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Hair Loss

by Kevin Raub

I’ll admit it: I’ve lost some hair. But the retreat seemed to subside in my mid-thirties. Both my father and my grandfather died with full heads of hair, so genetics say I’m in the clear. But you can never be too careful. Enter hair tonics. If there ever is a slap in the face that says, “You’re not a young buck, anymore,” it’s that first time you pick up a box of Rogaine, gasp at it’s price, and wonder two things: Will it work? Is it worth it?

That happened to me around 28, before natural options were available. Nowadays, there are several options. Many suck some serious time out of your grooming routine, requiring lengthy scalp massages and warm towel sets to insure optimum penetration into hair follicles. They may or may not actually work, so enjoy the scalp massages if nothing else.

Korres Anti-Hair Loss Lotion won my heart on a recent trip to Greece. The inventive spray delivery system uses a small tube to perfectly distribute this magnesium and amino acid-based juice. The active complex is full of vitamins and proteins as well as extracts of yucca, burdock, and ginseng, a follicle cocktail designed to stimulate growth and increase hair life cycle. Korres bills itself as natural, not necessarily organic, but this product is free of propylene glycol, ethanolamine, and silicone. One of my favorites of the bunch. www.korres.com

Yarok’s Serum 6 Booster for Men, an Israeli-founded company specializing in sustainable hair and scalp care, produces seven different serums for men. I prefer Serum 6. It’s specially designed for frequent flyers! George Clooney hair envy aside, this formula calls on oils of kukui nut, camellia, wheat germ, jasmine, thyme, white birch, and patchouli to combat those of us who are sleep deprived, overstressed, and constantly on the move. It’s a little greasy, but that’s a side effect common to all those reviewed here. www.yarokhair.com

Intelligent Nutrients’ Hair and Scalp Treatment Oil is certified organic across the board, though it isn’t directly designed for men or to combat hair loss. What it does do, however, is keep hair healthy with jojoba, coffee, and palm kernel oils along with the company’s flagship Intellimune Seed Oil to add softness and sheen, reduce frizz, and help detangle. Because it’s bursting with botanicals, I dig the herbal blast this gives my hair. It feels like it’s doing something important, anyway. www.intelligentnutrients.com

Chinese Herbs Regenerating Scalp Serum is one I love based on hope alone. Like all things traditional Chinese medicine, my mind tells me two things: You must believe; and 2,000 years and billions of people can’t be wrong! This one features certified organic ingredients, including white tea, nettle, fennel seed, grape leaf, and ginger root extracts, by no less then four different certification companies. Elsewhere, apple stem cells, specialized long-living plant cells that have unique growth characteristics to invigorate hair growth, and swertia extract, long believed to stimulate weak hair follicles and enhance growth, are the main miracle workers at play. But it’s pricy, so it had better work. www.lamasbeauty.com

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