How our hair looks can make a big difference in how we feel about ourselves. Hair loss can be a huge blow, and causes many people to turn to hair loss products in a desperate attempt to grow their hair back. However, it can be hard to tell which products are the real deal, and which are just a waste of time and money.

Most people lose fifty to a hundred hairs per day, which are replaced. However, some people lose more than this, or their hair doesn't come back as readily after it is lost. This is called alopecia, and can be caused by many different things.

Some hair loss is caused by an illness, or medical condition, like hormonal problems, liver disease, or lupus. Medications like lithium and some acne pills can make you lose your hair, as can diet pills, and hair loss is a well known side effect of chemotherapy.

Alopecia areata is a disease that causes hair loss on the scalp, and affects 1.7% of all people. It's probably a disorder of the immune system, where the person's own body attacks hair follicles.

Male-pattern baldness is the classic source of hair loss in men. It's mostly caused by hormonal effects, and the severity of this kind of hair loss will be determined by genes. Other causes can include severe hair styling, poor nutrition, and major life events that disrupt the cycle of hair growth.

A plethora of hair loss products are available to sufferers of this problem. Picking the right one and avoiding scams can be pretty difficult, though. Here are some tips to help you identify which products can help, and which ones are just wastes of time.

Look at the ingredients. Most products that are sold as medications list the active ingredient. This allows you to look it up and see if it really does what it claims.

Read the label carefully. Some products claim to make hair fuller or thicker. This is just a cosmetic effect, and doesn't actually help hair grow back.

Look for an address. If the product is only available online, and no manufacturer's address is provided, be suspicious. Real hair loss treatments require facilities to manufacture them.

Check their claims. Hair loss is slow, although it may take some time to notice it. Therefore, growing hair back is also a slow process. If a product promises a full head of hair in no time, it's probably a scam.

Evaluate the safety of your product. While you're looking for effective main ingredients, also check the other ingredients to be sure that nothing in the product could aversely affect your health.

Avoid money back guarantees. No doctor can guarantee any treatment. This means that products that advertise them may not be legitimate medical treatments.

Look for studies. In cases where the main ingredient of a product is a natural substance, rather than one of the two approved hair growth medications (Rogaine and Propecia), see if a study backs up the claims of the manufacturer. Pay attention to dosages and the way the ingredient is administered. An ingredient that's effective when taken orally will do nothing if you put it in shampoo.

There are some products available that will help reduce or reverse hair loss. However, the majority offer only cosmetic improvements, or are merely placebos. Shop carefully, to make sure that you get a product that's safe and effective.