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Before we discuss natural remedies for alopecia, let’s learn more about it. Alopecia most frequently occurs in men but can also occur in women. The most common patterns are the accustomed male pattern of baldness and the female pattern of baldness.
It is the hair on the head that we are concerned with here. There are several types of hair loss:
- Baldness
- Loss of hair (alopecia)
- Loss of all scalp hair (alopecia totalis)
- Hair falling out in patches (alopecia areata)
- Another type is localized and caused by scarring
The scalp of a young person has one hundred thousand to two hundred thousand hairs. A single hair usually survives for two to six years and is then replaced by a new hair. Whenever baldness occurs, there is an excess of thinner, shorter hair – the type babies have on their heads.
Remember that losing as much as one hundred hairs a day is standard. Once the hair follicle dies, it never again produces hair. Yet there are instances in which the follicle has not died but only has stopped growing hair. Natural remedies for alopecia restore hair growth.
Alopecia Causes
- Heredity (primarily in men)
- Hormonal factors
- Aging
- Local or systemic disease
Localized hair loss can also result from scarring following an operation or a wound. Other factors include:
Poor circulation, high fever or other acute illness, surgery, radiation (x-ray therapy), anesthesia, drastic reducing diets, medicinal drugs, stress (depletes vitamin B), poor diet, skin disease, sudden weight loss, iron deficiency, thyroid disease, obesity, birth control pills, diabetes, vitamin deficiency
A nutritional diet should be eaten daily. Significant causes of baldness include hot hair dryers, washing your hair daily, and hair dyes. Hair pulled too tight in braids and ponytails or set in tight rollers can sometimes come out in patches.
Women suffering from hair loss mainly occur after menopause. Some women lose hair two to three months after childbirth because of hormonal changes during the late-term, which tend to block average hair loss. However, this is reversed within six months. Hypothyroidism can cause hair loss.
Too little vitamin A can cause hair loss; unfortunately, too much can also result in hair loss. America has the highest percentage of men with baldness of any nation in the world. This statistic could be a result of the Western diet and lifestyle.
Natural Remedies for Alopecia
- Consume adequate protein, primarily sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, pumpkin, brewer’s yeast, and almonds. However, as with everything, do not go overboard. People in the United States consume more protein than anyone else, yet they have the most significant hair loss.
- Circulation in the scalp (which is poorer in men than in women) must be improved. Massaging the scalp each day helps. Keep the scalp and hair clean, but do not wash the hair too much. Also, try to avoid over-shampooing.
Nutrition
- Several factors affect hair loss. Minerals and vitamins are essential for hair growth. Take a good supplement at least twice daily. Drink fresh vegetable juice at least once daily. Take vitamin A (50,000 units daily for a short time). B vitamins, such as biotin, inositol, niacin, and (folic acid, pantothenic acid, and PABA), mainly affect hair growth. Consume Norwegian kelp or Nova Scotia dulse.
- For a day or two, find a good juice cleansing program and clean the bowels via an enema. Then, only consume nourishing foods. Abstain from processed junk foods. Eat a diet high in vegetables and fruits that is low in starch.
- Horsetail and oat straw teas are rich in silicon and trace minerals. Rosemary helps prevent premature baldness and stimulates head circulation. Sage is an astringent and helps promote growth. Yarrow helps liver activity.
- Flaxseed oil (two tablespoons daily), containing fatty acids, helps keep hair from thinning. Black currant oil (five hundred mg capsules twice daily) is even more powerful.
Avoid
- Avoid tobacco, salt, sugar, and alcohol. Overconsumption of salt and sugar increases dandruff and, eventually, hair loss. Avoid excess vitamin A (one hundred thousand units daily over extended periods). Avoid crash diets that are deficient in proper nutrition.
- Avoid the drug minoxidil. Although given to restore scalp hair, it is high-priced and may cause heart damage. The hair it produces is of poor quality and tends to fall out when the drug is terminated.
- Hair is fragile when wet; therefore, do not comb it because it can be easily broken. Avoid rubbing it too hard when it is wet. Better to squeeze out moisture with a towel and pat it dry. However, massaging your scalp (not your hair) is beneficial. Avoid blow-drying your hair.
