Natural remedies for hair loss

Healthy and good looking hair is something that we all strive for. You will find that a healthy hair follicle will grow approximately 1 cm per month, and it will actually continue to grow for anywhere between 2 to 6 years. The specific growth phase is often referred to as anagen. Up to 90% of the hairs on your head are currently experiencing this growth phase. The other 10% are said to be in a transition phase, or catagen. As that are in this transitional phase will eventually shrink down and shred. These specific hair follicles will then go through a resting phase, otherwise known as telogen, before they start to grow again. Unfortunately many people have hair that seems to become stuck in this resting phase, and will never actually grow back again. Hair loss is often referred to either as baldness or alopecia.

There are numerous causes of hair loss and these include:

  • Genetics is potentially the biggest cause of hair loss in both men and women. Up to 70% of men are affected by male pattern baldness at some point in their life, whereas women are also known to suffer from pattern baldness, although the percentage is far lower.
  • Estrogen, which is best known as a female hormone, can lead to hair loss. There have been many women who have suffered from hair loss due to taking birth control pills.
  • Stress is known to cause many problems within the body and, unfortunately, hair loss is one of them. This will typically only be temporary however stress can also be the trigger for genetically based, permanent hair loss.
  • Your diet may play a large part in any potential hair loss. Hair follicles require iron, zinc, protein and vitamins B6 to remain strong and healthy.
  • Certain processed, fried and greasy foods are known to reduce the overall amount of nutrients that your hair follicles are getting. The exact same can be said of drinking too much alcohol, tea or coffee.
  • Hair loss is often a symptom of an underlying disease such as diabetes
  • You will also find that the older you get, the more likely you are to suffer from hair loss. This is just an unfortunate side-effect of getting older.

The way in which you should treat hair loss will very much depend upon how it was caused. Something as simple as changing your medication, or stopping a particular treatment may be enough. This is usually the case if you have a certain infection or disease, and you set about treating that specific ailment. If you are suffering from stress, a little time, patience and tender loving care may be all that you need. The hardest form of hair loss to treat is if it is genetic. This is not to say that it is entirely impossible. Many people turn to more natural remedies to initially keep their hair healthy. These can include:

  • Ensuring that your scalp is clean. A wonderful way to achieve this is to gently rub lemon juice into your scalp for up to 15 minutes. This will give you extremely clean and dandruff free hair.
  • Calcium is fantastic for your hair and you should try consuming various dairy products as well as sesame seeds and figs.
  • You could make a shampoo in equal parts of lime juice and Alma juice. This natural mixture is well-known to prevent hair loss and can even stimulate hair growth. Additionally Alma can tackle grey hairs and it is known to promote thick, black hair.
  • You should also aim to avoid harsh weather and any shampoos that may either be corrosive or high in chemical value.
  • If you have dry hair you should try cooking with polyunsaturated or sunflower oils and eat foods that are rich in vitamins B. These can include bananas and brown rice
  • Henna is also known as a fantastic natural hair conditioner.

There are also certain natural remedies that can stop the process of hair loss and may even be able to restore your hair and make it thicker.

  • You should take a 6 parts burdock tea, 4 parts onion juice and one part cognac. Rub this mixture into your scalp and then cover your head and leave alone for at least two hours. After this time rinse your hair and aim to repeat this process at least once a week.
  • Firstly wash your hair with warm water, but ensure that you do not use soap or shampoo. You should then rub salt directly into your scalp for up to 15 minutes. Then simply wash your hair and aim to repeat this process once a week, for up to a month.
  • Take the skin and peelings of an onion and mix it with one glass of hot beer. Leave this mixture for half an hour and then filter off until you are left with a liquid paste, and then rub this into your scalp. This is also an extremely effective treatment for dandruff. Believe it or not, beer is actually very good for both your hair and skin and this is due to the amount of vitamins, minerals and essential elements that are found in it.
Last updated on May 6th, 2011 and filed under Alternative Medicine. Both comments and pings are currently closed.

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