Hair Loss Awareness Month – August

The search for hair loss cures is nothing new — in fact, it dates all the way back to the dawn of recorded history. Since ancient times, people have gone to great lengths (and stranger measures) to hold onto their beloved locks. Whether it was a secret potion, a mystical chant, or a homemade brew of questionable ingredients, humans have always hoped that the next big thing would finally fix the follicle fallout.

People have tried everything: herbs, oils, lotions, creams, tonics, and even nutritional potions. Add in electrical shock gadgets, heat lamps, laser beams, and vacuum-like contraptions, and you’ve got yourself a pretty wild science fair of scalp experiments. The fact that people still fall for many of these solutions today says a lot about how deeply hair is tied to our self-image. When it comes to hair, people want to believe — and often do — even if it means turning to spiritual rituals or ancient magic.

Honestly, with some of the remedies people have tried over the centuries, prayer might just be the least risky one!

Let’s rewind a few thousand years. Around 3000 B.C., people in the Fertile Crescent — a region in the Middle East that included ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia — were already using wigs and hairpieces. These stylish covers weren’t just fashionable; they cleverly disguised bald spots and thinning hair. Wearing a wig wasn’t just for vanity — it was a status symbol among the upper class.

By 1553 B.C., the Egyptians had taken things a step further. Enter the “Ebers Papyrus,” an ancient medical scroll discovered in Luxor, Egypt. It's the oldest complete medical text ever found, and yes, it includes one of the earliest known remedies for baldness. The suggested cure? A curious smoothie of iron oxide, red lead, onions, alabaster, honey, and fat from various animals — consumed, of course, while saying a little prayer to the Sun God. (We’ll pass, thanks.)

Fast forward to 420 B.C., and even Hippocrates — the guy considered the "Father of Modern Medicine" — was battling baldness. He tried his own strange brew to regrow his hair, but no dice. However, Hippocrates did make a groundbreaking observation: eunuchs didn’t seem to go bald. From this, he theorized that hormones were involved, leading to one of the earliest effective (though not exactly marketable) surgical “solutions” to hair loss.

Over the centuries, wigs went in and out of fashion, but the desire to cure baldness never faded. As science advanced, so did the methods — though not all of them were based in fact. From snake oils to high-tech helmets, there’s been no shortage of hopeful — and hopeless — cures.

These days, wigs and hairpieces are still among the most popular, practical, and budget-friendly ways to handle hair loss. They’ve come a long way from ancient times, offering realistic styles that suit every taste. But we’ve also seen major breakthroughs in modern medicine: hormone-based therapies, prescription medications, and surgical grafting procedures are showing real results for many people.