HAIR LOSS - TAKE CARE OF YOUR ROOTS

Nearly every other day I get a patient who complaints that his/ her hair is falling out. Right from infants to the aged come with this problem. People are so desperate to get rid off the hair loss problem that they will try any and all kinds of treatment. Thanks to this desperation there a number of hoax and fraud treatments available in the market. People are making money out of this disorder and misguiding the patient. Instead of helping the persons condition they worsen it. If you have a Hair Loss problem then read this article carefully and get the correct facts.

IMPORTANT FACTS ABOUT HAIR

Each and everyone of us is born with a certain number of hair follicles on our scalp. This is pre-determined by our genes. Also the density of the hair on our scalp varies with the colour and texture. For example Blonde hair has an average of 140,000 hairs whereas dark-haired people like us Indians have 110,000 on an average. Each hair grows from a hair follicle which are found in the inner skin. Our hair has three distinct layers, the cuticle, cortex, which is composed of keratinized cells and the medulla.

MYTH NO. 1- Contrary to what people believe every hair follicle has its own oil gland and sweat gland. This oil gland removes the unwanted waste products from the scalp. By putting excess oil externally you are in fact blocking the hairs own oil gland and all the waste matter remains collected in the scalp. Therefore doing more harm than good.

MYTH NO. 2- people think that if they dont wash their hair often it wont fall. They will wash their hair once a week only. But what they dont realize is that this creates more problems. The sweat gland in your hair follicle secretes substances which dry on your scalp. The secretion can contain water, salts, acids, and even bacteria. If this is not regularly removed from the scalp by washing then it can lead to severe itching and DANDRUFF.

MYTH NO. 3- the patient is frightened even if a few strands of hair fall. What they dont know is that each hair has its own life of 1 to 6 years. When hair falls of from its follicle normally a new one is already regrowing from that same follicle.

MYTH NO. 4- if you think by applying various different types of oils, external treatments, different concoctions your hair loss will be cured then you are under the wrong impression. This is because the growth of hair is from within the body and dependent mainly on blood circulation. It provides nourishment to the hair and removes the unwanted waste products.

COMMON CAUSES OF HAIR LOSS

Heredity - if your father is bald having the typical male pattern baldness then being his son even you have inherited his defective genes. But you can delay baldness by taking care of your hair.

Old age - as your age advances your hair loss increases. The quality of the hair also reduces and is like the kind that new born babies have. That is why old age is often referred to as the Second Childhood.

Alopecia areata - this is a hair loss condition which usually affects the scalp but can also affect other parts of the body like the beard.

Medications - certain drugs have an adverse effect on the growth of hair. Chemotherapy given for cancer causes the hair to fall. A high dose of Vitamin A given for a long period can also have the same effect.

Burns - damages the hair.

Radiation therapy

Any serious illness - like diabetes, thyroid disorders etc. Even an episode of high fever or severe flu can cause hair to fall excessively.

Excessive hair styling and dying - chemicals used for dying, tinting, straightening, bleaching, perming etc.. can cause hair to become damaged and break off .

Traction Alopecia - if you use clips and rubberbands which pull the hair or tie the hair very tight then it can cause damage to the follicles.

Trichotillomania - this is a condition in which the patient suffers from a nervous habit of pulling out the hair without even realizing what she is doing.

Emotional of physical stress- this is another common cause for hair loss. Many women complaint of hair loss during or after pregnancy. Even surgery causes a stress on the entire body and the hair could be affected.

Hygiene - poor hygiene can cause dandruff, scaling, itching, scalp tenderness and finally loss of hair.

Poor nutrition- an inadequate amount and quality of protein or iron in your diet can cause hair loss. Vegetarians need to be especially careful about the quality of protein they are eating. Soyabean is the best protein of a vegetarian diet.

Scalp infection- ringworm infection of the scalp causes changes on the surface of the skin which can lead to hair loss. Once the infection is correctly treated then the hair normally returns.

 

TIPS ON HOW TO TAKE CARE OF YOUR HAIR

Wash your hair regularly. If you are an outdoors person or you exercise and sweat then you should wash your hair every alternate day. If not then you need to wash your hair every third day. Use a shampoo with a neutral pH value and one which has the least number of chemicals. A good Homoeopathic shampoo is best.

It is very important to treat the cause of hair loss if not due to Heredity or male pattern baldness. Internal Homoeopathic medicine is the best treatment.

Avoid harsh treatment and excessive styling of the hair. Dyes, chemicals, colouring, tinting will affect the growth of hair. Use minimal amounts of gels, mousses if required. Perming and straightening are extremely harmful for the follicles.

Diet is very important as explained earlier. 90% of your hair is made up of protein therefore a good amount and quality of protein in your diet is essential. EGG is considered as the complete protein. Also all non-vegetarian sources have a high protein content. If you are vegetarian then your diet must consist of a good amount of SOYABEAN. It is the only substitute, all other vegetarian sources are not as good in quality and quantity.

Vitamins and minerals are essential for the growth of your hair and its quality. Ask your homoeopathic physician what you should be taking.

HOMOEOPATHY WILL TAKE CARE OF YOUR HAIR

As I have stated earlier it is very important to treat the cause of hair loss. If the cause is genetic then atleast the onset of baldness can be delayed and the quality of hair improved. Alopecia areata can be effectively tackled with our homoeopathic drugs. In Homoeopathy we treat the patient as a complete person taking all the symptoms into account including the personality of the patient. On the basis of this we prescribe a constitutional remedy which will improve the patients vitality and root out the cause of the hair loss. Along with this it is essential to follow all the tips given above too. Here are a few time tested remedies for hair loss.

OLEANDER

If the cause of hair loss is due to some infection in the scalp then Oleander should be thought of. The patient complaints of a terrible itchy feeling in the scalp especially along the hairline.

The scalp has eruptions in spots which ooze and the secretion is offensive smelling. Though the patient feels better after scratching it causes rawness and soreness of the scalp.

5 pills of Oleander 200 four times a day will give great relief from the itching and cure the eruptions.

FLUORIC ACIDUM

Fluoric acid is one of the most valuable remedies for Alopecia areata. Here the hair falls out in typical patches. The texture of hair is very brittle and dry.

If a child or person develops sudden hair loss after a bout of fever then this drug should be thought of.

All the discharges are very acrid and corrosive just like the acid. Even the sweat is very eroding and acrid which may cause the hair to weaken and fall.

Fluoric acid 200, 5 pills four times a day will bring back the hair to its former state.

If after your pregnancy or delivery you develop an excess amount of hair loss then you might require SEPIA. Some women suffer from severe hair loss during their climatric period along with typical butterfly pigmentation across their cheeks and saddle of the nose. Here Sepia will take care of the symptoms and help her through her menopause.

GRAPHITES

Eczema is one of the leading causes of hair loss especially in children and adolescents. Here the eruptions ooze a typical sticky discharge which is offensive in odour. This discharge causes matting of the hair and makes it brittle. Ultimately this brittle hair falls out leaving bald patches.

There may be premature graying of hair and baldness. Even the hair from the chin falls out leaving patches on the face. Graphites is very effective for thickening and hardness of the skin, nails, glands of the body.

Graphites 200, 5 pills four times a day will cure the eczema and bring back the lost hair.

If there is any such thing as a specific remedy for hair loss then WIESBADEN would be it. This is prescribed when there are no other symptoms available on which to select a remedy from. Can be used to delay the onset of typical inherited male pattern baldness.