Columnist Lisa Ferguson: Sun Lite for June 9, 2003

Lisa Ferguson

Monday, June 9, 2003 | 8:14 a.m.

Hair's to you

If you love him, you won't get Dad another tie or some goofy, dust-collecting gizmo for Father's Day, that is. Employ some of his fatherly advice for a change and use your head.

Speaking of heads, this year help Pop replace some of the hair he undoubtedly yanked from his head in frustration while raising you by presenting him with Folligro, billed as an "all-natural hair-growth product."

Using the extract of fenugreek, a natural herb, and Beta Sitosterol, a "botanical sterol," the product's makers claim monthly treatments (at $49.95 each; available at Whole Foods markets and other health-food stores) can put the brakes on thinning hair in up to 10 weeks while promoting new hair growth.

Don't feel too guilty about Dad's chrome dome: The company reminds that consuming copious amounts of coffee, alcohol, sugar and fast food, as well as smoking cigarettes, contribute to levels of the hormone DHT, which builds in mens' bodies and attacks hair follicles. So your antics may not be entirely to blame for his baldness.

In any case, the Folligro folks are searching for tales from children of all ages about how they stressed out their fathers, possibly causing said hair loss. The winning padre gets a year's supply of the product and a tree hammock. Entries (100 words or less, please) should be e-mailed by Sept. 1 to contest@folligro.com.

Play ball

So Daddy Dearest is a big baseball fan, but you think he strikes out when it comes to his parenting skills. How to express your concerns in terms he'll understand that's the question.

Here's the answer: By pitching him a copy of "Covering Home: Lessons on the Art of Fathering From the Game of Baseball" by "fathering expert" Jack Petrash (Robins Lane Press, $8.95). Published earlier this year, the book delivers its messages using baseball analogies, terms and superstar names. Petrash coaches dads with these tips:

Chill out

While we're talking baseball, few fathers will argue that one of the best parts of watching the game either at a stadium or in front of a TV is sipping a cold beer. Enter the Amazin' Beer Chiller, a handheld device that uses double-A batteries and takes two minutes to chill a 12- or 16-ounce can of beer (or soda).

How is such frosty perfection achieved, you ask? Via New York-based Beer Chiller Enterprises' pat-ented Xtreme Temperature Reduction Technology: Its spinning action sucks in cold water from an ice-water chamber and pushes out the warm water that encircles the chilling can. The Amazin' Beer Chiller costs $19.95 (plus $6.95 shipping and handling) and is available at where else? BeerChiller.com.