Hey Dad: Here’s A Proven Way To Treat Hair Loss
All dads have that moment eventually. Maybe it’s while you’re doling out some dad-ly wisdom (never underestimate the lifelong utility of “righty-tighty, lefty-loosey”), or when you pull out a dad joke just to get a groan out of your kids, but at one point or another it’s bound to happen: the realization that you’re turning into your father. And while there can be many great things about adopting some of your old man’s traits, odds are his hairline isn’t one you’re eager to carry on. After all, your hair isn’t just part of your look, it’s part of your identity. One that can make a difference in waking up confident and ready to take on the world, or disappointed and insecure.
Androgenetic alopecia AKA male or female pattern baldness (not to be confused with alopecia areata, an autoimmune disorder) is an incredibly common condition—studies vary, but experts suggest that it could impact as much as 50% of the population at some point in their lives, regardless of gender. Though it appears to be dictated by genetics, the fact that your family tree has you thinning in all the places you don’t want to doesn’t mean you’re stuck accepting your hair loss. In fact, there are scientifically proven ways to treat your hair loss and help get you back to feeling like the best version of yourself.
Enter: minoxidil, the active ingredient found in the new Head & Shoulders Scalp X Hair Regrowth Treatment (there’s a version for men and one for women). One of just two FDA-approved ingredients to treat pattern baldness, minoxidil is a dermatologist go-to to help regrow lost hair and reverse the appearance of thinning. It appears to help stimulate hair follicles by making the anagen phase, in which the hair is actively growing, last longer according to one 2019 study. That means more hair production and hair that hangs around longer before it sheds, leaving you with hair that looks and feels thicker—in fact, the study found that patients treated with it “showed a remarkable increase in hair growth and decrease in hair loss.”
Unlike surgical interventions and expensive invasive procedures, minoxidil is also easy to incorporate into your routine with treatments like Head & Shoulders Scalp X. The handy dropper packs a serious minoxidil punch that can slide seamlessly into your routine; just apply to dry or damp hair, say, after showering with your usual Head & Shoulders shampoo, and prepare to see the old you reemerge in the mirror over time.
Of course, like any routine, from your vitamin intake to your ab circuit, consistency is king if you want to see results. Since hair naturally goes through a shedding phase (no matter how much you extend that growth phase first) to maintain that added thickness, you need to keep the minoxidil working. But when the process is as straightforward as a few drops to your scalp, especially from a brand you already trust with your tresses, staying consistent is hardly a hardship. When the tradeoff is feeling like your best self, really it seems like a no-brainer. After all, there are plenty of better ways to turn into your dad.
