Hair loss or Alopecia is an extremely emotionally distressing hair disorder. Hair loss can be of many types, the most common being androgenetic alopecia which refers to male pattern baldness or female pattern baldness. Natural remedies can significantly improve this hair disorder. Telogen effluvium is another hair disorder which appears as a diffuse thinning of hair on the scalp and is caused by a change in the number of hair follicles growing hair. This condition is totally reversible. Another common form of hair loss is the Alopecia areata (AA). It is an autoimmune disease in which the body’s immune system attacks the hair follicles. Other types of alopecia such as scarring alopecia can cause lot of damage and permanent hair loss. Again, congenital hypotrichosis is a hair disorder that involves genetic aberrations or defects of embryonic development.
Causes of hair loss
• Hormonal imbalance
• Dandruff or lice
• Problems with bowel movement
• Certain drugs and chemicals
• Anemia, weakness after diseases, stress and anxiety
• Genetic aberrations
Remedies for hair loss
Most of the remedies for hair loss are applied to the hair, whereas others are for regular internal consumption that helps prevent hair loss. Certain precautions and lifestyle changes can also help prevent hair fall. Some of the natural remedies are listed here.
Massages and application
• Massage the head with hot olive oil for 15-20 minutes and then wash it off with shampoo. This can effectively reduce hair fall.
• Apply a mixture of lemon juice and amla (Phyllanthus emblica) and wash it off after half an hour. This helps control dandruff.
• Mix neem (Azadirachta indica) oil with coconut oil and massage the head for 15-20 minutes. Wash it off with shampoo. Alternatively, boil neem leaves in water for an hour and let it cool. Wash the hair with this water. This helps reduce hair fall.
• Massage juice of fresh coriander onto the scalp to reduce hair loss.
• Apply a well blended paste made from pigeon pea and red gram on the hair and scalp and leave it on for about half an hour. Wash it off. This remedy helps treat hair loss and baldness.
• Add 1 gm of ground black pepper in 100 gm of curd/yogurt and apply to the scalp. Wash hair with warm water. Applying it once a week will stop further hair loss.
Lifestyle changes
• Stress and tension is known to cause hair loss. So, learn to relax. Try to reduce stress and tension in your life through yoga and meditation.
• Diet and nutrition also plays an important role in hair growth and maintenance. Include plenty of fresh fruits and leafy vegetables in your diet. Pay special attention to your breakfast.
• Conditioners can damage hair roots. Take care to apply conditioner (after shampooing) only on the hair and not to the scalp or hair roots.
Herbal and Ayurvedic remedies for hair loss
Ayurvedic treatment involves attacking the root cause of the disorder. It is believed that excess of Pitta dosha in the body is the main cause of hair disorders. Pitta is increased by excessive consumption of tea, coffee, alcohol, and excessive smoking. Oily, spicy, and acidic foods also tend to increase Pitta. So the first step is to change the diet or lifestyle conditions responsible for increasing Pitta dosha. Regular physical exercise and inclusion of fresh fruits and green vegetables in the diet is useful in correcting hair disorder.
Irregular bowel movement and constipation can indirectly affect hair health. A mild laxative or Triphala (Ayurvedic preparation) can be useful in such cases.
We are born with 5 million hair follicles of which only one million hair (shafts) show up on the head. Five million hair follicles is the maximum we can have because we do not generate new hair follicles during our lives. Drinking a mixture of lettuce juice and spinach juice regularly helps induce hair growth by stimulating the dormant hair follicles. Alfalfa juice, carrot juice, and lettuce juice mixed in equal proportion also serves the same purpose.
Grind licorice in milk and apply the paste on the bald patches of the scalp. This helps induce hair growth.
There is a special Ayurvedic treatment for hair loss and it is called ‘Thala podichil’. The treatment involves application of an herbal pack for 21 days. The herbal pack consists of just one herb or a mixture of herbs depending upon the constitution of the patient.
An Ayurvedic remedy prepared from Bhringaraj herb (Eclipta alba), Amla (Phyllanthus emblica), corals, iron, and black sesame seeds is very beneficial for treating hair loss as well as graying of hair.
Oil massage helps stop hair loss. Gently massage the scalp with coconut oil or mustard oil at least three times a week. Herbal massage oils such as Mahabhringaraj oil, Amla oil, or Arnica oil are also very useful in controlling hair fall.
Since chemicals and certain drugs are responsible for causing hair loss, it is best to use natural shampoos or soaps to clean the hair.
Here’s a home made recipe for shampoo – Soak dried fruits of Amla (Phyllanthus emblica), Reetha (Sapindus detergens), and Shikakai (Acacia concinna) overnight and boil the mixture in the morning. Allow it to cool before using it as natural shampoo.
Yoga and meditation also help control hair fall by reducing stress and other hair loss causing conditions. Vajransana, Pawanmuktasana, the camel pose, are some of the important yogasanas that help tackle hair problems.
Although there is no dearth of hair loss treatments available in the market, natural remedies for hair loss can be a feasible option if we consider the fact that it has no side effects, it is easily available, and it is relatively inexpensive.
For a personalized one to one Ayurveda Hair Fall consultation and Therapies, Please call 9940079511/ drkgowthaman@gmail.com
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