Hair Growth Contraptions

Hair is an endless source of pride for a good number of us. The longer and thicker our tresses, the more we flaunt our luxurious locks. Of course, we sink a king’s ransom into hair products to make sure our mane is silky, smooth and beautiful. That said, one does have to wonder about some of the hair products released over the years, particularly those intended to battle baldness.
While none of us want to look in the mirror to find bald patches, perhaps we should draw the line at anything that resembles a medieval torture device.

Thermocap
The war against baldness is as old as time, people fighting to save every precious strand of hair they have. Innovative companies stand at their side, researching and testing products intended to end the plague of bald heads. One such company, Allied Merke Institute, thought they stumbled across a remedy in the 1920s. The Thermocap device admittedly looked more like an oblong salon hair dryer, but promised to stimulate hair growth using heat and a blue light. In theory, fifteen minutes a day under the Thermocap would prevent hair loss and promote hair growth. Unfortunately, their theory fell flat.

Xervac
Hair loss is attributed to a number of factors, including heredity, health conditions and poor circulation. Crosley believed they had the perfect answer to prevent baldness by increasing blood flow to the scalp. In 1939, they released the home model Crosley Xervac, yet another product that looked a lot like a salon hair dryer. However, the Xervac stimulated blood circulation in the scalp using a combination of a vacuum and pressure. Sadly, the Xervac probably proved more useful at vacuuming up loose hair strands than anything else.

Multiple Electric Vibrator
A good massage is likely to improve poor circulation, including in the scalp. Perhaps that is why so many people swear a massage stimulates hair growth. One business certainly put stock in that theory. In fact, the company released their Multiple Electric Vibrator, a product that used 480 “artificial fingers” to gently massage the scalp. A plus is the Multiple Electric Vibrator also remove loose hair and dandruff. Chances are those were the best results one could expect from the device that resembled a vice grip with four brushes and hand grips on either side.

Vitabrush
The Hersey Mfg. Co. seemed to believe the cure for baldness was improving poor circulation and treating dandruff. To that end, they developed an electric brush that worked something like an electric toothbrush. The product promised to give hair a workout certain to revitalize the scalp, distribute hair oils and improve circulation. One thing is certain. The Vitabrush likely gave people a nice, relaxing massage that worked wonders to ease stress despite the agony of a receding hairline.

Hair Pulling Disorder

Hair is often a source of vanity for many individuals, and sometimes, it can be a source of frustration. However, for some people, their hair is a way to relieve anxiety and tension. Individuals may obsessively pull out hair from the scalp, eyebrows or other areas of the body, in an effort to make themselves feel better. This disorder, clinically called trichotillomania, can cause bald spots and may lead to infection from the damage to the scalp or skin.

Symptoms of Hair Pulling Disorder
Individuals with this condition may exhibit a number of behaviors:
Pulling out hair from the scalp or other areas of the body, either individually or in clumps
Experiencing an increase of tension that leads up to the hair-pulling episode
A feeling of relief after the hair pulling
Certain rituals that accompany the hair pulling
Preference for certain types of hair pulling
Biting or chewing the pulled-out hair
Playing with the pulled-out hair or rubbing in on the face or lips
Resulting bald patches on the scalp, which the individual may try to cover with a variety of methods

Causes
Researchers believe that hair-pulling disorder is a result of genetic factors and environmental conditions. The individual may be predisposed to certain behaviors because of their genetic make-up. They may not produce a sufficient amount of serotonin or dopamine, important brain chemicals that are involved in mood regulation. This predisposition, combined with environmental tensions, can lead to the behavior. Both men and women can experience the disorder, but it is much more common in women.

Complications
Hair-pulling disorder can cause the individuals extreme embarrassment and distress. In some cases, the guilt and fear of discovery can cause the individual to avoid working or social activities. The bald patches can become permanent and can cause an unnatural appearance. Skin infections can occur from open wounds causing by pulling out clumps of hair.

Treatment for Hair Pulling Disorder
Treatment for this disorder may include cognitive behavioral therapy to help control pulling impulses, as well as anti-depressants to regulate mood. Hair replacement can help to restore the appearance to help the individual so that they can resume work activities and social engagement without embarrassment.

