Have you ever been scammed during your hair loss treatment journey?

[Kirby]

I came across this thread during a search of the forum, and it made me reflect on how as newcomers to hair loss treatments, it's quite easy to get scammed along the way, whether being mislead into buying useless snake oil, or far worse (a nameless Indian "doctor" comes to mind). So I'd thought I would reflect on when I was taken for a mug myself. Yes, I do a facepalm myself when thinking about these.

1. Toco 8. Nearly two years ago, when I was in my early days using finasteride, I was so frustrated with my lack of regrowth that I bought some of this food supplement after some kid on another forum was raving about its supposed benefits to hair regrowth. Toco 8 apparently contained a "special" type of Vitamin E, and was quite expensive for a tiny pot of bright orange powder. I got through three pots of the supplement, at £30 each(!), and... nothing. What a waste of money. (FWIW, I no longer take ANY food supplements, as they are at best a waste of money, at worst harmful to your body.)

2. Experimental Treatment X, a "experimental" treatment that I spent a fair amount of money on. Was touted as the experimental of the month at some point in 2012. Never used it - came in a brown padded envelope, no-one online would tell me how to make the chemical vehicle to use it with as I was, I guess, too newbie for the experimental crowd. There was never any positive results from anyone using Experimental Treatment X anyway, so I probably saved my body from damage by not ever touching it.

3. Dermarolling, as in the treatment plan of using a 1.5mm roller on your scalp once a week for twelve weeks (or more, depending on your personal decision), while using minoxidil. Based around a dubious "study" in a "journal" unearthed last July. The cost of the roller(s) and the sterilisation equipment, all that excruciating pain and weekly bloodshed for literally nothing. (FWIW, I don't hold other forumites responsible as 'scammers'; they were just attempting to replicate a worthless study which promised incredible results. I don't blame anyone for trying it.)

 

[BigTexasSexy]

You should read your own post and realize where you went wrong. Only one guy praising this random Toco 8 stuff and you go ahead and spend hella gwalla on it? Come on dude. And then Experimental Treatment X? Hahahaha like it's some super awesome, secret breakthrough and yet no one has had any progress with it? I think DR could help, yet I'm slowly becoming skeptical myself. The idea behind it seems solid, and 2Y2R is apparently having night and day progress, but idk. Stick with the proven stuff- the big 3. I honestly think that there will be some type of breakthrough cure in the next several years…HOPEFULLY

 

[abcdefg]

Much as people in general have gotten smarter, so to have the snake oil salesmen. Lots of snake oil now is very well disguised and backed with pseudo science. They might have even have a few small biased studies supporting it which is very hard to tell apart from a 3rd party truly neutral study. So its very easy to do if you try to experiment yourself. That karatene thing claming to lower DHT is an example of many modern snake oils and no one knows whether it works or not or just certain people on certain days.

 

[jasperhobbs]

Because of websites like this one: http://www.dermarollermiracleskinrepair.com/

Dermrolling for better skin has shown a lot more results than regrowing hair.

Jasper Hobbs

 

[BigTexasSexy]

Because of websites like this one: http://www.dermarollermiracleskinrepair.com/

Any treatment that has the word 'miracle' in it I immediately become skeptical

 

[Kirby]

You should read your own post and realize where you went wrong. Only one guy praising this random Toco 8 stuff and you go ahead and spend hella gwalla on it? Come on dude. And then Experimental Treatment X? Hahahaha like it's some super awesome, secret breakthrough and yet no one has had any progress with it? I think DR could help, yet I'm slowly becoming skeptical myself. The idea behind it seems solid, and 2Y2R is apparently having night and day progress, but idk. Stick with the proven stuff- the big 3. I honestly think that there will be some type of breakthrough cure in the next several years…HOPEFULLY

In my defence, I was new to treating hair loss back then, so very gullible.

 

[Digidako]

I ordered finasteride from on online pharmacy 3 months ago and i'm still waiting for it haha, but whatever it's my own fault

 

[TheHandsomeLurker]

I got suckered into things, certainly. The nasty thing about hair loss is that it's so easy to get emotionally caught up in it.

The bottom line is this: hair loss of any kind is a medical condition, and needs to be thought of as such. As for treatments, if it's real, it has been or will be documented in reputable journals. Because think about it: if you had a cure for hair loss, would you sell it from some sketchy-looking web site and be satisfied with those sales, or would you go through the proper channels and get regulatory approval, bringing in billions of dollars in the process? You'd probably take the latter.

Consult with a doctor before taking medications. Don't order medication online from unknown sources. Follow those two pieces of advice and you'll be fine.

 

[VeprSuper]

That's an excellent point. Any true solution would be bought up in a heartbeat by the mega companies.

 

[mrcurns]

Spent around £2,000 on Laser treatment over 18 months, as I was too scared to take either minoxidil or finasteride. Waste of money and time.

Also, got conned into purchasing the usual shoddy supplements.

 

[TheHandsomeLurker]

That's an excellent point. Any true solution would be bought up in a heartbeat by the mega companies.

Or developed and marketed with venture capital or university funding.

It's often overlooked: necessary for being considered real medicine are studies and trials published in real journals. If it's real, you can verify its relevance. If you can't verify, it's not real.