Appearex

Hi,
I’m a 40 year old female experiencing severe hair loss. I’ve had problems with hair loss for the past 13 years but last summer I went to a local salon to have the graying covered with some highlights. Whatever she used burned it because after that the hair strands are very thin and dry. I use alot of conditioner and it doesn’t help. I noticed that when after she washed the hair that it was severly tangled which resulted in her having to cut 3 inches from it to get the knots out from the burning. My hair was at that time past my knees with very few split ends. It is now around knee length and I keep it pulled up in a clasp. I have enclosed some photos to show the hairline-thinning-damage. I’ve been prescribed (Appearex) and don’t know much about it. Does this product actually help the hair as it states on the box that it’s a nail product? I have taken Lupron injections in the past and not sure if those created some of the hair loss but the problem is getting much worse and I don’t have a clue what to do about it. Thank you for taking the time to help others, and any advice you could give would be greatly appreciated.

Appearex is a dietary supplement. Its generic name is biotin. Biotin is a water-soluble vitamin component of the vitamin B complex. As an essential nutrient, biotin acts as a coenzyme for the body’s carboxylation reactions and is a factor in maintaining healthy muscle, hair, nails, and skin. If you are Vitamin B complex deficient, then this may help your problem, but few Americans have such Vitamin problems with any reasonable American diet.

Because dietary supplements are essentially unregulated in the United States, you can not be sure what you are getting when you buy an over the counter supplement product. There are many preparations on the market (prepared or manufactured with different techniques that are not fully disclosed or regulated with different additives). With different preparations, the same supplement may not have the same effects or equal potencies. Because there is no regulation, the efficacy or the validity of such ingredients cannot be guaranteed. That is why you sometimes hear it is a “buyer beware” market.

There are many causes for hair loss. You should be evaluated by a medical doctor to rule out a medical cause for hair loss. If you are still not satisfied, you should see a hair transplant doctor to map your hair for miniaturization and a possible pattern for your hair loss.