The most important decision in restoring your hair is the physician you choose. The skill, talent, and experience of hair restoration physicians vary widely, as do the end results. Who you choose will determine how natural and full your new hair will be for the rest of your life.

Since performing follicular unit hair transplantation is very demanding upon a clinic’s physician and staff only a minority of hair restoration clinics perform it successfully. Unfortunately, many clinics are still unwilling or unable to dedicate the time and resources required to master and perform this procedure successfully.

Therefore, those seeking only the most natural results need to be very selective. Keep in mind that in the United States any licensed physician can perform hair restoration surgery without any special certification or training. If you do not find an excellent hair restoration surgeon in your local area seriously consider traveling out of state to get your hair restored properly. After all, the results will last a lifetime.

Evaluating a potential hair restoration physician and clinic

• How many years has the physician been dedicated to doing hair restoration?

• How many hair restoration procedures does the surgeon perform in one day? Ideally the physician will be dedicated to working on you all day if you are doing a large mega session procedure.

• Does the physician perform hair restoration surgery full time or predominantly? If not, the clinic may not have a staff that is experienced enough to successfully perform large sessions of all microscopically prepared Follicular Unit (FU) grafts.

• What is the hair restoration surgeon's reputation among his or her peers?

• Does the physician take a holistic approach to hair loss treatment and also offer advice or Rogaine?

• What procedure does the clinic perform? Is it truly state of the art?

• Does the physician use microscopes for the dissection of the donor tissue into 1, 2, 3, and 4 hair Follicular Unit (FU) grafts?

• Large sessions of all microscopically prepared grafts are a team effort. But how "hands on" will your hair restoration surgeon be? Will he or she be making all the incisions in the graft recipient area, thus determining the design and hair direction of your transplanted hair? How involved will your surgeon be in the placing of the actual grafts?

• Trust but Verify – Review Patient Results

• Can the surgeon provide a list of names and phone numbers of patients willing to discuss their personal experiences? Patient testimonials will say a lot.

• Can the surgeon provide at least one dozen sets of clinical "before" and "after" case photos for your review? Be sure the photos offer good clarity and detail and include "before" views as well as "after" views that allow for critical evaluation.

• Verify claims by visiting online discussion forums and searching for previous posts regarding a hair transplant physician you are considering.

Consider our Quality Physicians

Our member physicians are carefully reviewed and granted membership in the Coalition based on their high level of ethics, skill, and the quality of their patient results.

Learn more about our network of quality prescreened physicians.

For many hair loss suffering men and women, topical concealers are a necessary aspect of the "daily routine." Usually composed of hair shaft adhering microfibers or darkening cream, concealers help balding men and women both camouflage areas of noticeable baldness and increase the apparent density of thinning hair. Below, we provide our readers with a product review of the new and popular hair loss concealer Caboki.

Caboki was released back in 2005 but is only just now receiving more attention, most likely due to increased advertising. Like others before it, Caboki concealer claims to be a "hair loss breakthrough". Despite ambitious promises, Caboki's claims leave several unanswered questions: is Caboki really a breakthrough concealer? How does it compare to other, similar products like Toppik, DermMatch and COUVre? Is Caboki a worthwhile product for purchasing, or will it fall from grace like other alleged "breakthrough" hair loss miracles before it?

While many products, such as "Toppik" (a popular microfiber-style concealer) and "Couvre" (a concealing cream) are popular and trusted within the hair loss community, new, unproven concealers arrive on the market every day. What's more, many of these new concealers try to "best" the products currently offered and claim to camouflage hair loss in a way "never seen before." However, as with many alleged miracle cures, these products often fail to meet expectations and leave hair loss sufferers disappointed and discouraged. So let's explore how Caboki works to conceal hair loss below.

Caboki is comprised of a series of charged microfibers that, when applied to the scalp, tightly bind hair shafts and create a denser, fuller appearance. According to the manufacturer, these microfibers are comprised of two different elements: Moroccan Gossypium Herbaceum fiber and iron oxide-based natural (mineral-based) colorants. The makers of Caboki claim these elements allow the product to create a natural, healthy appearance, capable of withstanding harsh lighting conditions, sweat, wind, and rain.

