Thinning Hair and Hair Loss
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Thinning Hair and Hair Loss Background: Hair loss, thinning hair and poor general hair health effects a very large number of people and these problems typically begin to manifest past the age of 40. However, the primary cause of hair loss is not age but a complex interaction between dozens of variables that include hormone imbalances, vitamin and mineral deficiencies, inflammation, free radical damage, poor diet, stress and poor sleep. However, when it comes to supporting hair health to encourage optimal hair growth, there is much that can be done. The key point is that hair loss is normal; the average adult has around 150,000 hairs on their head and loses around 100 of these a day. This is a normal process to allow new healthy hair to re-grow. Thus hair loss only becomes an issue if we lose more hair than we are able to replace. Thus when intervening to address thinning hair or hair loss, the priority is to ensure that the body is receiving all of the nutritional support needed to facilitate optimal hair growth whilst turning to specific herbal medicines to actually speed up the re-growth of new hair. Management Plan for Treating Hair Loss and Thinning Hair 1. Hair Supporting Herbal Tincture: There are many evidence based herbs that have been shown to effectively support general hair health whilst encouraging the growth of new hair. Interestingly, many of these herbs come from within the Ayurvedic system of medicine. When using herbal medicine to address hair loss, it is also really important to target and support liver function which plays an integral role in the breakdown and delivery of nutrients to the hair. A herbal blend that we typically recommend includes Brahmi and Amalaki which are both proven to nourish the hair and speed up hair growth, Ginko to help support the health of the hair shafts, Rosemary to increase the flow of blood and nutrients into the head and scalp and Nettle to optimise and support liver function; Nettle is also particularly helpful as it is very high in iron, deficiencies of which have been consistently linked to thinning hair. To use these tinctures, purchase the individual herbs in 1:3 strength tincture (available online from Indigo Herbs, Rutland Biodynamics or Baldwins) and mix the herbs together in a sterilised bottle in even ratios. Dose: Take 5mls of the tincture three times daily. Be sure to mix the tincture in a little water before consuming. This treatment typically needs to be followed for around 4-6 months to notice discernible impacts. 2. Topical Treatments: When managing thinning hair and hair loss, it is essential to support the tincture with topical treatments. Whilst it is possible to make your own topical treatments, it is mostly not necessary to do so these days due to the availability of top quality over-the-counter products that are incredibly well constructed and use entirely natural products. The two that we recommend extensively in clinic are both produced by Fushi and are called: i. Stimulator Hair Lotion (available here: https://www.fushi.co.uk/natural-beauty- products/natural-hair-products/stimulator-hair-lotion.html). ii. Stimulator Herbal Shampoo (available here: https://www.fushi.co.uk/natural-beauty- products/natural-hair-products/stimulator-herbal-shampoo-230ml-470ml.html). These are incredibly well made products, the latter of which contains the celebrated Bhringraj, a key Ayurvedic herbal medicine and one of the most important topical treatments for hair health. As such, I can’t recommend enough using these on a daily basis to support and encourage optimal hair growth. 3. Essential Oil Wrap: There has been some powerful and important clinical trials into the use of essentials oils to encourage hair regrowth. The results from these trials have reported clinically significant outcomes in the volume of hair re-growth and also hair thickness. We have been using this approach in clinic for many years and have seen it induce very significant outcomes. The approach that has shown the most success from the published evidence is outlined below: Ingredients Needed: • Thyme essential oil • Lavender essential oil • Rosemary essential oil • Cedarwood essential oil • Jojoba oil • Grapeseed oil Method: • Add 2 drops of Thyme, 3 drops Lavender, 3 drops of Rosemary and 2 drops Cedarwood essential oils to 3mls of Jojoba oil and 20mls of Grapeseed oil. • Mix together until an even blend is achieved. • To use, massage the combined mix into the scalp wherever the hair is thinning (or anywhere else on the body that is experiencing hair loss) for a minimum of 2-minutes but ideally longer (i.e. for around 5-minutes). • After completing the massage, wrap a towel around the head to prevent the essential oils from evaporating. • Leave the towel on for 30-minutes before removing. • Perform this every evening before bed, washing the hair each morning ideally using the shampoo recommended above. 4. Natural Supplements: Alongside the tincture and topical treatments it is really important to support hair health with a range of supplements that are needed by the body to facilitate hair growth. More specifically, the University of Maryland Medical Centre has conducted extensive research into this area, flagging up the key nutrient deficiencies responsible for hair loss and how to rectify these deficiencies. These are listed below: i. A broad spectrum multi-vitamin should be taken daily for 4-6 months which contains the key vitamins such as vitamins A, C and E; the B-complex vitamins and trace essential minerals such as magnesium, calcium, zinc and selenium. For this we recommend Lamberts MultiGuard High Potency (available here: https://www.lambertshealthcare.co.uk/multiple- formulas/multis-for-adults/multiguard). ii. Taking 2000mg of Omega-3 fatty acids a day has been shown to reduce inflammation and support hair growth; those produced by Bare Biology are of exceptional quality (available here: https://www.barebiology.com/products/lion-heart-omega-3-maxi-capsules iii. Taking 1000mg of L-lysine a day has been shown to significantly support healthy hair re- growth (available here: https://www.lambertshealthcare.co.uk/amino-acids/single-amino- acids/l-lysine-500mg). 5. Healthy Diets: It is also essential to ensure a broad and nutritionally balanced det is consumed which is high in antioxidants (ensuring lots of red, yellow, green, blue and orange foods), complex carbohydrates and sufficient protein and healthy fats; please refer to the Six Tastes of Ayurveda Series for guidance on how to use the six-tastes to ensure a balanced diet is consumed each day. Important: If you are taking any form of conventional prescription medication, have any form of liver or kidney disorder or are pregnant or breast feeding, be sure to contact us first before implementing this protocol to ensure there is no risk of herb interaction or side effects. .