Frequently Asked Questions

Dear Dr. Cole, What are the advantages to using Hair Cycle Shampoo?

Hair Cycle Shampoo contains no harsh chemicals that strip your hair of its natural shine.  When used in conjunction with the specially formulated Hair Cycle Conditioner, the line buffers the lubricating fatty acid layer on the outer sheath of hair follicles.  Your treated hair is then less susceptible to building an electrostatic charge, leaving it full-bodied in appearance throughout the day.

You have mentioned in previous questions that Hair Cycle Shampoo contains “natural” ingredients. What harm is there in other products that contain chemicals? Aren’t they in place for my benefit as a consumer?

Well, you raise an interesting question. Yes, the degreasing chemical (sodium lauryl sulfate) in most commercial shampoos can certainly be an asset, but only under extreme conditions. Shark experts have found that this component severely agitates the creature’s sensitive gill filaments causing it to “freak out.” Assuming you are not an avid deep-sea diver, however, repeated use of this harsh astringent would rid your hair of the natural oils necessary for adequate volume and shine.

If the Hair Cycle Shampoo does not contain sodium lauryl sulfate then how can I know it will clean my hair thoroughly?

Hair Cycle Shampoo contains biotin to improve the metabolism of scalp oils while strengthening hair. Additionally, Hair Cycle is formulated with tea tree oil and grapefruit seed extract that serve as natural antimicrobial agents. You can be certain that your hair will be clean and healthy after using Hair Cycle.

Hello. i am receiving a hair transplant in 2 days and wanted to know when do i use the biotin spray? Is it immediately after im finished or do i use the saline spray my doctor gives me first?

biotin can be used during the surgery and immediately after the procedure. A light mist should be applied every hour while awake. One should not apply the product too liberally. One does not want the product applied so heavily that it drips down on their forehead. Apply a light mist only to the grafted area and even the donor area if you like.

You can use the saline spray until you receive your order of Biotin or you can use Biotin spray instead of the saline spray.

I have a 2-year-old bottle half used haircycle biotin spray from a previous hair transplant. I just got another hair transplant and I am wondering if it is still safe to use or has it expired?

Hair cycle biotin spray should be effective and safe to use for two years if kept in normal room conditions during that time. If you leave it in extreme cold or heat, then the life span will be less. If your bottle is already 2 years old, you might want to buy a new bottle. You might consider the smaller travel size bottle since you used only 1/2 of your bottle last time. With the biotin spray, you need to apply only a light mist. You do not need to soak your scalp such that it drips down your forehead. The latter is too heavy of an application.

I would like to know if it’s safe to use your products if I am not actually suffering from hair loss. I have not been diagnosed with such a condition nor do I believe I am shedding more hair than I normally should. However, I do think my hair in general is not as thick and does not grow as long as it used to in my younger years. I am 34. I was wondering if I used your shampoo and conditioner if that would help thicken my hair and let it grow longer. And would it be safe to use if I am not suffering from medically diagnosed hair loss

All Haircycle products are made from natural ingredients that are completely safe unless you know that you are allergic to one or more of the ingredients. Topical allergies can occur in anyone. Some people are even allergic to the coins in their pockets or the elastic in their underwear. Of course, such allergies are extremely uncommon including those to the ingredients in Haircycle products.

Haircycle products are specifically formulated to promote longer hair. We feel they may increase the duration of anagen, but they also could increase the rate of hair growth. While Haircycle products are specifically formulated to help those with hair coverage, there is no evidence that they reduce hair loss or reverse hair loss due to male pattern baldness. Haircycle products are very healthy for your scalp and hair. They are safe for all individuals to use and much healthier for your scalp than the majority of shampoos that contain chemical ingredients that are man-made rather than natural.

Hello, I am a hair transplant patient. I had ~2300 FUE grafts done about a week ago. I love the Biotin spray, it’s helping the healing process along, but I have a few questions about it:
1) On my forehead and the scalp area outside of where the grafts are, the skin seems to be peeling slightly, as if after a sunburn. I’m assuming this is because the Biotin spray promotes shedding of dead skin? Just want to make sure this is normal.
2) After all of my scabs are gone, how long should I continue to use the Biotin spray? I have read that it helps with the redness and also makes the grafts more healthy, so continued use makes sense…I just don’t know for how long. And if so, I’m assuming I should decrease my usage from once an hour?
3) Does the biotin spray have any benefit for for other areas of my scalp where the hair is thinning, but did not receive any grafts, such as my crown?

