Nioxin Side Effects

• Flakes/Dandruff – A flaky head and dandruff are the most commonly reported side effects of using Nioxin, which are relatively mild when you compare them to some of the side effects of other products.
• Itchy Scalp – It seems that some people just tend to react to Nioxin negatively, leaving them with an itchy red scalp after prolonged use.
• Remaining Hair becomes dry – When you’re using Nioxin, it’s best used on those who have minimal hair loss as you’re not going to be growing any hair back. Some users report the issue of their remaining hair becoming dry, which is probably because the Nioxin eliminates a lot of oils from your scalp.

Application

It’s really hard to compare these two, as they’re not really made for the same purpose. For this reason, I can’t really say one is better than the other. I mean with the Nioxin, you’re only really using it as a shampoo, so you’re unlikely to notice any difference (unless you’re a scruff that never uses shampoo!).

I will say however, that using Rogaine is not ideal by any means. Apply something to your head every day for the rest of our life? No thanks, I’d rather polish my head in the bowling ball machine than do that.

Conclusion

To conclude, comparison Rogaine with Nioxin is kind of like comparing apples and oranges – you use them both for different things. If you have thinning hair, you’ll want to opt for Nioxin. If you’re experiencing male pattern baldness, then you’ll definitely want to look at Rogaine or another alternative. If you’re going to go for Rogaine, then you should definitely go for the real product and not for something like a minoxidil shampoo, which has no real proof that it works.

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But, I did manage to get my hands on a tub of Creme de La Mer. How? Well, my mother decided to treat herself and after a few uses, she went back to her regular Nivea Creme. “It’s exactly the same thing but 10x the price!”, were her specific words to me. So I thought to myself.. are they? We’ve all heard that Creme de La Mer is amazing and was developed by a scientist.. yada yada and so on and so forth. I just want to know if there’s a dramatic difference that can warrant this huge increase in price!

I decided to have a look at the two, both Creme de la Mer and Nivea creme (which is my go to moisturizer and has been for many years now). So, I think that I can give you a good rundown of the differences between the two, although there isn’t enough for me to justify spending $60 on a moisturizer!

Nivea vs La Mer – Main Differences

Although they are actually relatively similar, there are a few differences between the two cremes that I’ve found in my testing of the two. These aren’t dramatic differences, but they are definitely something that you should be aware of.

• Nivea creme is thicker – Straight off the bat, it’s very easy to see that Nivea creme is much thicker than the La Mer. This is even more true after you warm the La Mer creme up a little, which is a necessity if you want to get the best from it.
• Application – As I’ve just said, there’s a real art to applying La Mer products – whilst you might think that’s just pretentious marketing tactics, you do need to rub the product between your fingers properly to make the product ready for application.
• Ingredients – The vast majority of the base ingredients for Creme de La Mer are exactly the same as the ingredients that you’re going to find in Nivea creme. But, there are some useful additions that are going to work wonders for your skin. Things like Lanolin alcohol are designed specifically to try and emulate the oils that your skin naturally creates, so that it isn’t too harsh on your skin.
• Hydration – If you already have particularly oily skin, then perhaps Nivea creme isn’t going to be the best thing for you. It can make your skin too oily, and I have friends that complain that it turns them into an ‘oily mess’ (their words, not mine). But for hydration purposes, I much prefer Nivea’s creme and find it works well with my skin.

Conclusion

Overall, if you want to give La Mer’s creme a chance and you’ve got money to blow, then why not buy a tub and see if it has an effect after using it for a month or so. For me, I’ll bask happily in my $2 Nivea creme, as I can’t see the need to spend that kind of money on a moisturizer (I’d much rather have a new set of straighteners, thanks!).

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There are other moisturizers out there that you may want to consider that are better than Nivea, but also much cheaper than any La Mer products. Finding this ‘middle range’ of moisturizers is a good idea if you want to be sure that you’re getting a high quality product, without a high quality price.

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What is Nizoral?

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Nizoral is often defined as an anti dandruff shampoo, but it has many more used than just that. Its often given as a cream to treat fungal infections, too. You would have found it in tablet form, but that’s far less common than it has been in the past.

But for our interests, we’re interested in Nizoral Shampoo as a hair loss agent. I’ve even seen people talking about Nizoral used as an acne cure, so it’s really a multi use wonder drugs.

