The two multinational “Big Boys” in sales-orientated hair loss treatments are presently going head-to-head in the media offering their own supposedly unique ‘medical’ hair loss solutions.

The continuing ‘trap’ for consumers anxious about their thinning hair – is they still need to get past the ‘Sales Gatekeepers’ – those paid-on-commission hair loss “consultants” whose responsibility it is to ‘sign-up’ prospective clients BEFORE they get to see these companies’ sub-contracted Doctors.

Costs vary depending on ‘what’ treatment program ‘special’ might be offered as an inducement – if preying on the person’s hair loss anxieties doesn’t get the magic signed contract initially – but you’re usually up for $3000-$10,000 for their lotions + potions – AND asked to take them on ‘trust’ and some vague “guarantee” that rarely seems to materialise when requested.

My latest example of WHY their approach is rarely ever successful – for women particularly – is that a ‘one treatment fits all’ approach does not work:

Very fit, professional woman in her mid 40′s – excessive shedding hair in a DIFFUSE form; reporting extreme tiredness, pale pallor. The ‘Medical Hair Loss’ Centre salesman’s plan for this woman – once she’d signed-up and paid of course:

• Their ‘home-brand’ Minoxidil
• Spironolactone ‘anti-androgen’ medication (remember her hair loss was diffuse, so why is this needed…? In fact MY pathology testing revealed LOW male hormone levels, so this drug would have exacerbated her problem/s
• Shampoos, conditioners, scalp ‘cleaners’, DHT-blocking ‘serum’, multivitamins and the MALE herbal supplement ‘Saw Palmetto’ (or Serenoa Repens as ‘Carl’ likes to emphasise) ie: ‘lotions + potions’ as a ‘scattergun’ approach to treatment.

$3000-$4000 – some ‘discount’ hinted at if paid up-front..!!

This good lady’s real problem: SEVERE hypothyroidism + Vitamin D deficiency. Thyroid Stimulating Hormone (TSH) – produced in our Pituitary Gland to ‘stimulate’ thyroid gland hormone production. The usual ‘normal’ reference range is 0.5mIU/L-4.0mIU/L – she was 268mIU/L..!! Her active thyroid hormone (T3) could NOT be measured it was so low… in my 40 years of working in various areas of health I’ve never seen such a dysfunctional thyroid profile.

Would the above over-priced ‘treatment program’ help this lady..? Not if she “swam” in the treatments all day and lived to be 150 (not that she would as her previously undiagnosed hypothyroidism would have taken 10-20 years off her life (Van Zanden: 2010)

I continue to strongly urge consumers concerned with shedding or thinning scalp hair to consult an experienced and qualified person and/or their known + trusted regular Doctor to establish the ‘reason/s why’ their hair loss is occurring. In almost every instance – scalp hair loss (in whatever form) in WOMEN is a reflection of internal nutritional-metabolic-hormonal or autoimmune disturbance or deficiency.

Writer’s note: this good lady’s case again reinforces what my Teachers (such as Dr. Van Zanden) ‘hammer home’ to me: “things aren’t always as they appear” …. this woman’s very pale pallor had me believing I would find iron deficiency anaemia with her – but her iron stores were actually quite good – the problem/s ultimately lay elsewhere.