We have noticed that Biotin spray can produce some skin peeling affects, as well. The skin peeling is really a form of a chemical peel. We first noticed that this occurs in some patients about 4 or 5 years ago. We found that the peeling left a younger, fresh layer of skin under the skin that peels. This is highly advantageous and something that many people pay thousands of dollars to achieve. You are getting younger skin at no additional cost. That is one of the advantages of Biotin spray. We were so excited about this that we made a version in a skin cream form that also helps to produce younger skin We never marketed it to the public, but many staff members have been very happy with this low cost, chemical peel that results in younger looking skin.

You may continue to use the Biotin spray until it is gone. It is very healthy for the grafts. We have not done any research into whether Biotin spray helps improve your thinning hair. We are precluded from discussing any affects on hair growth due to limitations imposed by the FDA. Therefore, there is no advantage to studying this.

Yes, they are safe. Cosmetics and hair care products do not go through the rigorous scientific tests to “prove” safety and efficacy (effectiveness) that drugs do, but all the ingredients in Haircycle are what is called “GRAS”, which means “generally regarded as safe”. This is a way that the governmental and regulatory agencies have of stating that these ingredients have been in general use for some time and problems have not been seen, and the manufacturing and scientific community at large accepts their use without reservation. This is the only way that we would have used ANY of these ingredients. There is a possibility that the ingredients in the shampoo and conditioner may cause temporary shedding. The shedding is a sign that the products are functioning properly by pushing the telogen(non-growing) hairs out of the follicles to make way for the new hair.

I would like to know if your Haircycle shampoo is a good as Nizoral? Could you tell me if neosh101 will be available in 2008?, Do you know any news on avodart?

‘Nizoral’ and ‘Haircycle shampoo’ are completely different just like ‘Finasteride’ and ‘Minoxidil’ are completely different. My method of treating ‘hair loss’ has always been to attack it from as many different pathways as possible. We know that Finasteride seems to reduce the production of ‘DHT’. We do not know how Minoxidil works or how Nizoral works.
We do know that Haircycle shampoo prolongs the anagen duration in many people. We do not know that it does this in all people. My recommendation in shampoos is that you use Nizoral twice a week and then Haircycle 5 days a week. Leave all your shampoos on for at least 5 minutes because they are ‘topical agents’ and need contact with the skin to work.

There is no news on ‘Avodart’. There are not likely to be ‘phase 3’ ‘clinical trials ‘

‘Neoshi101’ is not likely to be released in the US any time soon.

You might be able to get your hands on this in by 2009. I doubt it will be available by 2008, but keep your fingers crossed. This product seems to increase the number of hairs in the ‘Anagen phase. I suspect all the products seem to increase the total number of hairs in Anagen. I think that they simply work in different ways. Hairs are like people working in a factory that is in production 24 hours a day. Some of the people work while some of the people rest. ‘Anagen stimulators’ keep hairs awake and growing. They are like having more people working 24-hour shifts for 7 straight days. We know that ‘Finasteride’ really only works well on about 1% of the people. It seems to slow hair loss down to about 80%, but it does nothing for at least 10% of the people. This means that androgenic ‘alopecia’ has multiple causes. It makes sense to treat your hair loss from as many angles as possible until we come up with a safe solution that works equally well in all individuals.

I need the proper shampoo and conditioner for my hair type.

We recommend you a well-balanced diet or vitamins that are essential not only to prevent hair loss but also to promote healthy hair. Hair Cycle products are designed and formulated to nourish hair and allow the hair optimum health. Hair cycles are designed for all types of hair because they are free of harsh chemicals, and use safe natural ingredients that thoroughly cleanse the hair without unnecessary lathering. Natural ingredients combine to prevent premature hair loss and increase hair growth by supplying hair follicles with essential nutrients.

Hair Cycle is a line of Hair care products that were developed by physicians that look different things that address hair loss in the general population as the process involved. These products are natural, effective, and attack the hair loss process from many different angles.

DHT: How Can Hair Cycle Products Minimize its Effects?

One of the most common causes of hair loss in male pattern baldness is the hormone DHT (dihydrotestosterone). While drugs are available to reduce the formation of DHT, may cause unwanted side effects like sexual dysfunction or growth of breast tissue. Hair Cycle products contain all-natural, topical 5-alpha reductase inhibitors and androgen receptor blockers that actually prevent the conversion of testosterone to DHT without unpleasant side effects.

The Anagen Phase: How Can Hair Cycle Products Extend It?