It’s true name is Ketoconazole – Nizoral is just the most common brand name of this. Much like Minoxidil is known as Rogaine, or Finasteride is known as Propecia. Speaking of which, these ‘Big 3‘ are often used in conjuction with each other to give optimum hair loss prevention results.

How Does Nizoral Work?

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There’s a lot more research for how Nizoral works for anti fungal methods, with less concern for how it’s used to treat hair loss. But, there is research that suggests that the anti fungal elements in Nizoral helps promote hair growth.

I know what you’re thinking; so Nizoral works for dandruff and anti fungal stuff, but what about hair loss? Well, the idea actually comes from an experiment. In the experiment, Nizoral was tested on mice. The mice developed excessive hair growth, in turn showing that Nizoral can indeed stimulate hair growth.

The results on humans are less conclusive. There is little evidence that Nizoral Shampoo will have a massive effect on your hair growth, but there are some who swear that it has made a massive difference for them. In the study linked to above, the majority of participants had some positive effect on their hair growth, which at least makes Nizoral an option, although perhaps not the best.

Positives of Using a Nizoral Shampoo

There are a few reasons that Nizoral has become increasingly popular, especially as an options for those looking for a hair loss shampoo. These are;

Ease of Use – I think that this is the main reason that Nizoral shampoo has become so popular as a hair loss method. You really don’t need to change your current routine, and just replace your current shampoo with a Nizoral one.

Relatively Cheap – Nizoral Shampoo isn’t too much more expensive than regular shampoo. This makes it a pretty good option if you need something that has the potential to work without leaving your bank empty. Though Minoxidil is more proven to work, you’re likely to rack up thousands and thousands of dollars using it over the course of your life – this isn’t the case with Nizoral.

 Lack of extreme side effects  – Another reason that Nizoral has become increasingly popular is that the side effects that you might experiences are relatively mild. This is in comparison to other hair loss products on the market.

This doesn’t meant that using Nizoral is completely without risk, and there is the possibility of experiencing some side effects when using Nizoral.

Nizoral Side Effects

One of the good things about using Nizoral is that it doesn’t come with the same risky side effects that you’d find with other hair loss medications like Finasteride. There are however, a few side effects that you need to be aware of;

 Skin Irritation – This is the most common side effect of using Nizoral Shampoo. Whilst it’s generally a pretty mild feeling for most, sometimes certain products just won’t work for you. For most, Nizoral won’t cause irritation but there are some cases where people have reported irritation.

 Dry Skin – When you deal with skin irritation, you’re likely to notice that your skin is drying out too. The irony is that Nizoral is trying to hep the health of your hair, but some people have experienced dry skin from using Nizoral.

 Allergic Reactions – Like most hair products, there is the chance that you’ll risk having an allergic reaction to some of the ingredients that the product contains.

Overall, you can see that the side effects that you might experience from using Nizoral pale in comparison when compared to other hair loss products.

Conclusion

In conclusion, I wouldn’t consider using Nizoral Hair Loss Shampoo on it’s own. It doesn’t have the scientific backing that other hair loss products have – if you’re going to invest in something, surely you would something scientifically proven to give results?

Whilst Nizoral may have a positive effect on hair growth, this certainly isn’y definitely. The likelihood is that you won’t notice much of an effect from using Nizoral on it’s own, so if you are going to use it, pair it up with some other hair loss products for best effect.

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Overall, it’s obvious that minoxidil is a more trusted product than Capixyl when considering hair loss. Minoxidil is the only FDA approved hair loss treatment that you can buy in stores.

Both of these hair loss products work in entirely different ways. Learning how they work is important to figure out which one will work best for your specific need.

Minoxidil

Minoxidil is the safest bet if you’re looking for a good hair loss treatment that actually works. It’s been recommended and approved for use by the FDA, which certainly puts it ahead of other treatments. The only other hair loss treatment is finasteride, but you need to be prescribed this by a doctor.

Minoxidil works by helps to increase the blood circulation in your scalp. One of the reasons that you begin to lose hair is that your hair follicles are dying. Minoxidil helps to improve the health of the follicles, and in turn spur growth.

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Overall, there are many benefits of minoxidil which I’ve discussed extensively throughout the site. You can even get a minoxidil shampoo if you want to make it part of your daily regime, which you’ll need to if you want to prevent hair loss.