However, because these elements have been used in other concealer products (Toppik particles, for example, are both charged and made from natural keratin), Caboki still must demonstrate why it's revolutionary. So, what makes Caboki a "hair loss breakthrough?" According to the manufactures, Caboki differs from other concealers in the following ways:

• Caboki particles, unlike other microfiber concealers, are negatively, not positively charged. Allegedly, positively charged particles (usually made from wool fibers) possess a greater tendency to repel and oppose not only each other, but also the positively charged hair shafts. Because of this, when the particles attach near each other on a hair shaft, they are more likely to repel and detach. According to Caboki creators, negatively charged fibers (made from Moroccan Gossypium Herbaceum fiber) do not experience this intense phenomenon, and create a much greater (200%), electronically attractive (negative to positive), bond. If this is true, Caboki microfibers should bind and adhere to hair shafts with a much stronger, more permanent affinity.
• Because Caboki particles create a stronger charged bond, the thicker, more volumized hair shafts are likely to stand erect and less non-bonded concealer will collect on the scalp. This combination, according to Caboki, will eliminate the "dull, flat" appearance associated with other concealer products.
• By only utilizing natural elements (Moroccan Gossypium Herbaceum fibers and iron oxide colorants), Caboki avoids some of the potentially harmful synthetic dyes, fillers, and artificial preservatives used in other concealer products.

So, it's now clear why the manufacturers of Caboki believe it is a superior product, but does this mean Caboki is a legitimate hair loss concealer? Does it truly outshine other concealer product currently on the market?

While the product is still fairly new, most anecdotal experiences and testimonials from real hair loss suffering men and women are positive. Most individuals believe the negatively charged Caboki particles bind strongly to the positively charged hair shafts and create a longer-lasting increase in density. Furthermore, the particles seem to be more resistant to potentially damaging elements like water, sweat, and wind. Having said that, many individuals report some common problems experienced with other concealer products – concealer wiping off on pillows and clothes, some smearing with sweat, and difficultly creating a natural appearance in the hairline. However, these same individuals claim the problems occur less frequently with Caboki. Altogether, it's likely that Caboki is both a helpful hair loss concealer and equivalent to other products currently on the market. While it is clear that Caboki does possess some advantages and interesting claims, it could be difficult to quantify whether it truly exceeds or simply meets the standard set by other available hair loss concealers. Truthfully, only time and the opinion of hair loss sufferers will determine whether Caboki lives up to its claims and defines itself as a legitimate concealer breakthrough.

Instantly Provides the Appearance of a Full Head of Hair? Product Review

For many balding men and women worldwide, credible hair loss concealers like DermMatch are an important part of their daily routine. By utilizing concealers, individuals with thinning hair are able to increase the appearance of follicular density and recreate a thicker, fuller head of hair all with a single topical application.

Like any other hair loss treatment, concealers must be reviewed, clinically tested, and proven before receiving any endorsement from this website community. However, after reviewing both the product and patient testimonials on our open hair loss forum, one thing is clear: DermMatch is a dependable, hair loss concealer that has been proven effective by the overall patient community.

DermMatch: What is it and how it works.

Unlike other "sprinkle," "spray," or "lotion" concealers, DermMatch utilizes a patented "EZ Grip, EZ Reach" applicator to evenly distribute a hard-packed powder formula over a hair loss sufferer’s scalp. In addition to "matching" the patient’s scalp to their natural hair color (minimizing the contrast between scalp and hair, and truly concealing baldness), the DermMatch powder formula coats, thickens, and volumizes existing hair.

Because DermMatch minimizes the appearance of hair loss by matching scalp to hair tone, the product is available in 8 different shades, and creates an integrated, natural look for all hair colors and types. Furthermore, if consumers require a highly specialized color, DermMatch shades can be mixed to truly mimic the appearance of any complex hair tone. Additionally, because of the ease of the "EZ Grip, EZ Reach" applicator, DermMatch is particularly useful for recreating or matching shortly cropped hair, mimicking natural hairlines, and diminishing the appearance of previous hair transplant surgery scars.

The Benefits of DermMatch versus other Concealers

In addition to simple application and a natural appearance, DermMatch is extremely resilient, and can withstand excessive sweating, wind stress, and even full water submersion. According to the makers of DermMatch, the product’s all natural ingredients, including emollients, botanicals, and other organic elements, coat the hair and scalp, and protect from unwanted and unexpected stessors. By adding this level of protection, DermMatch will resist the running, flaking, and smudging associated with other, less effective concealers. Furthermore, because DermMatch does not contain any unsafe dyes or colorants, it will not dry/irritate the scalp or affect any new or existing hair growth.

Why DermMatch has become so popular and credible in the hair loss patient community

According to the makers of DermMatch, the product is useful for all hair loss sufferers (both male and female), and provides aesthetically pleasing results in patients with up to 80% decreases in hair density. Furthermore, DermMatch can be used with other proven hair loss treatments like Propecia (finasteride), Rogaine (minoxidil), and surgical hair transplantation. Because of its efficacy, usability, and popularity with hair loss sufferers, DermMatch is highly recommended to any individual seeking a quality concealer.

See what Real Patients are Saying about DermMatch on our Hair Loss Forum

For step by step instructions on how to apply DermMatch to thinning areas including photos and an in-depth discussion with other hair loss sufferers, visit the discussion topic "DermMatch (Pictures)". To see what other members and DermMatch consumers are saying, you are encouraged to use the "search" feature of our hair restoration discussion forum.

