The average human head has roughly 100,000 hair follicles and each follicle can grow about 20 individual hairs during a person’s lifetime. The severity and nature of baldness can vary greatly; it does range from male and female pattern alopecia, alopecia areata, which involves the loss of just some of the hair from the head, and alopecia totalis, which involves the loss of all head hair, to the most extreme form, alopecia universalis, which involves the loss of all hair from the head and the whole body. It’s normal to shed some hair each day but men, women, teens and children may all experience excessive hair loss.
Temporary loss of hair can occur in areas where sebaceous cysts on the head are present for one week to several weeks. Poor digestion, parasites and nutrient deficiencies like iron or biotin deficiency shouldn’t be overlooked as possible causes. Some drugs or medications can cause hair loss too, which improves when you stop taking the offending medicine; some of the medications that can cause hair loss include blood thinners, medicines used for gout, chemotherapy drugs used for cancer, too much vitamin A supplementation, birth control pills, retinoids used to treat acne and skin problems, blood pressure medications and antidepressants.
One type of baldness is called traction alopecia, which is most commonly found in people with ponytails or cornrows who pull on their hair with too much force. In the past it was believed that baldness was inherited from a person’s maternal grandfather; while there’s some basis for this belief, actually both parents contribute to their offspring’s likelihood of hair loss. If the thyroid gland is overactive as in Grave’s Disease or underactive, hair may fall out; treating thyroid disease will help remedy this.
When hypothyroidism causes hair loss there will be thinning of the outer third of the eyebrows. Fungal infections on the scalp can cause hair loss in children, which is easily treated sometimes with topical antifungal medicines. Some tumors and skin growths can also induce localized baldness.
Sometimes surgery is another method of reversing hair loss and baldness, although it may be considered an extreme measure. Regular aerobic exercise can help keep androgen levels (male hormones) naturally lower while maintaining overall health, lowering stress and increasing SHBG. Very little testing has been done on the possible long-term effects of Minoxidil on women.
Propecia (Finasteride) and Minoxidil (Rogaine in the U.S and elsewhere as Regaine) are drugs that have been reported to having shown some success in partially reversing loss but one must consider the side effects. The surgical methods used include hair transplantation – when hair-producing follicles are taken from the back and sides of the head and injected into bald or thinning areas. Hair loss treatments and conventional and natural remedies range in price from free to expensive.
Try a more natural way of treatment if possible; taking hair loss drugs requires many months of exposure to chemicals. Propecia is available with a prescription; it comes in pill form, is only approved for men’s use and may take up to six months before you can tell if it is working. There are literally hundreds of hair loss products used as hair loss remedies and treatments.
You might try using double-strength herbal sage tea as a hair rinse or apply to the scalp every day as a tonic. An Asian remedy for hair loss – rub sesame oil on your scalp every night, cover with a cap or old towel; in the morning wash with a good herbal shampoo and rinse with a solution of one tablespoon of apple cider vinegar in one quart of water. There is the garlic oil remedy for hair loss – at bedtime, puncture two garlic pearles, squirt the oil on the scalp, massage, cover with a cap, shampoo and rinse in the morning.
Make sure to test all remedies on a small area first and check with your hair loss doctor or skin doctor before trying any natural home remedy if it includes any irritating ingredients. The Russian cure with honey and vodka remedy for hair loss – combine one tablespoon honey with one jigger of vodka and the juice of a medium-size onion; rub mixture into the scalp every night, cover with a cap and shampoo in the morning. Taken orally, saw palmetto is an herbal DHT inhibitor often claimed to be cheaper and have fewer side effects than finasteride and dutasteride; unlike other 5alpha-reductase inhibitors, saw palmetto induces its effects without interfering with the cellular capacity to secrete PSA (protein specific antigen).
Polygonum Multiflorum is a traditional Chinese cure for hair loss; whether the plant itself is useful, the general safety and quality control of herbs imported from China can be questionable – only order form a reputable supplier. The olive oil and rosemary remedy for hair loss – use equal amounts of olive oil and oil of rosemary; combine them in a bottle, shake vigorously, massage into the scalp, put on a cap and shampoo in the morning. Another remedy, massage the scalp nightly with an oil made of one part rosemary oil and two parts almond oil.
The onion juice and honey remedy for hair loss: prepare a hair-growing elixir by combining 1/4 cup of onion juice with one tablespoon of honey; massage the scalp with the mixture every day. The raw onion remedy for hair loss – take half a raw onion and massage the scalp with it; cover the head overnight, shampoo and rinse in the morning. Beta Sitosterol, which is a constituent in many seed oils, can help to treat BHP (benign prostatic hypertrophy) by lowering cholesterol; but be careful, consuming large amounts to get at small quantities of beta sitosterol is likely to exacerbate male pattern baldness.
Consider picking one of the least harmful, topical, natural home treatment remedies (the kind you whip up at home), and try it on your scalp for at least 30 days. And concentrate on boosting your immune system to give your hair the best chance to regrow. Make sure to keep your scalp in good condition at all times.
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