Capixyl (Monat)

Much like minoxidil is the primary hair loss agent in Rogaine, Capixyl is the primary agent in Monat. You will find Capixyl in other hair loss products, but it’s most commonly known for being in Monat. The way that capixyl works is to help cut down scalp inflammation. Scalp inflammation is a common cause of hair loss, and it’s important to keep your scalp healthy.

One of the most common reasons that people opt for capixyl is that it doesn’t have the side effects that minoxidil does. Minoxidil is known for causing headaches, which doesn’t seem to be an issue with Monat – although there’s been little time that it’s been on the market for analysis.

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The main reason that Monat has become increasingly popular is that they have a good affiliate program. This means that if someone you know sells you the product, they get a percentage of the profits for themselves! This is a common way of marketing to try and get consistently good reviews for a product.

All you have to do is going and have a look at the Monat Reviews online and you can see that they don’t have the best track record. For this reason, I’d like avoid Monat.

Conclusion

Much like the whole minoxidil vs finasteride debate, it’s very difficult to compare these two as they work in very different ways. Whilst minoxidil works by stimulating blood flow, capixyl is a dht blocker and helps to reduce to the conversion from testosterone to DHT like most hair loss shampoos work.

The good thing is that you can use these products together, although in my opinion you’d be much better off going for the more approved trio formula of minoxidil, finasteride and nizoral. Whilst capixyl may help to aid hair growth, the research on it is still and the Monat Reviews that I’ve read are not as conclusive as with other products.

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Both Keranique and Viviscal work in extremely similar ways – they’re both full hair care kits. Unlike other shampoos that only focus on one thing, both of these products try and encompass everything that you need. Of course by doing this, you end up paying a substantial price for what you’re getting.

Lets have a closer look at both of these hair loss products and see if they’re really worth their high price tag.

Keranique

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Keranique is actually the cheaper of the two options – though that doesn’t always necessarily mean it’s the best.

Keranique contains 2% minoxidil, which is specifically designed to deal with hair loss in women. Male Rogaine is typically more effective as it’s 5% concentrated, but this has been proven to be too strong for the female scalp. Although Minoxidil is the active ingredient in Keranique, there are other ingredients that can help with temporary hair loss.

Of course, the name keranique derives from one of the main ingredients – keratin. Keratin treatments have become popular for women in recent years, but unfortunately although they’re great for your hair, keratin treatments can be super expensive. Keranique is a good way to help avoid expensive treatments, as their shampoo contains a decent amount of keratin anyway.

Overall, keranique is a good way to keep your hair in top condition. But, it is expensive and there might be better options on the market if you shop around.

Viviscal

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The ingredients of Viviscal are definitely.. different. One of the weird ingredients that it contains that you might not have expected is shark cartilage. Although it sounds kind of scary, shark cartilage has actually been used extensively and can even be used to help beat cancer.

As well as shark cartilage, viviscal contains all the usual suspects that you might have thought already. Biotin and other b vitamins are present, as well as vitamin C and apple extract powder, which are common in most hair loss vitamins.

The only issue that you will find with products like viviscal is that there is a lack of evidence that their products really work. They aren’t FDA regulated, and they don’t have to prove that they support hair growth. This means that although they may help reduce hair loss, they aren’t guaranteed.

Conclusion

Overall, both of these shampoos can help with temporary hair loss through vitamin deficiency. Their solid full hair care systems filled with nutrients that can replenish your hair.

The reality is that only one of these hair care systems contains the only FDA approved hair loss treatment available online – minoxidil. Aside from using prescription medications, minoxidil – or Rogaine – is the best thing that you can get to help battle against permanent hair loss. Keranique shampoo contains this, and although it might not be quite as effective as using minoxidil itself, it still makes it the better option of these two in my eyes.

In all honesty however, I do feel that both of these products are pretty expensive for what they are. There are other hair loss shampoos on the market that aren’t as expensive that work better (just my opinion).

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But comparing these two hair loss treatments is extremely difficult, and they actually often work very well together. They work in entirely different ways, so it can be hard to know which is these hair loss treatments is ‘better’.

The difference between Minoxidil and Finasteride is pretty simple. Finasteride prevents the conversion of testosterone to DHT in your body – DHT is the primary cause of baldness in men. DHT, or dihydrotestosterone, does affect women too in some ways, but it’s primarily an issue if you’re dealing with male pattern baldness. This is a natural thing for your body to do, which is why some take issue with the use of hair loss drugs.

