stop hair loss

For many women dying their hair has become a part of their monthly routine. Some men have resorted to dying their hair too, but most of them are looking for less recognizable alternatives, such as progressive hair colorants. Progressive hair colorants work gradually by changing the hair color slowly for several days after they have been applied, which makes the change less noticeable and allows the user to control how much grey he/she leaves untreated. One thing that both types of products - conventional hair dyes and progressive hair colorants - have in common is that all of them contain chemicals that can present a potential health risk to their users.

Both, hair dyes and progressive hair colorants work by a chemical reaction involving the components of the colorant and also the oxygen in the air. The principal difference between the two is that the chemical reaction in conventional hair dyes lasts only for a few minutes while the substance is being applied to the hair versus working slowly for several days in progressive hair colorants. The chemicals that fuel these reactions are usually toxic and can trigger allergic reactions.

PPD, which is an acronym for p-phenylenediamine, is believed to be the leading cause of hair color allergic reactions with ammonia, hydrogen peroxide, diaminobenzene and, to a lesser extent, also metallic compounds said to account for their fair share, too. Metallic compounds such as lead acetate and bismuth citrate are found mainly in progressive hair colorants whereas PPD, ammonia, hydrogen peroxide and diaminobenzene are typical of conventional hair dyes. One of the newer molecules used in progressive hair colorants is 5, 6-dihydroxyindoline that is sometimes described as the best option amongst the chemical molecules contained in grey hair coloring products but this organochemical substance has also been found to cause allergic reactions.

Natural hair dyes might appear to many to be a healthy alternative to traditional, hair coloring products. Unfortunately, the natural hair dyes are no stranger to causing allergic reactions either and were recently found to be even more allergenic than most chemical products. Therefore, when choosing hair coloring agents you should always consider the potential health risks as most of them contain substances that can cause poisoning if used inappropriately or can lead to severe allergic reactions. You should always use a patch test before applying any such product and closely follow the application guidelines in order to minimize exposure to potentially harmful substances.

Lead is one of mankind’s oldest used metals. Lead and its compounds have been employed for thousands of yeas in all walks of life, from construction to gastronomy. It was not so long ago that sewage pipes were made from lead. Anyone who has renovated an old house might have seen old leaded pipes as they were replaced. They are easy to recognise by their unusual weight. However, lead and most of its compounds are today known to be highly toxic. Lead is a potent neurotoxin that over time accumulates in soft tissues and bone. Nonetheless, because of its low reactivity and water solubility, lead poisoning usually only occurs in cases when the lead is dispersed and after long term exposure.

Lead acetate is used as a precursor to lead sulphate which acts as a synthetic pigment in progressive hair colorants such as Grecian formula, Youthair and GreyBan. It is valued due to its ability to change the colour of your white hair gradually and discretely. Like lead, it is toxic, although it has been used for centuries as a wine sweetener. Since the beginning of the 1980s, lead has been withdrawn from many products, such as gasoline, paints, pipes, etc., and in the last decade lead compounds such as lead acetate have become the target of increased attention of health authorities. Lead acetate has been banned from hair dyes in some counties of the European Union and in Canada but there is no universal ban within the EU, let alone on a larger scale. However, lead-based hair dyes continue to be available in shops in most countries in the world.

In one study, conducted in the US, people using lead acetate-containing hair colorant were monitored but no absorption of lead into their blood stream was registered. Therefore, it was determined that lead acetate-based hair dyes can remain in use but the concentration of lead acetate may not exceed 0.6%. Most of the currently available hair colorants contain a maximum of 0.4% of lead acetate. In spite of that, these lotions may not be applied on facial hair or cut scalp and if redness or inflammation appear their use must be discontinued. It is obvious that you should wash your hands with soap after applying them.

As the toxicity of lead has become more apparent in recent years and it is even suspected of being carcinogenic, bismuth has become its increasingly popular supplement. Following a ban on sales of lead-containing hair dyes in some countries, the affected products have been reformulated to include bismuth citrate. Bismuth, like lead, is also a heavy metal but it is thought to be less toxic and is not suspected to be carcinogenic. Nonetheless, the same careful handling is required when applying bismuth-based hair colorants as with lead-based products.

Herbs have been used in the traditional folk medicine of many cultures for thousands of years to treat premature aging conditions such as premature graying hair with varying degrees of success. Admittedly, to this day no herbal or medicinal cure for age-related and genetically-determined grey hair conditions seems to exist. Nonetheless, herbal remedies have experienced a tremendous growth in popularity recently and now account for well over half of all hair care products sold. Their attractiveness results mainly from the general belief that they are free from negative side effects and can stimulate natural healing processes in the body and thus reverse medical conditions naturally.

Fo-Ti root (polygonum multiflorum) appears to be by far the most popular herbal remedy for reversing grey hair today. It can be found as a principal active ingredient in almost any natural grey hair product. Fo-Ti is a climbing plant native to China and now widely grown also in Japan and Taiwan and some other Asian countries. In traditional Chinese medicine it has been used for thousands of years as a popular youth tonic because of its assumed ability to counteract the body’s aging processes. In China it is well known under the name He shou wu, standing for "black haired Mr. He". The legend has it that an old villager, Mr. He, who lived in the 9th century A.D. took Fo-Ti and restored his black hair, youthful appearance and vitality and fathered children at the age of 60. He lived to 130, maintaining his rich black hair. In addition to influencing the aging processes, Fo-Ti is credited with many other health-providing properties highly valued in traditional Chinese medicine. Among other things, it is also believed to extend hair growth cycles and therefore it can be frequently found in many commercial hair loss products. As is so often the case with herbal cures, Fo-Ti has never been clinically studied as a potential grey hair treatment. There is no scientific or recent empirical evidence that it can help reverse greying hair or reverse hair loss.

PABA (para-aminobenzoic acid) and folic acid are two vitamins from the group of B vitamins credited with the ability to reverse greying. Their presence in the body is essential to maintaining one’s original hair colour and it is conceivable that a shortage of any of these two vitamins might lead to hair turning grey. Their extra intake can be beneficial in grey hair conditions caused by vitamin B deficiency but will not restore your original hair colour in conditions caused by hereditary factors or old age. Nevertheless, these two vitamins are used in almost any commercial grey hair remedy you can buy but ask the people deficient in B12 vitamins what they think about such products.

You can find many other herbal ingredients such as ginkgo biloba, eleuthero root, Asian ginseng, gotu kola, green tea, rosemary, chamomile, horsetail, etc. in natural grey hair products, having mostly auxiliary functions, such as promoting a healthy scalp environment or providing additional nutrients to your hair follicles. Some other herbs, such as sage, can be used to add colour to your hair, working as a natural hair colorant while also giving your hair more shine, which gives the impression of there being less grey hair. One traditional method of reversing greying hair from India, which may sound anecdotal to many of us, is rubbing your fingernails against each other to help circulation (as nerve endings are located under the finger nails), thereby reducing the amount of grey hair.

It can be concluded that no scientific proof exists that any exercise or herb, vitamin, mineral or nutrient contained in the natural remedies can effectively reverse premature or age-related greying of hair. If you decide to try any commercial herbal remedy for grey hair, keep in mind that besides there being no guarantee of its effectiveness, no daily dosage has ever been established and side effects might occur, despite the general belief that herbal remedies are safe and free from them. Buyers beware!