My regimen that worked for years

**Hairlover** · 02-19-2012 09:51 AM

In another thread, I mentioned to clandestine that I would make a post on the regimen I used for 14 years (and still do) to stop hair loss. It worked beautifully up until a few months ago. As I mentioned on the other thread, something about the medication Differin negated the effectiveness of the regimen, and I do not yet know whether the hair loss I’ve experienced in the last few months will continue, as it has for many Differin users even after they stop using it.

My sad tale of woe aside, I thought there might be some guys out who might benefit by me sharing my story. I started losing hair at 19. Within 9 months or so I could already see a difference. I hadn’t lost too much hair, but the remaining hair was very thin and weak-looking. I got self-conscious about it, especially when my hair was wet.

I forget how I stumbled on the place,- it was probably through the Yellow Pages (we didn’t have Internet back then

. ) I found a local business advertising for hair loss and set up an appointment with them. I was very skeptical because hair loss companies often peddle snake oil, but I was also desperate to find a solution. Fortunately, they turned out to be the real deal, and I’ve had a very good relationship with the people who run that business ever since. (Full disclosure: I have no economic incentive in making this post. I think the business gives $50 for a referral or something like that, but I have never collected one and don’t plan on doing so even if people here are interested, especially because I’d have to give my real name here).

Anyway, this place first did a lab test on my hair. They plucked about a dozen and shipped them off for analysis some place. A few days later, they called me and gave me the results. It was so long ago I can’t remember all the details, but it showed stuff like diameter of hair shafts and percentage of hair in the catagen (sp?) phase, I think. They then set up a regimen for me to try to stop the hair loss, which consisted of using the following:

1) A special shampoo every day. There are 5 shampoos I use on a regular basis, I just rotate them every day.

2) Use a tonic every day, applied by doing a vigorous scalp massage for a few minutes.

3) Once or twice a week, using a “rake.” This device resembles one of those Violet Wands or whatever they call them. They have a reputation for being quackery because people used them a 100 years to try to stop hair loss. But they are legit, or at least this one is. I know from experience that they are a critical part of the regimen and that if I do not use one consistently for 3 or 4 months, my hair problems will resurface. The device generates electricity and you run it over your scalp for a few minutes. After you turn it off, you can see the sebum from your scalp on the tip of the device. The amount of sebum removed corresponds strongly to the length of time since the last use.

4) In office visits. For the first 3 months after starting the regimen, I would do weekly visits to this place for treatments. They have a rake (I eventually bought one myself for home use) and they do a variety of shampoos and their workers give a prolonged scalp massage. The whole thing takes about an hour. When I lived in the city I did when I was 19 (Milwaukee), I would get monthly treatments. Since I’ve moved far away, I get treatments probably 3 times a year, usually when I’m in town to visit family or whatever.

The beauty of the regiment is that it is very effective and, after the initial few months, very low-maintenance. The shampoo just replaces my normal shampoo, and the tonic/massage takes 3 minutes. That’s the core of the program, the stuff that has to be done daily.

The downside is that the initial treatment may require in-office visits, and this business is only in one city in the U.S (Milwaukee). I know they have loose affiliates around the country, but my vague impression is that these affiliates just do a bunch of hair loss stuff like transplants, not necessarily the regimen I described.

Also, the upfront cost can be considerable. I purchased the following a long time ago, and I’m sure the prices have gone up since then: rake, about $500); lab test, $300 or $500, can’t remember which); weekly office visits for the first 3 months were $35 back then, but are $70 or $75 now. The shampoos used to be $15 but are now $35. Each one is in a small bottle but lasts a fairly long time, especially because I am rotating them. I would estimate that each year I buy 3 each of the five shampoos I rotate, so 15 * 35 = 525. Plus, the tonic I use costs more than a shampoo (maybe 50?) and I go through 4 a year or so, so that’s another $200. Then, 3 office visits a year come to about $220. So a total of about a grand a year once the upfront costs are out of the way, which to me is a no-brainer (my facial features are such that the bald look would be terrible on me).

