Hair gel

[BarePaw]

There seems to be a popular urban myth that hair gel, spray, and other hardening agents make hair fall out sooner than it normally would, thus speeding baldness. Has anyone seen any evidence to support these claims?

 

[NavyStyles]

I really hope not. My hair's too long right now to use gel, but it becomes a daily routine when I have short hair. For what it's worth, I have yet to notice much of a change... knock on wood.

 

[faustian bargain]

haven't seen such evidence, but i have noticed that if you use too much greasy stuff on thinning hair it makes it look much much worse. the strands sortof clump together and stay shiny, and you can see the scalp underneath (also shiny). really not a good look.

thus i stay away from gels and creams like bryl-creem, not to mention goopy stuff like tres flores.

i have started using fiber, which is this waxy stuff. it holds well without any oiliness or stiffness, and seems to add the appearance of thickness.

/andrew

 

[csfbguy]

Hair products do not cause baldness, genetics does...

 

[marc37]

Tin (the mineral) deficiency is a major cause to male pattern baldness. (All bald people are short of the mineral Tin). Unfortunately l haven't found gel to cause baldness.

 

[faustian bargain]

however, whatever stuff you are putting in your hair, if you are putting it in too roughly you could be damaging or stressing your hair. (similar to someone who has a nervous habit of pulling or twisting their hair.)

 

[Charles Rogers]

What about wearing hats?

 

[sam]

Here's the basic version: Hair loss is caused when testosterone gets converted to dihydrotestosterone (DHT). DHT in your scalp shrinks the follicles and also restricts blood flow to the capillaries by making a part of the scalp membrane thicken, making new hair growth impossible. So your hair falls out at its natural rate without getting replaced.

Hats, gel, etc. have little to do with it. Castration is an option that may help, but is rather drastic.

 

[bachbeet]

Yes, genetics, not gel. Also, hair transplants will help. Especially if you have a thick donor area in the back. That hair, for some unknown reason, is not programmed to fall out like the hair at the top and front (in the typical male pattern balding). I know. I've just completed my second transplant. Two, because my donor area is not that thick so they couldn't get so much the first time..

 

[LA Guy]

Just shave your damn head, or crop it short. If you have a good looking head, you'll look good. If you don't have an nicely shaped head, work out, and you'll look badass. Both better than transplants (expensive, no guarantee of them working, can look *really* obvious) or holding onto the your remaining hair and going for the Alan Flusser.

 

[bachbeet]

LA Guy: You seem to have transplants confused with something else. They do look natural because it is your own hair. My first one looked totally natural. Just sparse because I have low density hair all over. this second one will fill in nicely.

 

[sam]

If you don't have an nicely shaped head, work out, and you'll look badass.

Do you mean "Badd Ass"? You'd need a goatee with that shaved head to do the Stone Cold Steve Austin look. You'd have to have "ass" emblazoned on yours shirts also. This would probably be streetwear. I don't know how I know this. I'm gonna go read Thoreau now.

 

[LA Guy]

Quote:

(LA Guy @ May 25 2005,20:49) If you don't have an nicely shaped head, work out, and you'll look badass.
Do you mean "Badd Ass"? You'd need a goatee with that shaved head to do the Stone Cold Steve Austin look. You'd have to have "ass" emblazoned on yours shirts also. This would probably be streetwear. I don't know how I know this. I'm gonna go read Thoreau now.
Sure you are. You know that you are really either watching WWE on UPN or a DVD of old UFC fights.

 

[Charles Rogers]

Yeah, I am going to try propecia.

 

[RJman]

or holding onto the your remaining hair and going for the Alan Flusser.

you mean like in his photos where his hair's all flussed up?