CROWNAL HAIR LOSS WOMAN 30s

[RAWCA]

Hi
I am my wits end.i am onseObsessed and consumed with the hair thinning in my crown area..its smack dab in the middle of my head. I try to hide it with hairstyles but no avail..i can still see my scalp…WHY?
I am taking biotin, iron, green smoothies, putting oil in my hair..don;t know what to do anymore!
Any help/advice/stories would be great!
Thanks

[Revvell]

Hair loss is often caused by stress and often causes stress. What was going on in your life before you began losing your hair?

[RAWCA]

I think it may be genetics..is there any way to combat that?
i take biotin, iron, smoothies

[Non]

Uh.. not sure if this will work but I heard of black sesame seeds being good for hair loss

[Arky]

Uh.. not sure if this will work but I heard of black sesame seeds being good for hair loss

Yes, whilst I can't personally vouch for their effectiveness, they are indeed recommended for nourishing the 'jing' and the kidneys. TCM considers there to be a relationship between kidney vitality and hair growth. TCM also recommends He Shou Wu (Fo Ti) for promoting healthy hair growth

* Consider adrenal insufficiency.

* Some people apply a cayenne tincture to the scalp, with the aim of stimulating blood flow to the hair follicles. Adding anti-inflammatories to this (ones that don't stain the skin, such as oregano, thyme, ginger, but not turmeric or astaxanthin! (though these latter two may, of course, be consumed internally)) might be beneficial, too. Grapeseed extract may be added to topical hair tonics, too, because the Proanthocyanidins (OPCs) have been observed to promote proliferation of mouse hair follicle cells. They also have an anti-coagulatory effect (as does garlic), which helps ensure good blood flow to tiny capilaries, including those feeding the hair follicles. They act to relax the blood vessels, too. OPCs also inhibit release of pro-inflammatory prostaglandins. Researchers have also discovered that grapseed extract can help defeat the hormone dihydrotestosterone (DHT) which stops the hair follicle growth cycle.

* A good spectrum of fats in the diet (including saturated fats) are important for hair growth. However, excessive intake of any type of fat may be counter-productive for hair growth.

* One should always consider the relevance of inflammatory response in the body, since excessive systemic inflammation can be deleterious to many, many aspects of health, and may potentially have a negative effect upon blood flow to the hair follicles. There are many pro-inflammatory substances and conditions which may give rise to systemic inflammation - it's a huge topic in its own right. As always, it can be extremely helpful to note any other bodily symptoms in order to attempt to triangulate a potential common underlying cause.

* Nutrient deficiencies (e.g trace minerals) should also be considered in relation to your hair loss, of course. Seaweed contains a broad spectrum of trace minerals and it contains iodine. Humic/fulvic acid complexed minerals are also good absorbable forms of organic minerals. Wheat/barley/rye/spelt grass juices are also rich in minerals, and highly-absorbable, but should only be consumed in small quantities as large doses do not digest well and will thus not be absorbed as well as smaller doses. Always thoroughly ensalivate each mouthful prior to swallowing - it's important in order to ensure proper digestion.

* Thyroid function - are you getting enough iodine in your diet? Similarly, are you consuming too many raw goitrogenic foods? (these can inhibit uptake of iodine by the thyroid). Thyroid function is closely involved with hair growth.

* Liver function - if your liver is functioning at less than optimal levels, it may be unable to efficiently regulate hormone levels. Hormone levels can have a significant effect upon hair growth/loss. If you need any more info on this, let me know.

* Poor stomach acidity can impede absorption of many minerals. Good zinc status is essential for healthy immune function (which regulates systemic inflammation). Zinc is also essential for correct function of stomach parietal cells, which are involved with secretion of stomach acid. Therefore someone with zinc deficiency may experience hair problems due to follicle inflammation and/or poor levels of stomach acid. Also, note that poor stomach acidity can have a direct effect upon absorption of iron (you didn't mention why you are taking iron supplementation). I must further point out to you that although iron deficiency anemia may sometimes be associated with hair loss, it is also true that excessive iron intake may sometimes be associated with hair loss, so do be careful if you're taking iron in supplemental form. Personally, I would always seek to obtain iron only from dietary sources (such as dark leafy greens, sunflower seeds, etc.), but that's just me.