The hair growth cycle consists of three phases anagen, the active growth phase; catagen, the transition phase; and telogen, the resting or dormant phase. When hair spends more time in the telogen phase and less in the anagen phase, the result is hair loss and male pattern baldness. Ideally used as part of an overall therapeutic program, Hair Cycle products contain several ingredients that stimulate the anagen phase to thicken the hair shaft, increase the number of growing hairs, and keep hair in the active phase for the fullest cosmetic effect.

Antioxidants: Why are They Important in Fighting Hair Loss?

The formation of free radicals can damage cell membranes and nutrients, causing the breakdown of nitric oxide in the hair. Free radical damage to hair follicle cells after hair transplant surgery can damage the tissues, destroying the recently placed hair grafts. Antioxidants are the best defense against free radical damage because they neutralize free radicals and help to detoxify and protect the body. Just one antioxidant is not enough, it takes a team of antioxidants working together to minimize free radical damage. Hair Cycle products include several powerful, natural antioxidant substances that work to reduce free radical damage on a daily basis and during the critical post-operative period.

Natural Ingredients: Why Are They an Important Part of a Daily Hair Care Routine?

All products in the Hair Cycle system use safe natural ingredients for good reason. Nature knows best. Many of the lathering agents and chemicals found in mainstream hair care products contain substances that can actually harm the skin and scalp. Free of harsh chemicals, Hair Cycle products thoroughly cleanse hair without unnecessary lathering. Natural ingredients combine to prevent premature hair loss and ensure strong, healthy hair by supplying hair follicles with essential nutrients. Like other treatments, Hair Cycle products may take several months to slow or stop hair loss and several more months to achieve the fullest possible cosmetic benefit.

Is hair cycle like the nioxin? Meaning if you stop using the hair cycle, what new hair that you’ve grown while using the hair cycle, u will loose it if you stop using hair cycle. Thanks

Hair Cycle does not grow new hair and neither does Nioxin. It is probable that Nioxin stimulates anagen much like Hair Cycle products do. If you cease using Hair Cycle products, you can expect the anagen duration to decrease. This will not cause hair loss by itself. Rather, the hairs will resume their shorter anagen duration and enter the resting phase in a shorter period of time. If the growing or anagen phase decreases in time, the hairs will enter the resting phase sooner. Each hair has only a finite number of growth cycles. If the growth cycles become shorter, the hairs will have a shorter life span and you will lose them sooner. Therefore, you want to stay on Hair Cycle products for as long as possible to stimulate longer growth periods. This will help to ensure that your hair stays on your head longer and off of your pillow. Imagine that you could apply something that will increase your own life span. If you ceased applying it, you would die sooner. Would you cease applying it? You will not lose the hair that Hair Cycle stimulates. You will only cause the hair to fall out sooner and have a shorter life span.

I’m currently using your shampoo with anagen stimulators – for almost 2 weeks now. I’ve actually noticed that my hair seems to be getting thinner after starting this product. I was just wondering if there is a “normal” shedding period or if I should stop using this product.

Anagen stimulation can occur at many points along the life cycle of a hair. Hairs are always either growing or resting. When a new hair begins to grow, it pushes the old resting, non-growing hair out. This process is much like how an adult tooth pushes out the baby tooth and eventually replaces the temporary tooth with a permanent tooth. Hair, is different than teeth in that hairs have multiple cycles, while teeth have only two. Your thinning may be an indication that the Hair Cycle is stimulating anagen. Stimulation of anagen will result in multiple new hair cycles that push the old, resting, non-growing hairs out. This scenario would be a clear indication that you are responding to Hair Cycle in a very positive manner.

You must understand that all hairs continue to cycle throughout your lifetime and it is believed by many that hairs have only a limited number of cycles in an individual’s lifetime. Prolonging the growing phase for 1 or 2 years can add many years to the life of a hair. This is the basis for Hair Cycle products. Suppose that you add 2 years to each hair on your scalp and each hair has 10 more cycles. You would in theory add up to 20 years life to your hair.

Hair Cycle products are a natural solution to prolonging the life of your hair. They are not going to create new hair or stop your hair loss. Of course prolonging the anagen duration might eventually make your hair look fuller because it will be longer. The primary reason you should use the products is to prolong the life of your hair while scientists and researchers continue their efforts to develop permanent solutions to hair loss.