Brilliant Hair Loss Treatment, or is it a Scam?

ElectroTrichoGenesis (ETG), also known as Cosmetic TrichoGenesis (CTG), is a little known hair loss treatment that makes some very lofty hair growth claims. How does ETG work and is it really clinically proven to treat androgenic alopecia(genetic balding)?

How ElectroTrichoGenesis (ETG) Works

ETG is promoted as a safe, painless and non-intrusive. Treatment is administered via an “ergonomically shaped couch with a semi spherical hood” manufactured by Current Technology Corporation in Vancouver, Canada.

The patient reclines on the chair and the hood (with disposable liner) is placed over the head but does not make contact with the scalp. This special hood contains electrodes that deliver “specified pulsed electrostatic energy” delivered passively to the scalp by the low-level electric field generated within it.

ETG is believed to stimulate the regrowth of hair through the positive influence of the pulsed electrostatic field it generates. This field is said to stimulate “changes within the hair bulge and the follicle, stabilizing hair loss and stimulating new hair growth”. Patients receive a single 12 minute session weekly.

Is ETG Clinically Proven?

The following three studies on the efficacy of ElectroTrichoGenesis (ETG) as a treatment for thinning hair have been published in peer-reviewed journals:

Maddin, W. Stuart; Bell, Peter W.; James, John H. M. (1990).
"The Biological Effects of a Pulsed Electrostatic Field with Specific Reference to Hair Electrotrichogenesis". International Journal of Dermatology29(6): 446–450.

Benjamin, Benji; Ziginskas, Danute; Harman, John; Meakin, Timothy (2002).
"Pulsed electrostatic fields (ETG) to reduce hair loss in women undergoing chemotherapy for breast carcinoma: A pilot study". Psycho-Oncology11(3): 244–248

Maddin, WS; Amara, I; Sollecito, WA (1992).
"Electrotrichogenesis: further evidence of efficacy and safety on extended use". International Journal of Dermatology31(12): 878–80

According to the 36-week comparative, controlled study conducted on male subjects at the University of British Columbia and published in The International Journal of Dermatology, 96.7% of those treated experienced cessation of hair loss and/or hair regrowth. Decreased hair loss was seen as early as 4 to 6 weeks but many patients required more time for results.

The pilot study conducted on women undergoing chemotherapy for breast carcinoma and published in  Psycho-Oncology,showed that twelve out of 13 participants had good hair retention throughout the chemotherapy period and afterwards with no reported side effects.

As with the clinically proven medical hair loss treatments Rogaine (minoxidil) and Propecia (finasteride), ETG is said to be most effective in the early stages of balding.

Conclusion

Although the data put forth in this article seems to paint ETG as a clinically proven and highly effective hair loss treatment, it’s important to note that the procedure is not new. The studies referenced above were published more than 13 years ago. If ETG truly works to stimulate hair growth and suppress the advancement of hair loss, why has it not become a fixture in the world’s leading hair restoration clinics? Where are all the glowing, unbiased reviews?

With no reported side effects, there may be no harm in giving ETG a try if there is a provider in your area and the fees are reasonable. However, balding men and women are encouraged to consult with an experienced and reputable hair restoration physicianin order to diagnose the cause of their thinning hair and learn about the outstanding medical and surgical options available today.

Crinagen is an all natural alcohol-free topical scalp spray clinically backed to reduce the amount of DHT (dehydrotestosterone) in the scalp. It contains no alcohol, and has displayed no side effects. Crinagen is also equally safe for men and women and is most effective in men and women with thinning hair. In addition to blocking scalp DHT, they both are reported nourish the scalp’s hair follicles. Crinagen usually displays its effects on average in five months.

How It Works:

The product's main ingredients are Saw Palmetto, Zinc, and Azelaic Acid. All 3 ingredients are reported to reduce the production of scalp DHT and nourish the scalp's hair follicles.

Developing Realistic Expectations:

Crinagen has not been clinically proven nor approved by the FDA. Thus, like Revivogen and Tricomin, Crinagen should be used only after seriously considering proven treatments like Propecia (finasteride) and Rogaine (minoxidil).

Don't expect immediate results. It's recommended to use Crinagen for at least 6 to 12 months before determining its effectiveness. Documenting your progress with bi-monthly photos can help you determine whether or not Crinagen is working for you.

Hair shedding is a common symptom the first few months and a sign that the medication may be working for you. It's crucial to push past this stage with continued use for the recommended period of time.

To date, only surgical hair restoration is proven to grow hair in completely bald areas. You are invited to have a free virtual consultation with one of our prescreened hair restoration physicians.