Are you like me? Do we have something in common? I was just thirty-five when I first noticed that I was beginning to lose my hair. My then-four year old son noticed my bald spot before I did! What followed was at least a year of confusion, fear, anxiety, self-pity and a powerless feeling, because I was certain that my hair loss was something that I couldn't do a thing about. I was going to have to suffer through the slow loss of all of my hair, and nothing would help!



I was wrong. And if you believe that your hair loss is an inevitable part of aging, then you're wrong too! After the initial shock and anger began to subside, I started to research all of the options that I had with real enthusiasm. So much information exists around hair loss and how to combat it - I quickly realized that hair loss is a huge issue for millions of people, and it's a problem that has been around since written time began. Thousands of scientists, scholars and medical practitioners of every variety have been hard at work for centuries trying to address hair loss - and some have met with significant success.

All that was left for me to do was to sort through all of the information that I could find on hair loss plans and products that claim to treat it, separate out the good ones from the false claims and put together a plan to test the remaining ones. One over-arching idea jumped out at me during my search for a solution to my own hair loss: I needed to clean up my life!. A great head of hair grows on a healthy body. Diet, eating habits, sleeping habits, exercise habits - they all needed to change. There are best-practices in all of these areas that can help lead you not only to healthy hair growth - but a healthier and longer life. Here are a few of the most important points that were driven home to me:

* Interestingly, fatty animal proteins are linked to hair loss. Did you know that there are very few reported cases of hair loss in pre-WWII Japanese men? But once the Japanese diet was Westernized - and contained more animal protein - instances of hair loss began to climb. I'm not a vegetarian today, but I limit the amount of red meat that I eat; it's a good healthy practice for a number of reasons, and hair loss is just one.

* The physiological and psychological impacts of stress are well known, and it is also well documented that stress can and will lead to hair loss. My method of reducing stress revolved around exercise, a well-known outlet for all kinds of stress. Exercise also promotes fatigue, which ultimately leads to better sleep habits and better quality rest, another vital component in stress reduction. What can you learn from this? Find a form of exercise that you can stick with, and make sure to get plenty of rest. As for me - I jog. It's wonderful exercise, I can do it most anywhere, I sleep better than ever after a decent workout, and stress is all but gone from my life.

* On the subject of hair care, the course of action is also very simple - be kind to your hair. No pulling or biting. No hot air driers. And find a shampoo that is gentle. The lathering components in some shampoos may make plenty of rich lather, but they can also be very harsh and hard on your hair. Find a shampoo that is gentle and recommended for thinning hair; it will contain less irritants that may dry hair and scalp, which will lead to a healthier head of hair.

* Finally - by far the most common cause of hair loss in both men and women is associated with a hormonal derivative of testosterone known as DHT which, while in the bloodstream, tends to thicken scalp skin cells and starve hair follicles, inhibiting new hair growth. DHT production in body can be inhibited using minoxidil which is approved by the FDA for just that - reducing DHT production and stimulating hair growth. It's available in a number of over-the-counter products, and it works - at least for me.

The most difficult part of addressing my own hair loss was the attendant change of lifestyle that it required. The easiest part for me was choosing a product that contained minoxidil, trying it out, getting one that yielded good results, and sticking with it. Provillus is the product that works for me, and it's no surprise, because Provillus is documented to work for the largest cross-section of hair loss sufferers of any product on the market today. It contains a cocktail of ingredients that are known to be beneficial in combatting hair loss. I tried a number of different products until I found Provillus but none worked as well as it does, and I've been using it with excellent results for over two years. My own hair loss is not a problem any more!

Whatever you do, don't give up! If your hair is beginning to thin then you owe it to yourself to find a hair loss treatment that works for you. When you do, the positive impact that it has on your life will change your whole perspective. Finding a routine and a product takes a little work, but it's well worth the effort.