So whilst Finasteride is made to prevent this conversion, Minoxidil works in a different way. Minoxidil helps to improve the circulation of blood in your scalp. This allows more stimulation in your hair follicles, which helps your hair to regrow where the follicle may have previous been impaired. With the increased blood flow and oxygen reaching your hair follicles, you have more chance of hair regrowth and help to mitigate any current losses you’re experiencing.

Minoxidil vs Finasteride vs Shampoos

Of course, you’ve probably heard about how bad DHT is and how it’s causing baldness for every guy. There’s an abundance of DHT blocking shampoos appearing on the market, but the likelihood is that none of them will be as effective as Propecia. And in the same breath, there’s a lot of Minoxidil shampoos appearing on the market too – but would they be able to compete with just using Rogaine? It’s unlikely.

Both Rogaine and Propecia are made with carefully designed formulas to contend with your hair loss. Neither of these methods were designed to be applied as a shampoo in the shower – especially Minoxidil, which works best if left for a longer period of time than a few minutes.

Of course, with these products comes the possibility of some side effects. To me, the minoxidil side effects appear minimal if you compare then to Propecia, but I’ll let you make up your own mind.

Minoxidil Side Effects

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Dark Circles Under the Eyes – This is one of the lesser known side effects that you might experience when using minoxidil.

 Itchy Scalp – Another side effect that is reported when using minoxidil is itchy skin. This is probably because the scalp gets much drier when you use minoxidil for a prolonged period of time. This is actually why it’s recommended to use minoxidil as a trifecta with other hair loss products, including ketoconazole, which promotes a healthy scalp.

Nausea – As with many other products that are used to treat hair loss, nausea is relatively common when taking minoxidil. The difficult thing about this is that it is hard to tell what is causing the nausea – is it the minoxidil, or is it something else? Well, it’s hard to know but the likelihood is that if you haven’t changed anything else in your diet and you’re sleeping well, then minoxidil may be the cause.

Propecia/Finasteride Side Effects

Erectile Dysfunction – One of the scariest things for men is ED, and it’s the main reason why I would be cautious of using Propecia. Less than 3% of people reported that they experienced this, but for me it just isn’t worth the risk.

 Libido disappearing – Along with ED, some people report that your libido decreases whilst using Propecia. In fact the most scary part of this is that the few people who did experience this said that it took a while for their sex drive to return after they stopped using Propecia – scary, huh!

 Weakness – Whilst this isn’t a definite, there are people who think that finasteride can cause a temporary feeling of weakness in your body. This is a pretty common side effect of many different products, so it’s not surprise that this may be a side effect of using Propecia. These are the main side effects of using Finasteride.

Effectiveness

Comparing the effectiveness of minoxidil and finasteride is very difficult, because they both work in completely different ways. We can however, look at the people that have used each of these different products.

It’s worth mentioning the availability of both these products. With Rogaine, you can easily purchase it over the counter or find it online. This isn’t the case with Propecia however, which you’ll need to go and visit your doctor or see a dermatologist to get a prescription. This could indicate that Propecia is more effective, though this isn’t necessarily true.

In reality, it’s impossible to know which of these products is more effective. It completely depends on the individual – some people experience adverse side effects from Fin, and vice versa.

How they work

Minoxidil/Rogaine

Tradtional Rogaine is pretty easy to use. Back when I used Rogaine myself, I used a small pipette to squirt the formula onto my scalp. But nowadays, it seems the better option is to opt for the Rogaine Foam and simply rub it into your head twice a day. You can also use it in combination with Nizoral for better effect.

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Minoxidil helps to promote blood circulation in the scalp, helping the flow of blood to your hair follicles. Though the research on minoxidil isn’t as thorough as with Finasteride, it is FDA approved (one of the only hair loss products to get this certification!).

Propecia

Many people of for Propecia for it’s ease of use. It’s commonly take in a 1 mg pill that you only have to take once per day, which makes it an extremely attractive option. It’s said that Finasteride has been supporting Hollywood hairlines for 30 years – and with good reason!

Unlike Minoxidil, Propecia simply prevents the conversion of testosterone to DHT in your scalp.

