S CAMS BULLETIN Host Jay White is a volunteer attorney who provides free legal services to low income seniors in San Mateo County, California.

May 6, 2019

HAIR REGROWTH SCAMS

A person can lose hair for a range of reasons. It can be caused by hereditary predisposition, or to illnesses that causes hair loss. In some cases, either for cosmetic or genuine medical need, a person may search for a solution to restore hair.

While certain treatments and procedures have produced desired results, many others are based on phony claims. It may be illegal to claim a product or service achieves hair regrowth without back-up scientific evidence and Federal Drug Administration approval.

But that doesn’t stop fraudsters from using wording that implies regrowth without actually saying it. For example: A fraudster might say their product “helps people who are balding.” They might even use phony before-and-after photos that suggest hair regrowth when all the product actually does is thicken existing hair.

Here are simple tips to help avoid a hair loss treatment scam:

*Before seeking any kind of treatment, speak to your doctor. There are some drugs, ointments, and injections that have been shown to work on certain hair-loss disorders such as alopecia.

*Beware of ads or promotions that use words like “miracle,” “wonder,” and “amazing.” There are no miracle regrowth treatments.

*If you’re seeking a surgical procedure, ask for evidence of success and customer references. Ideally, it would be helpful to meet up with someone who has successfully undergone the treatment.

If you have been a scam victim, or believe there is an attempt to victimize you, the Federal Trade Commission requests you report it to http://www.ftc.gov.