* Less than optimal pancreatic function may lead to less-than-optimal levels of digestive enzymes being secreted, and this can dramatically effect nutrient absorption, too.

* Gut terrain - good gut flora is essential for optimal absorption of nutrients from ingested foods, and even synthesises many nutrients, too, including some of the B vitamins. An excellent way to improve gut flora is regularly consuming home-made sauerkraut. Better still, is to add a little humic/fulvic acid complexed minerals to the ferment.

* Intestinal parasites can hinder absorption of nutrients and can alter gut flora/terrain, and can raise levels of systemic inflammation

* Dental infections (which may not necessarily be apparent to the patient!) can dramatically affect levels of systemic inflammation in the body, and they can disrupt gut flora/terrain, too.

* Intoxication. Any chronic toxins in the body can affect the body (including gut flora and liver function) in many negative ways. This should definitely be considered in cases of hair loss, since, in addition to the inflammatory considerations, the hair follicles are excretors of many toxic substances (which is why they are a good measure for heavy metals, for example). Therefore, if the follicles are attempting to excrete a heavy burden of toxins (be it metals or otherwise), then their function may suffer as a consequence.

* Stress.

* Food intolerances - if you are consuming foods to which you are intolerant, then gut inflammation may arise, and systemic inflammation may eventually arise, too. Don't overlook this as a possible cause of hair loss.

* Damage from chemical hair products, excessive washing, or excessive styling (e.g. heat, pulling etc.) can all damage follicle and hair health.



Well, this isn't a complete list, by any means, but it's all that springs to mind at the moment. It should provide a springboard for further research. Also, please do heed what I said about other health symptoms possibly providing potential clues of a connected underlying issue. That is not to say that symptoms in different parts of the body always share a common underlying cause, but there is often a fair chance that this may prove to be the case, even if the link may not be immediately obvious. It is a huge mistake to simply presume that your hair has no connection to other parts of your physiology. EVERY part of the body interacts, to some degree, with every other part of the body. Modern medicine is shamefully ignorant of this fact, but old-time naturopaths knew this very well, and often achieved true healing results with their patients, as a consequence.







BTW, there is some discussion on the topic of inflammation in the following thread:

www.rawfoodtalk.com/showthread.php?71446-Rhuematoid-Factor


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[RAWCA]

Has anyone tried He shou wu?
I heard good things but dont know if any one has tried it

[Non]

Has anyone tried He shou wu?
I heard good things but dont know if any one has tried it

i have. it's alright..I did notice my hair become fuller or it just seemed healthier. at higher doses also kind of an aphrodisiac.

[girl81]

Either MSM or my increase in omega 3 fats seem to have helped my hair grow back (knock on wood); I added both at the same time.

[Arky]

Either MSM or my increase in omega 3 fats seem to have helped my hair grow back (knock on wood); I added both at the same time.

That's great. I'm really pleased to hear you're experiencing some improvement.

I should point out that MSM is seemingly not without it's risks, as was discussed here on RFT, quite some time ago ( http://www.rawfoodtalk.com/showthrea...Powder-Warning ), but many do tolerate it just fine and I never personally experienced any problems with it (although I no longer use it), so I am, broadly-speaking, neutral about it.


The thing is, though, for someone on a high-raw diet, nutrients such as sulphur and omega 3 should tend to be relatively abundant (e.g from nuts, seeds and dark leafy greens), which makes it interesting to contemplate why you would have experienced improvement by supplementing with these nutrients, over and above your dietary intake.

Nevertheless, I am pleased that you have benefited from supplementing one or both of them, in some way.

[girl81]

The thing is, though, for someone on a high-raw diet, nutrients such as sulphur and omega 3 should tend to be relatively abundant (e.g from nuts, seeds and dark leafy greens), which makes it interesting to contemplate why you would have experienced improvement by supplementing with these nutrients, over and above your dietary intake.

Arky,
I think that is a good point. I do not eat nuts, seeds, or avocado regularly so it may be my body's response to more fats. That said, I do believe I have seen a lot of benefits from MSM; and I also wholeheartedly agree that every body is unique in it's specific state and encourage everyone to do what is best for them.

[RawSar]

what about oxygen to the brain...? I guess stress related, lots of stress = less oxygen to brain or use of caffeine too much cacao maybe ? which then could = less blood flow to the brain...
Another thing to think about or add to Arky's good list.

