"I bought an over-the-counter hair growth product and tried it for a while, but I didn't feel it was as effective as I had hoped."
Have you ever felt that way?

In our actual practice, we see many patients who say, "I started to worry about the volume and thinness of my hair, so I tried using an over-the-counter hair growth product first."
Furthermore, many people come to us for advice feeling anxious and impatient, saying, "I've been doing it for a while, but I haven't seen much change..."

When you start to worry about hair problems, it's not a bad idea to start with something you can easily do yourself, like trying a hair growth product that you can pick up at a drugstore.
However, the biggest reason why people feel that they "didn't get the results they expected" is that they unknowingly "choose a product that doesn't match the goals they want to achieve."

Many people want to grow or increase the volume of their hair, but end up choosing products that are designed to nourish their existing hair.
This time, we will explain in an easy-to-understand way from a specialist's perspective the fundamental reasons why hair doesn't grow even when using commercially available hair growth products, and the clear differences between hair growth products and hair restoration products, which we hope will be helpful for those of you who have such concerns.

The reasons behind the sales of commercially available hair growth products

To put it simply, commercially available "hair growth products" generally do not have the effect of growing new hair (stimulating hair regrowth).
Nevertheless, when we observe patients who come to our clinic for consultations, we find that a very large number of them choose over-the-counter hair growth products as their first step when they start to worry about their hair.
The reason why commercially available hair growth products are so popular is very simple: they are "easy to pick up and convenient to use."

• Easily available at drugstores and online retailers.
• No need to go to a clinic and get a prescription.
• Relatively easy to start with in terms of price range

You don't need to go to a clinic; you can easily buy it at drugstores and it's affordable enough to try, so when you start to notice things like, "My hair seems to be getting a little thinner," or "My hair volume seems to have decreased,"It's because it's an item that's very easy to incorporate into your routine, as you can choose the products yourself and get started easily.

Using hair growth products is not necessarily a bad thing.
In the days before the internet, information was scarce, and hair growth products were widely sold as a solution to hair problems.
Even in modern times, there are still many cases where people use hair growth products with the misconception that "hair growth products = something that makes hair grow."
However, if you're using it with the goal of growing or increasing hair volume, a drawback is that you might end up wasting valuable time without achieving the desired results.

▼A hair growth expert reveals the truth about hair growth products ~Frankly, they're a waste of money.~
 

The clear difference between hair growth tonics and hair restoration tonics

What's very important here is understanding the clear difference between "hair growth tonics" and "hair regrowth tonics." 
Not understanding this point correctly is the most common pitfall that leads to the "it's not what I expected" situation later on.

These two may seem similar, but their roles are completely different.
■ Hair growth products (quasi-drugs and cosmetics)
• Role and Effects: This product is designed to nourish and strengthen existing hair. It improves the scalp environment and supports the maintenance of thicker, healthier hair.
Features: It does not contain any hair growth ingredients as a pharmaceutical product, so it does not have the effect of increasing (growing) new hair.

■ Hair growth products (medicinal topical medications, etc.)
• Role and effect: It is intended to promote the growth of new hair (hair growth promotion). It activates hair follicles that are in the resting phase, producing and increasing the amount of new hair.
Features: It contains effective medicinal ingredients such as "minoxidil," which has been medically proven to promote hair growth.

As you can see, the items you should choose vary greatly depending on your purpose.
If your goal is to "grow new hair," then you will need a hair growth product containing medicinal ingredients.
If your goal is to "maintain the health of your current hair," then a hair growth product is suitable.
In fact, we see a great many cases in our practice where people want to increase their hair volume but continue to use hair growth products that do not contain medicinal ingredients.
If you continue using the product with this mismatch in purpose, you're more likely to feel like, "I've been using it for a long time, but I'm not seeing the results I expected."

Ingredients recommended for hair growth

In hair regrowth treatment, the hair regrowth ingredient "minoxidil," which is widely used to increase new hair growth and is recommended with the highest rank in the clinical guidelines of the Japanese Dermatological Association, is a popular choice.
Minoxidil is often used as a topical medication (ointment) and is a relatively easy treatment to incorporate into your routine. However, topical minoxidil is a relatively mild approach (gentle onset) compared to other hair growth treatments.
Therefore, using it alone may leave you feeling somewhat unsatisfied.
In actual clinical practice, it is often used in combination with oral medications (sucking pills) or direct injection treatments into the scalp (such as injections) to ensure that patients experience more significant effects.

Also, and this is based purely on my clinical experience, even with the same topical minoxidil, there are slight differences in how its effects manifest and its role depending on gender and usage pattern.

■ Trends in effects on women
For female pattern hair loss (such as FAGA), topical minoxidil alone is often very effective, and many users report experiencing noticeable results. (Note: Individual results may vary.)

■Trends in effects on men and recommended usage
On the other hand, for men, treatment with topical minoxidil alone may be less effective and leave them feeling unsatisfied. However, for men who are already being treated with oral minoxidil, adding topical minoxidil when they want to "enhance the effect a little more" or "add more volume" often significantly improves the results.

For men, it might be easier to understand if you think of it as something that works synergistically when used in combination with other treatments, thereby enhancing the overall effect.
Furthermore, if you require even greater hair growth effects than topical medications offer, oral medications or "direct injection treatment into the scalp," as performed at our clinic, are superior in terms of effectiveness.

▼There are many options for treating hair loss.

Side effects and countermeasures for topical medications

One important point to note here is that "topical hair growth medications such as minoxidil are, after all, 'medications,' and are different from your daily skincare or moisturizers."
While it can be expected to have a significant hair growth effect, since it is a medicine,The following problems (side effects) may occur when used on the scalp.

■Examples of problems
・Scalp irritation or redness
Itching and dryness

To prevent these scalp problems and maximize hair growth effects, it is very important to use "scalp skincare (moisturizing)" in conjunction with medication treatment. 
for that reasonAt Dr. Touhi Clinic, we recommend that patients prescribed topical minoxidil also use a scalp serum.
By performing treatment while improving the scalp environment, it becomes possible to continue treatment without difficulty while preventing skin problems, which in turn makes it easier to promote hair growth.

▼Supervised by a hair specialist! Dr. TOUHI's original scalp care
 

▼Try this before treatment! Scalp care alone can change your hair density!
 

Summary

In this article, we explained "why commercially available hair growth products don't increase hair growth" and "the difference between them and hair regrowth products."
Hair growth products are "something that helps to revitalize the hair you already have."
Hair growth products are "products that grow (increase) new hair."
If you want to increase your hair volume reliably and quickly, consider hair regrowth treatment.

If your goal is to increase your hair volume, instead of continuing to use hair growth products simply because they are convenient, it would be better to choose a hair regrowth product without hesitation.
Continuing to use items that don't suit your purpose may not bring about any noticeable changes, potentially wasting valuable time and money.
"Do you want to keep the hair you currently have healthy?" or "Do you want to grow new hair and increase its volume?"

Switching to the appropriate approach to suit your own goals can make a big difference in the results. So, if you're going to apply something (or do skincare) anyway, choosing the right and effective product or treatment that matches your goals is the first step towards improvement.

Hair problems and scalp conditions vary greatly from person to person, and there is no single "right answer" that can be determined.
Knowing the best method for your own condition and taking proper care of yourself is the quickest way to achieve results.
If you're unsure what your hair needs, don't hesitate to come in for a free scalp consultation.