One other situation you should consider is that your hair may be entering a shedding phase in the natural progression of your hair loss. This is a very common occurrence. Hair loss tends to remain stable for many years and then accelerate like someone who was walking along a plateau but suddenly falls off the edge. When this occurs there is a massive shedding, which is all part of the natural hair loss process. This programmed shedding can occur at any point completely unrelated to the use of any oral or topical products. It might be coincidental that your thinning occurred soon after you began using Hair Cycle products. Regardless, Hair Cycle products are not accelerating your hair loss. They are anagen stimulators and prolong the life of hair as opposed to hair loss inducers. You should continue on the products. They are safe and much healthier than most other shampoos on the market. They will not cause you to lose hair.

can you tell me if your products slow or stop hair loss… i’m only interested in the products to help slow hair loss and not to have a transplant… have you had success with it slowing or halting hair loss or shedding?

HairCycle speeds up crust removal and promotes faster healing

Recently there was a study published by Bob Bernstein in which he evaluated the effects of scab removal following hair transplantation as a function of time following hair transplant surgery. He found that removal of the scab always resulted in a lost graft through day five following surgery. After day five, the risk of a lost graft reduced in frequency from 100% to 50% through day 8. With HairCycle products, we have found that the scab or crust can be removed by day three under physician supervision. Furthermore, scab reduction by the physician can be accomplished on the second-day post-surgery. This represents a significant time improvement over prior methods to treat the post-operative region following hair transplant surgery.

Physicians should consider Hair Cycle products for reduced erythema, faster healing, and more rapid removal of scabs following hair transplant surgery. Patient surveys show that patients note faster healing, less redness, and more rapid scab removal following the use of Hair Cycle products even when compared to other products currently available.

Hello, i’m a female and my question is can haircycle help increase the hair length?

Females often have problems achieving hair length. Many have their hair cut only twice a year for this reason with minimal increase in length between clippings. You may ask, why cut it at all? They do this in order to shape the hair and remove “split ends”. Women who have followed this bi-annual routine for years have been using Hair Cycle Shampoo and Hair Cycle Conditioner. The two are complimentary and designed to be used together. Typically, women will use two bottles of shampoo for every bottle of conditioner, however. Most men do not use conditioner, but the Hair Cycle Conditioner is a healthy product, especially for those who have problems with their hair growth, shine, etc.

The question was, is their hair length greater because they are not cutting their hair or because of Hair Cycle products? The answer is that they continue to cut their hair along the same schedule, but the females and their hairdressers note an increased length between clippings. The females also note that their hair is fuller and longer than it has ever been.

Hair Cycle has natural ingredients designed to promote anagen, stimulate growth, and convert telogen hairs into growing anagen hairs. They are healthy products for your scalp. Most shampoos will lather much better than Hair Cycle. the lather is really due to sodium laurel sulfate. The lathering agents in most shampoos are basically engined regressors. they are not healthy for your scalp. The latter is something the cosmetic industry tricks you into thinking you need. It is not necessary to clean your scalp and actually has harmful effects. The lather is also something you are not going to want much of following a transplant. following a transplant, you want a clean, healthy environment from a shampoo that produces minimal lather so that you can more easily rinse the product out of your hair. You certainly don’t want to allow a build-up of engine degreaser over fresh incision wounds.

Hair Cycle has anti-inflammatories and anti-oxidants along with two natural ingredients that help to digest crusts and protein debris. This is why the crusts lift more easily. If you still have crusts after 10 days, it is because you are not washing your scalp aggressively enough. I recommend that you use a fine tooth comb after 10 days to lift the crusts off your scalp. you will find they come off much easier without loose fragments of hair when you use Hair Cycle. the anti-inflammatories will reduce redness, but they will not eliminate it altogether. those individuals who have bright pink scalps, especially the Irish, are going to have a pink scalp regardless of what you do, but the pinkness can be attenuated or decreased with Hair Cycle products. We also recommend the postoperative wound gel for the donor strip incision line following surgery to promote healing and reduced redness.

I begin using Hair Cycle at the onset of surgery. As soon as the first incision is made we lightly mist the recipient area every hour. we continue this throughout the procedure and every hour while awake in the post-operative phase of the procedure.

We often have hair patients come to us for multiple-day procedures that can span into a second week. we found that the scabs literally lifted off the scalp leaving the grafted hairs in place literally days following the procedure. This is something your physician can do for you if you desire. we do not recommend that you try it immediately after surgery because you might accidentally dislodge a graft. we have not studied it, but I suspect it is safe for you to begin lifting scabs by the 5th day. If you look at wound healing, you see that a rapid proliferative phase begins on the 4th day and collagen bonds begin to form binding graft to incision wound.