Don't Fret—Female Hair Loss is More Common Than You Think

For women, hair loss can be a devastating experience. So many times, our hair can be a major defining factor of our physicality. So when we start to see the hair strands falling out of our scalp and going down the shower drain in massive quantities, it can cause a great deal of concern. Since male hair loss tends to be more socially acceptable—but no less devastating—it is not surprising that women often experience a great deal of emotional pain when this happens to them. If left untreated or unaddressed, this condition can even lead to anxiety and depression. Many women have reported not wanting to leave the home once they start to experience bald patches on their scalps.

Although older women often report losing hair at a faster rate, this phenomenon can occur at any age. In fact, when women in the UK were surveyed, over 20% of women aged 25 and over reported hair loss. In total, around eight million women in the UK suffer from hair loss conditions such as alopecia areata—and one in eight of these women are under the age of 35. Furthermore, since hair loss can be considered a blow to a woman's femininity, she may not seek treatment for the condition. In fact, about one-third of women experiencing this issue choose to suffer in silence, not addressing it at all.

To complicate matters, sometimes the health problems that can lead to female hair loss—such as high levels of stress, poor nutrition, and certain birth control pills—come with stigmas of their own. Also, women often don't realize that hair loss has become an issue until it's been going on for a long time. It's estimated by hair experts that women often don't take notice of the problem until they've lost about 15% of their hair volume. This can make it even more difficult to pinpoint the cause.

However, regardless of the cause, both men and women who are suffering from hair loss must deal with the consequences—what they see in the mirror every morning. This is where Apollo Hair comes in—we are experts at helping you to combat this issue. Rest assured that we've dealt with many others who have been battling with the same issue. If you've been noticing a decline in the volume of your hair, or perhaps your hairdresser has even mentioned something about it, now is the time to take control. There's no need to feel shame about your hair loss or thinning hair; to find out how we can help your unique situation, contact the hair loss experts at Apollo Hair today. The sooner you take control, the sooner you can look forward to feeling like yourself again.

Individualized Hair Loss Solutions
At Apollo Hair Replacement of Dallas / Fort Worth, we take pride in being able to offer you both surgical and non-surgical hair loss solutions. By introducing new and innovative technologies, we can provide our clients with the widest array of hair loss solutions.

We understand what it's like to be frustrated in the search for answers. At Apollo of Dallas / Fort Worth that frustration ends! We strive not only to solve your hair loss problem, but to provide the most positive, comfortable, and confidential service in the hair replacement industry.

Call us now for a FREE consultation! Get your life back!

Causes and Solutions for Hair Loss Concerns

The hair plays a major role in a person's overall appearance. Both men and women spend a lot of money and time on their hair. Research has found that that it is closely connected to a positive self-image. Most people expect to have "bad hair days,” but hair loss has been shown to have a negative impact on a person's self-esteem. The problem of thinning hair or more severe hair loss is a distressing one that affects men and women. Forty percent of people experience some hair loss in their life. The causes are numerous and should be addressed as soon as the problem appears.

Common Causes for Hair Loss
Thinning hair may be attributed to medical conditions such as hormonal changes that occur slowly over time. Both men and women are susceptible to the hormonal process that changes testosterone to DHT, which can harm hair follicles. Even though women do not have the testosterone levels that men have, they can still experience thinning and loss of hair. When women reach menopause age, the levels drop significantly which increases the risk of hair loss developing. While men usually have distinct baldness patterns, hair loss in women is closely related to heredity and traumatic life events such as childbirth, extreme stress, or poor nutrition.

Medical Conditions that May Trigger Hair Loss
Abnormal hair changes may signal certain medical problems that should be addressed by a medical professional. There are approximately thirty different medical conditions that can trigger hair loss. One of the most common is associated with the thyroid, the butterfly-shaped gland in the neck that produces essential hormones that regulate many of the body's major functions. Even though hair loss is one of the symptoms of a low-functioning thyroid, it is not the only sign. Birth control pills, scalp conditions caused by the body's own immune system and scalp ringworm infestation can also contribute to hair loss and thinning.

Treatments and Solutions for Hair Loss
Not all hair loss in women results in complete baldness. Even though about two-thirds of all women suffer from some hair loss, there are solutions that can help slow down the loss and restore healthier hair. There are permanent solutions such as hair transplants that very effective for the forty percent of women with thinning hair. Some temporary solutions include several prescription drugs that doctors can prescribe for women with a high success rate for about fifty percent of those with female pattern hair loss problems.