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Oct. 29th, 2005 03:02 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
urocyonAnother viewing of a recent Pantene ad irked me again. The premise is that "life" can make your hair thin, and their volumizing shampoo and conditioner can fix this.
What's likely to cause noticeably thinner hair? Off the top of my head (no pun intended, actually), I'd look at human error first. Chemical processing or heat damage--not what I would consider basic conditions of "life"--are unlikely to be repaired by these products. Consulting the hairdresser for more immediate ameliorative tips while laying off the damaging agents seems reasonable if the hair is breaking off.
On the not so simple or benign side, and considering the appearance of the actress and the apparent target audience, this ad is a bit worrying. Assuming that the thinning hair is not simple hereditary baldness--which will not be helped by those products*, and should be a diagnosis of elimination in women, I'd think--hair falling out for no apparent reason (why else would it be thinning?) could indicate any number of medical problems. A few sprang to mind immediately (and IANAD):
!) Malnutrition from ill-advised dieting, or from a bad tapeworm infection (admittedly more likely if you're not a human in a post-industrial society)
2) Side effect of a number of common medications--though the GP may not be aware of this
3) Severe stress (tucked in amongst "no time for a cold/headache/bite to eat" ads...hmm)
4) Hyperthyroidism
(Trichotillomania and things which will make hair come out in patches have been omitted.)
In other words, if you are female and your hair is coming out for no apparent reason, hie thee to a doctor. It's probably a good idea even if you're male and have a higher chance of "life" really causing it--and I detest going to the doctor. Nobody reading this needs the advice, right? :) I don't expect much out of beauty product advertisements, but this one goes beyond nonsensical ("now with carbolic acid and gerbil placenta"), verging on pretty dangerous to the gullible.
* Unless Procter & Gamble sneaked minoxidil into them, and are scheming to market products for retarding facial hair growth to these folks. I wouldn't necessarily put it past them.
What's likely to cause noticeably thinner hair? Off the top of my head (no pun intended, actually), I'd look at human error first. Chemical processing or heat damage--not what I would consider basic conditions of "life"--are unlikely to be repaired by these products. Consulting the hairdresser for more immediate ameliorative tips while laying off the damaging agents seems reasonable if the hair is breaking off.
On the not so simple or benign side, and considering the appearance of the actress and the apparent target audience, this ad is a bit worrying. Assuming that the thinning hair is not simple hereditary baldness--which will not be helped by those products*, and should be a diagnosis of elimination in women, I'd think--hair falling out for no apparent reason (why else would it be thinning?) could indicate any number of medical problems. A few sprang to mind immediately (and IANAD):
!) Malnutrition from ill-advised dieting, or from a bad tapeworm infection (admittedly more likely if you're not a human in a post-industrial society)
2) Side effect of a number of common medications--though the GP may not be aware of this
3) Severe stress (tucked in amongst "no time for a cold/headache/bite to eat" ads...hmm)
4) Hyperthyroidism
(Trichotillomania and things which will make hair come out in patches have been omitted.)
In other words, if you are female and your hair is coming out for no apparent reason, hie thee to a doctor. It's probably a good idea even if you're male and have a higher chance of "life" really causing it--and I detest going to the doctor. Nobody reading this needs the advice, right? :) I don't expect much out of beauty product advertisements, but this one goes beyond nonsensical ("now with carbolic acid and gerbil placenta"), verging on pretty dangerous to the gullible.
* Unless Procter & Gamble sneaked minoxidil into them, and are scheming to market products for retarding facial hair growth to these folks. I wouldn't necessarily put it past them.