What all products do u have for converting telogen hair into anagen. I am already using minoxydil. that does the same thing. also i am in india, how do i pay for ur products.. and what does it costfor a months supply

Can i use Biotin spray two month after my Hairtransplantation and can i make a combination with minoxidil ,in the morning minoxidil 5 % PPG free -10% alcohol and in the night Biotinspray on my scalp???, will i grow my transplantation hair when minoxidil and biotinspray used together???

I would apply the biotin one hour after the minoxidil and skip the hour that you apply the minoxidil. For instance, if you apply biotin at 7 am, apply minoxidil at 8 am, and then wait until 9 am to apply the biotin. You can continue to use biotin for 2 or more months after a procedure without concern. I would begin to use hair cycle shampoo and conditioner with minoxidil to stimulate a longer anagen cycle. It is not proven that Hair Cycle will make grafts grow quicker and it is proven that minoxidil will not make grafts grow quicker. There are probably other factors that we are working on related to graft storage mediums that are more important to faster re-growth. we will keep you posted on this research.

Can the post biotin spray be beneficial for use by those that are just suffering from hairloss and/or inflammation and not post transplant care? I was thinking of using it morning and night maybe to calm down inflammation but I know it’s not intended for that.

It would be indicated for this condition. There may also be some seborrheic dermatitis here that it would benefit or just non-specific inflammation. We know that inflammation around the follicles is found in cases of androgenetic alopecia (pattern baldness); this does not mean that inflammation is the cause of hair loss, just that it coexists. However, there are many aspects of inflammation that may be deleterious to healthy tissue. In the case of this condition, the ingredients of the Biotin Spray are designed to stimulate the anagen phase, diminish inflammation and free radical formation, nourish hair, and promote healing. Any chronic inflammatory condition damages tissue and good healing will be of benefit.

I would also suggest using 1% Nizoral shampoo once or twice a week for the inflammation, in addition to the Biotin Spray and Hair Cycle shampoo/conditioner.

Is the product that you mentioned adequately tested and tried for human use? I am a potential patient and would like to try the product that promotes hair growth. Does it promote growth of existing hair or new hair?

Does anyone use the hair cycle shampoo and if so how does it work? Also what other kinds of shampoos do you use with it. Thanks.

I was wondering if your hair cycle products can be used overall to help slow hair loss?

Is HairCycle something just for post-transplant patients? Or is it something that can be used by anyone?

I was talking with a young lady this morning. she exclaimed that it is really amazing what it has done with her hair. her whole family has noted that it has made a tremendous difference with her hair. she has no hair loss.

HairCycle is a very healthy everyday product for anyone who has hair. it is much healthier than the majority of shampoos on the market. Remember you can fill your body with chemicals and drugs that are FDA-approved, but at the end of the day, nature usually knows best. I am sorry to say that it is not going to help those with psoriasis of the scalp though new formulations may be forthcoming.

Hello, i’m a female and my question is can haircycle help increase the hair length?

Scientifically, it has been proven that biotin increases hair growth and prevents scalp dryness. Patients, who took 3000 milligrams of biotin daily, for a period of over six months, experienced stronger nails, reduced acne, and reduced hair fall. Although there is no known Tolerable Upper Limit for biotin, and research has proved that high levels of biotin intake by humans have no known detrimental effects, it is best to take a doctor’s advice before starting a supplement.

Contrary studies also suggest that vitamin H /biotin deficiency is extremely rare as our body naturally produces it with the help of intestinal bacteria. Hence several doctors do not recommend a daily biotin supplement and emphasize on a good daily diet instead.

The HairCycle Product are all natural and contain Biotin, enter the HairCycle store.

Over the last year my hair has completely stopped growing. I used to
have very long hair and got it trimmed regularly.
I have had to stop trimming it as it is now only barely to my shoulders. I am afraid to cut any more of it because the length won’t grow back. I am female and always had long hair, this is a major worry for me.

It is not unusual to see this sort of problem in someone who has used long-term chemical treatments on their hair. This may cause chemical alopecia (hair loss), or telogen effluvium, with shedding and growth retardation.

Obviously, the best course of action is to cease using the products or to find an alternative. A consultation with a dermatologist or a good hair loss/hair restoration physician is in order, so that a definitive diagnosis may be made. Laboratory studies and/or a scalp biopsy might be needed to reveal the true cause and nature of the condition.
We always recommend using the hair cycle products as they help to accelerate anagen. Hair cycle products are an extraordinarily effective and highly potent blend of DHT inhibitors, antioxidants, anti-inflammatory, cell proliferates, anagen stimulators, nitric oxide, precursors, and androgen blockers.