Entering the autumn and winter season, hair loss is a problem that troubles many people. The "little tricks" for hair growth, such as using ginger to scalp, using cow horns to comb hair, and eating more black sesame seeds, which have been circulating online, are highly sought after. But are these methods really effective? Ginger scalp rubbing: Long term use can damage hair follicles. Ginger scalp rubbing can promote hair growth and is one of the widely circulated hair growth remedies. It is rumored online that ginger rubbing the scalp can promote hair growth, based on the fact that the hexagingerol contained in ginger can stimulate blood circulation, "said Gu Xiaoguang, deputy chief physician of the dermatology department at the Aviation General Hospital." In the short term, the spicy ingredients in ginger can indeed make the scalp congested and cause a fever, leading people to mistake it for a sign of hair growth. "" However, there is no scientific evidence to support this method, and long-term use is harmful to scalp health. ”Gu Xiaoguang said that international authoritative research has confirmed that hexagingerol can inhibit the growth of hair follicle dermal papilla cells and even induce cell apoptosis. He emphasized that if ginger is used continuously to rub the scalp for 2-3 months, not only will it fail to produce hair, but it may also exacerbate hair loss and cause irreversible damage to the scalp. Eating more black sesame seeds: It is ineffective for most cases of hair loss. Influenced by traditional Chinese medicine theories such as "the kidney controls the black color, and its flowers are in the hair" and "black enters the kidney", many people believe that eating black sesame seeds regularly can prevent hair loss. Gu Xiaoguang told reporters that from a nutritional perspective, the oil, protein, vitamin E and other components contained in black sesame are beneficial for hair growth. However, eating black sesame seeds for hair growth only has a slight improvement effect on hair loss caused by excessive dieting, insufficient qi and blood, and other nutritional deficiencies. It has no effect on hair loss caused by abnormal hormone metabolism or genetics, such as androgenic alopecia. ”Gu Xiaoguang said that in addition, black sesame has high calorie and oil content, and excessive consumption may also lead to obesity. Internet celebrity hair growth solution: The effect is far inferior to that of regular drugs. Internet celebrity products such as hair growth solutions containing minoxidil tincture and hair growth agents containing saw palm have miraculous anti shedding effects. Gu Xiaoguang introduced that minoxidil tincture is a first-line topical drug approved by the US Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of androgenic alopecia. This drug can stimulate hair follicles to transition from the resting phase to the growth phase and prolong the growth phase. It also has an effect on seborrheic alopecia, but it needs to be used continuously for 3-6 months to take effect. But the internet famous hair growth solutions claiming to contain minoxidil tincture on the market often have insufficient concentration and purity, and their effectiveness is far inferior to prescription drugs in hospitals. Therefore, after being diagnosed with hair loss, priority should be given to using regular medications rather than these popular anti hair loss products. ”Gu Xiaoguang reminded. Saw palm is an extract from palm family plants, mainly produced in hot regions such as North America. This ingredient is considered a natural 5 α - reductase inhibitor with anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and antibacterial effects. Its main mechanism of action is to inhibit the activity of 5 α - reductase and reduce the conversion of testosterone to dihydrotestosterone. And dihydrotestosterone is one of the culprits that cause androgenic alopecia. But Xu Nan, director of the dermatology department at Shanghai Oriental Hospital (North Hospital), said that currently, there is no formal scientific research confirming that saw palm is indeed effective or can prevent hair loss. It should be noted that many products on the market containing saw palm ingredients are only health products, and some do not even have formal health product batch numbers. The effectiveness and safety are questionable, and should be treated with caution. (New Society)