I have taken He shoo wu but in small doses and didnt notice any change to my health...
I do remember reading somewhere that nettle juice helps increase blood flow which could help.... not sure how you would use it, I was thinking of just pouring it on to my scalp and massaging in for 20min or so and then rinse and wash....

[Arky]

what about oxygen to the brain...? I guess stress related, lots of stress = less oxygen to brain or use of caffeine too much cacao maybe ? which then could = less blood flow to the brain...

Be careful to distinguish between the brain and the scalp

I do remember reading somewhere that nettle juice helps increase blood flow which could help.... not sure how you would use it, I was thinking of just pouring it on to my scalp and massaging in for 20min or so and then rinse and wash....

Nettle is an interesting plant, in relation to hair growth. Nettle root is high in certain sterols which, in men, are believed to positively influence the prostate. There does seem to be some relationship between prostate health and male hair growth, not least in a hormonal sense. Nettle leaves, on the other hand, are very rich in silicon, which is useful for hair structure.

It is interesting to note that some male users of the pharmaceutical product monoxidil report undesirable side effects in the prostate (e.g. enlargement - AKA BPH / benign prostatic hypertrophy, although the 'benign' aspect of that has unfortunately come under question in recent years). Proscar (Finasteride) also seems to have undesirable effects upon some users' prostates (Finasteride is a 5-alpha reductase inhibitor and thus inhibits conversion of testosterone to dihydrotestosterone - DHT, which is known to have a significant bearing on male hair loss). I only mention this as it is interesting to note that there seem to be side-effects of treating male hair loss with these substances (admittedly, these are isolates, which, as anyone who dislikes pharmaceuticals will know, are not uncommonly associated with side-effects). Even female users report erratic effects upon rates of hair growth and, indeed, hair loss. In case you may be thinking none of this seems relevant to our discussion, here on RFT, it is also intriguing that minoxidil was originally prescribed for the purposes of vasodilation - i.e. it was intended for use as an anti-hypertensive drug. They found that some patients taking it for anti-hypertensive purposes reported improved hair growth.

So, we can see that commercial isolates that are known (for better or worse) to influence hair growth/loss have both hormonal and vasodilative influences upon the body. This is intriguing.

Coming back to the natural side of things, then, we can observe that substances such as saw palmetto and nettle root are known to have some hormonal influences that seem to be of utility to males experiencing some forms of hair loss. There also seems to be some similar effect for certain women with hair loss, and some other hormonal-related issues. Remember that testosterone is also present in the female body, and at greater levels than we are generally led to believe. Testosterone is converted into dihydrotestosterone (DHT) by 5-alpha reductase, and nettle root and saw palmetto are both believed to act as 5-alpha reductase inhibitors. So, in people with DHT-related hair loss, 5-alpha reductase inhibitory substances may, perhaps be of benefit, other side-effects (particularly from isolates such as the aforementioned commercial products) notwithstanding.

We can also observe that other traditional natural treatment options for hairloss (the efficacy of which is not conclusively established) include those that seek to improve blood flow to the scalp. So, substances such as capsicum, caffeine, etc. may be either consumed or topically applied to the scalp in an effort to stimulate blood flow (and thus nutrient flow) to the hair follicles.

A well known eastern european approach is to make an alcoholic tincture of capsicum, to apply to the scalp. Unfortunately, though, alcohol if applied frequently, can have a drying effect upon the skin, so a water-based, or glycerine-based approach to topical capsicum might be a safer bet, though I cannot personally vouch for the efficacy of any of these approaches.

I do have a personal sense (I'm not stating this as scientific fact, it's just my personal... 'sense') that hair loss may often be every bit as much a result of systemic inflammation + nutrient deficiency as it is any hormonal imbalance (and indeed, hormonal imbalance can conceivably arise from the very same circumstances under which systemic inflammation and nutrient deficiency may arise). What personally fascinates me about this is that I really can see potential physiological mechanisms which might lay the groundwork for health circumstances whereby nutrient levels may be compromised and systemic inflammation simultaneously be present. For example some toxicological or parasitic agent may detrimentally affect the function of both the liver and the gut (and gut flora), and a cascade of immunological and nutrient absorption and/or nutrient synthesis effects might consequently arise. I could elaborate on this, but since it's just a speculative theory of mine, rather than a theory held by the scientific community, I'll refrain ;-)