Hair loss at a very tender age has become a common disorder these days. It causes a great deal of concern to persons affected by the hair loss. Hair is formed in minute pockets in the skin, called follicles. An upgrowth at the base of the folic called the papilla actually produces hair; when a special group of cells turns amino acids into keratin, a type of protein of which hair is made.
The rate of production of these protein ” building blocks.” determines hair growth. The average growth rate is about 1.2 cm per month, growing faster in women between the ages of 15 and 30.
Causes of Hair Loss
The most important cause of hair loss is inadequate nutrition. Even a partial lack of almost any nutrient may cause hair to fall. Persons lacking vitamin B6 lose their hair and those deficient in folic acid often become completely bald. But the hair grows normally after the liberal intake of these vitamins.
Another important cause of hair loss is stress such as worry, anxiety, and sudden shock. Stress leads to severe tension in the skin of the scalp. This adversely affects the supply of essential nutrition required for the healthy growth of the hair. General debility, syphilis, chronic cold, influenza, and anemia, also give rise to this disorder. It makes the roots of the hair weak, resulting in the falling of hair.
An unclean condition of the scalp can also cause hair loss. It weakens the hair roots by blocking the pores with the collected dirt. Heredity is another predisposing factor that may cause hair loss.
Natural Treatment of Hair Loss
The healthy condition of the hair depends, to a very large extent , on the intake of sufficient amounts of essential nutrients in the daily diet. Hair is made of protein and adequate protein is necessary for luxuriant hair. Women require 60 grams, men 80 to 90, adolescent boys and girls 80 to 100 grams of protein. It is supplied by milk, buttermilk, yogurt, soyabean, eggs, cheese, meat and fish. A lack of vitamin A may cause the hair to be coarse and ugly. A deficiency of some of the B vitamins, of iron, copper, and iodine may cause hair disorders like falling of hair and premature greying.
Lack of inositol causes hair loss. Any person having trouble with his or her hair should eat foods rich in inositols such as yeast, liver, and molasses. Research has, however, shown that women have a low requirement for inositol. Although this vitamin may help to stimulate the growth of a woman’s hair, its lack is probably not a major cause of slow growth.
Women are generally deficient in iodine and vitamin B1, either of which can slow down circulation to the scalp to such an extent that hair may fall out and new hair grows in very slowly. Women who keep their diets adequate in iodine, B vitamins, and iron have better growth of hair.
According to Adelle Davis, a world-famous nutritionist, “increasing the intake of protein, particularly of liver, wheat germ, and yeast, and supplementing the diet with a teaspoon of inositol daily usually stops a man’s hair from falling, and I have seen three or four persons whose hair became thick after these improvements were made. “
Persons with a tendency to lose hair should thus take a well-balanced and correct diet made up of foods that in combination should supply all the essential nutrients.
It has been found that a diet that contains liberal quantities of ( i) seeds, nuts, and grains, ( ii) vegetables, and (iii) fruits would provide adequate amounts of all the essential nutrients.
Each food group should roughly form the bulk of one of the three principal meals. These foods should, however, be supplemented with certain special foods such as milk, vegetable oils, honey, wheat germ, yeast, and liver.
Natural Treatment for Hair Loss
Several home remedies have been found useful in the prevention and treatment of the loss of hair. The most effective among these remedies is a vigorous rubbing of the scalp with fingers after washing the hair with cold water. The scalp should be rubbed vigorously till it starts to tingle with the heat. It will activate the sebaceous glands and energize the circulation of blood in the affected area, making the hair grow healthy.
Amla oil, prepared by boiling dry pieces of amla in coconut oil, is considered a valuable hair tonic for enriching hair growth. A mixture of an equal quantity of fresh amla juice and lime juice used as a shampoo stimulates hair growth and prevents hair loss.
Lettuce ( salad-ka-Patta) is useful in preventing hair loss through deficiencies. A mixture of lettuce and spinach juice is said to help the growth of hair if it is drunk to the extent of half a liter a day. The juice of alfalfa ( lucerne) in combination with carrot and lettuce juice, taken daily also helps the growth of hair to a remarkable extent. The combination of these juices is rich in elements that are particularly useful for the growth of hair. While preparing alfalfa juice, the leaves of the plant only may be used when they can be obtained fresh.
Daily application of refined coconut oil mixed with limewater and lime juice on the hair, prevents hair loss and lengthens them. Application of the juice of green coriander leaves on the head is also considered beneficial. Amaranth, known as chaulai-ka-saag in the vernacular, is another valuable remedy. The application of its fresh leaf juice helps the growth of the hair and keeps them soft.
Mustard oil, boiled with henna leaves, is useful in the healthy growth of hair. About 250 grams of mustard oil should be boiled in a tinned basin. A little number of henna leaves should be gradually put in this oil till about 60 grams of these leaves are thus burnt in the oil. The oil should then be filtered through a cloth and stored well in a bottle. A regular massage of the head with this oil will produce abundant hair.
Another effective home remedy for hair loss is the application of coconut milk all over the scalp and massaging it in. It will nourish the hair and promote hair growth. The coconut milk is prepared by grinding the coconut shavings and squeezing them well.
Washing the hair with a paste of cooked black gram dal, (urad dal) and fenugreek ( methi) lengthens the hair. A fine paste made from pigeon pea or red gram ( arhar dal ) can also be applied regularly with beneficial results on bald patches. Regular use of castor oil as hair oil helps the luxuriant growth of the hair.
Certain home remedies have also been found useful in cases of patchy hair loss. The seeds of lime and black pepper seeds, ground to get a fine paste, are one of the valuable remedies. This paste applied on the patches, has mildly irritant action. This increases blood circulation in the affected area and stimulates hair growth. The paste should be applied twice a day for a few weeks.
Another useful remedy for patchy hair loss is the paste of licorice (mulethi) made by grinding the pieces in milk with a pinch of saffron. This paste should be applied over the bald patches at night before going to bed.