Conclusion

Overall, it’s very difficult to compare both Propecia and Minoxidil directly as they work in totally different ways. In fact if you go to a dermatologist, many of them will recommend you use both of these products in unison for best effect. These are two of the best remedies for hair loss, whilst Finasteride is best taken as a pill, you’re going to find Minoxidil best applied as a spray/foam or even in a shampoo.

It is safe to say however, that these two are undoubtedly the most proven hair loss products available on the current market. They undoubtedly work for the majority of people, which is more than you can say for some other products that are around.

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My answer; kind of, but not really. Research shows that Minoxidil is most effective when applied and lieft on your scalp for a longer period of time – I’m talking hours, here. The likelihood is that you’re not going to be spending several hours every day in the shower washing your hair, so it’s likely that Minoxidil is not truly effective as a shampoo.

I say ‘kind of’, because there is really no harm is using a Minoxidil shampoo if you’re a guy. But, the likelihood is that any positive effects you’re seeing on your hair won’t be from the Minoxidil; they’re likely from the other ingredients that are in the shampoo.

Whilst there’s no scientific proof that minoxidil shampoo really works for your hair, several other ingredients may actually have an impact on your hair loss. Let’s have a look at some of these ingredients, and review whether you should invest your hard earned cash into them.

So, is Minoxidil Shampoo a scam?

Well, kinda (in my opinion) – often, companies will just use an expensive and luxury shampoo, add the label ‘minoxidil’ to it and hey presto! You’re automatically going to grow your hair back.

Now, minoxidil does work for hair loss and it’s a great option if you’re willing to accept the potential side effects that you may encounter. But, generally the minoxidil needs to be applied for longer than the length of your shower for it to really work. So whilst it’s not necessarily a scam, it’s not really allowing the minoxidil to work as well as it could.

If you’re using the Minoxidil Shampoo in the shower, then you’re likely going to wash off the formula before it really has a chance to work for you. This means that you’re not getting the full effect of the minoxidil – you’d be better off looking at other minoxidil products like Rogaine, which usually comes in a spray or liquid format.

There are other ingredients in the Minoxidil shampoo that are more likely to be effective than the minoxidil itself. Here’s a few of those ingredients with some research suggesting that they help to prevent hair loss.

1. Saw Palmetto

Saw Palmetto is one of the more commonly known ingredients that some are claiming will help to rejuvenate your hair. It must be said that there’s still a distinct lack of evidence that saw palmetto works for your hair, but the evidence that has currently been uncovered does appear promising.

Saw palmetto has been used for a while to treat many different things, such as an enlarged prostate. It makes sense then that it would have an effect on hair loss. This is because the reason saw palmetto is use to treat an enlarged prostate is that it helps block the conversion of testosterone to DHT. DHT is a hormone that has been linked with baldness for many years, so minimizing the DHT production in your body is good for your hair follicles.

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2. DHT Blockers

There are tons of other DHT blockers that work in a similar way to Saw Palmetto that you can use to help to block DHT. Things like Stinging nettle extract are other forms of DHT blockers that work well for helping to reduce your hair loss.

Like Saw Palmetto, these other DHT blockers work in a similar way, restricting the ability for you body to convert testosterone to DHT.

Of course, there are some possible side effects of using DHT Blockers which you’ll need to be aware of.

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3. Things like Biotin and other vitamins

You’re probably going to notice lots of shampoos that are filled with things like Biotin, Keratin and other vitamins that are going to magnificently help your hair grow. Whilst a shampoo filled with these things isn’t a bad thing, it likely isn’t going to make a difference in the growth of your hair. And here’s why.

Biotin is only proven to affect your hair if you’re deficient in it. It’s not going to make a difference to your hair unless you’re specifically deficient in Biotin.

The fact that you’re going to find Biotin in tons of foods like eggs and almonds, the likelihood is that you’re not deficient in Biotin and a little added to your shampoo is not going to have an effect on your hair growth. It’s unlikely to do any harm either, but don’t count on it as your saviour.

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Conclusion

Overall, you can probably see that I’m pretty negative when it comes to the possibilities of actually regrowing your hair. This is because it’s a multi billion dollar industry, and the likelihood is that people are just trying to make money out of other people’s insecurities.

You can look to these products if you’re looking to help the quality of your hair, but just realise it’s not going to grow back overnight!

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