As I’ve said, it works beautifully for me, at least up until I took Differin. MPB is extremely strong in my family and all my close male relatives have hair loss, even the ones younger than me. I’ve tried to explain this regimen to people before and they look at me like I have 3 heads when I tell them hair loss can be stopped for most men, but it is true. FWIW, the business that sells the products claims an 85 or 90% success rate at stopping hair loss on the regimen. The regimen does not re-grow hair, it only stops hair loss. However, if you are experiencing hair loss it will make your existing hair thicker and healthier-looking.

I am very much aware, especially in light of my recent registration, that I sound like a shill. But I’m not!

If anyone in the Milwaukee area is interested, just let me know and I will post more info.

**2020** · 02-19-2012 09:56 AM

I'm interested. Do they have a website?

**Hairlover** · 02-19-2012 10:08 AM

Yes, their site is http://www.wantmorehair.com/.

The name of the company is Transitions, although they used to be called Lion's Den back when I started.

FYI, the regimen I mentioned (they call it the "Ross Program") is not advertised on the site. In recent years the company has focused more on HTs. Also, their hair loss control products now revolve around something they call DHT Sensor. The DHT Sensor is only one shampoo and is even more low-maintenance than the Ross Program. A lot of their customers like DHT Sensor and have switched to it from the Ross Program. But 3 or 4 years back, when I tried to the same, I had poor results on DHT Sensor and switched back to the Ross after a couple of months. From what they tell me, some guys just respond better to one of the two, who knows why.

In any case, the Ross Program is still available through them, even if it's not listed on their site.

**2020** · 02-19-2012 10:36 AM

ok, this is what they offer:

hair transplants - transplants don't work so that's useless..

laser hair therapy - that's just a HairMax laser which is not that effective... You can buy it on your own without going through "consultants".

hair loss control products - DHT sensor - doesn't list any ingredients... Do you still have a bottle? Can you tell me what the ingredients are?

Probably a scam... that's why they keep changing names so you wouldn't be able to find reviews on the Internet.
They've been in business for 45 and no one has wrote a review yet??

**Tracy C** · 02-19-2012 10:48 AM

Originally Posted by 2020

Probably a scam... that's why they keep changing names so you wouldn't be able to find reviews on the Internet.

I tend to agree.

Concerning laser therapy though, I have had good experience with it. Maybe what the laser comb does is more appreciable to women than to men though. I'm not sure. But yes, you can buy it directly from Hairmax. No consultation needed - and certainly no need to buy into a "program".

**Hairlover** · 02-19-2012 10:52 AM

Originally Posted by 2020

ok, this is what they offer:

hair transplants - transplants don't work so that's useless..

laser hair therapy - that's just a HairMax laser which is not that effective... You can buy it on your own without going through "consultants".

hair loss control products - DHT sensor - doesn't list any ingredients... Do you still have a bottle? Can you tell me what the ingredients are?

Probably a scam... that's why they keep changing names so you wouldn't be able to find reviews on the Internet.
They've been in business for 45 and no one has wrote a review yet??

Not sure what you mean by HTs don't work? I know several people with HTs and they look fine.

I don't have any DHT products, but you can see info about the Ross products at http://www.rosscheveux.com/english/continuite_kits.html.

Their laser therapy is more intensive than that crappy comb you can buy through other places, I think, although I know very little about lasers and may be wrong about that.

They haven't kept changing their name, BTW. They did it once, years ago.

They are emphatically not a scam. They stopped my hair loss and they have tons of customers who have been going there for years. Like I said, I have no stake in their venture, just trying to help people out. I expect people to be skeptical about any talk of a cure for balding. Whether they put stock in what I say ultimately is not important to me.

**Tracy C** · 02-19-2012 10:57 AM