- Hair does not do well when exposed to sunlight and seawater.
Herbs for Alopecia
Try rubbing the juice of quince on the bald area every day. Eat flaxseed and drink sage tea, which stimulates hair growth. Try wetting the scalp daily with aromatic rosemary, sage, or white oak bark tea for falling hair.
According to Dr. Christopher, a strong tea of bayberry and rubbing it in well before bed is beneficial. Wash it off in the morning, brush the hair thoroughly, and reapply. Possibly add a few drops of lavender oil. “This will quickly stop falling hair and remove dandruff.”
Men and women have massaged their scalps with rosemary herbs in olive oil to maintain healthy hair for centuries.
Consuming sesame seeds is among the many Chinese herbs for alopecia areata that prevent hair loss. The tincture of stinging nettle can also help prevent hair thinning.
Prepare a paste of ½ teaspoon of fenugreek powder and ¾ cup of unsweetened coconut milk. Massage the scalp vigorously with this paste twice weekly for about two months.
DHT or dihydrotestosterone binds hair follicles, shrinks them, and causes them to die and fall out. (it also causes an enlarged prostate). To eliminate this effect of DHT, take saw palmetto (160 mg) every morning and another dose every evening. (The product should be “concentrated and purified” and have eighty-five to ninety-five percent fatty acids and sterols.) The herb works by preventing the conversion of testosterone (male sex hormone) into DHT. A compound is found in licorice that can block DHT.
Phygeum (60 to 500 mg) is an herb that can also block DHT. Nettle (50 to 100 mg) can enhance the effects of phygeum. Zinc (30 mg daily for six months) helps keep DHT from reaching the hair follicles.
Some people place a little cayenne pepper on their scalp. It surely will bring blood and might even produce some hair! However, it may get in the eyes! Most people are not prepared to deal with this extreme method.
A woman had experienced total hair loss by the time she was 31. She was able to reverse it with natural remedies for alopecia. She used the following formula.
Use a wooden or plastic (not aluminum) utensil, and mix the following essential oils in a glass bowl:
- One teaspoon of jojoba oil
- Three drops of rosemary oil
- Three drops of lavender oil
- One drop of lemon balm
- One drop of Atlas cedarwood oil
Massage the blend into your scalp and leave it on for thirty minutes or overnight. Wash your hair, adding one drop of rosemary oil to each shampoo application. As a final rinse, add one drop each of lavender and rosemary oil to a quart of cool water and pour it over your head.
To help hair grow, Kloss recommends nettle, pepper grass, sage, marshmallow leaves, and burdock.
Other Therapies for Alopecia
Some people stand on their heads to bring the blood there! It is reported that this also helps. Avoid doing it at work, or coworkers will think you’re not all there. (And, of course, too much of this might not be suitable for the brain. A much better alternative is to lie on a slant board for a time every day. Or massage your scalp in the sun.
Never use strong soaps or hair sprays. Only use mild castile soaps.
Wigs and hats can cause hair to fall out faster since they hinder air to the scalp.
Relaxing more often and reducing stress helps women keep from losing their hair. You must faithfully do your selected hair treatment for two months before you will begin to see results.
DISCLAIMER: All content on this website is presented solely for educational and informational objectives. Do not rely on the information provided as a replacement for advice, diagnosis, or treatment from a qualified medical expert. If you are pregnant, nursing, or have any preexisting medical concerns, talk to your doctor before using any herbal or natural medicines.
References
- Vance Ferrell Harold M. Cherne, M.D. The Natural Remedies Encyclopedia [Book]. – Altamont, TN: Harvestime Books, 2010. – Vol. Seventh Edition: 7: pp. 383, 384. [Natural Remedies for Alopecia]
- Hay IC, et al. (1998). Randomized trial of aromatherapy. Successful treatment for alopecia areata. Archives of Dermatology, 134(11), 1349-1352.
- Sharma VK, et al. (2002). Onion juice (Allium cepa L.), a new topical treatment for alopecia areata. The Journal of Dermatology, 29(6), 343-346.
- Healthline: https://www.healthline.com/health/regrow-hair-naturally