Learn The Facts About Hair Loss And Hair Loss Remedies

By : Helen Hecker

The severity and nature of baldness can vary greatly; it ranges from male and female pattern alopecia, alopecia areata, which involves the loss of some of the hair from the head, and alopecia totalis, which involves the loss of all head hair, to the most extreme form of baldness, alopecia universalis, which involves the loss of all hair from the head and the body. The trigger for male pattern baldness, also called androgenic alopecia, is DHT, a powerful sex hormone that can adversely affect the hair and the prostate gland.

It's possible that correcting a hormone imbalance may prevent further hair loss. Poor digestion, parasites and nutrient deficiencies such as iron or biotin deficiency shouldn't be overlooked as possible causes too. And alopecia areata is an autoimmune disorder also known as "spot baldness" that can result in hair loss ranging from just one area to every hair on the entire body.

Since hair loss may be an early sign of a disease, it is important to find the cause so that it can be treated properly and quickly. Recognizing and treating an infection may help stop the loss. If a medicine is causing your loss, your doctor may be able to prescribe a different medicine or you may decide you really don't need or want the medicine.

Hair loss may occur as part of an underlying disease, like lupus erythmatosis type two diabetes. If the thyroid gland is overactive or underactive, hair may fall out and treating thyroid disease will help remedy this. Hypothyroidism can cause it too, especially the thinning of the outer third of the eyebrows.

There are hundreds of hair loss products on the market used as remedies and treatments. The surgical methods used for hair loss include hair transplantation; hair-producing follicles are taken from the back and sides of the head and injected into bald or thinning areas. Minoxidil is a drug that has to be used daily to prevent loss but may create heart problems; the hair it grows is very fine, only on the top of the head and may fall out again soon after the drug is stopped.

Minoxidil is a very expensive drug, costing about one hundred dollars per month for daily uninterrupted treatment. The topical application of Ketoconazole, which is both an anti-fungal and a potent 5-alpha reductase inhibitor, is often used as a supplement to other approaches. 

Try to think about natural treatment if possible; taking hair loss drugs require many months or years of exposure to harmful chemicals.

Stress reduction can be helpful in slowing your hair loss. Surgery is another method of reversing loss and baldness, although it could be considered an extreme measure. There are both natural and chemical-based products available.

Raw apple cider vinegar used as a hair rinse may stimulate hair growth. For the garlic for hair loss remedy - an hour before bedtime, slice open a clove of garlic and rub it on the area of loss, wait for an hour then massage the scalp with olive oil, put on a cap, go to bed, and shampoo your hair in the morning. Repeat this for a few weeks, and hopefully hair will stop falling out and regrowth will be appearing. 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 is questionable these days.

The raw onion remedy - take half a raw onion and massage the scalp with it; cover the head overnight, shampoo and rinse in the morning. The olive oil and rosemary remedy - 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. Also you can try lying on a slant board with head down for 15 minutes a day, but clear it with your doctor first.

The Asian remedy - rub sesame oil on your scalp every night, cover with a cap or old towel; in the morning wash with an herbal shampoo, rinse with a solution of one tablespoon of apple cider vinegar in one quart of water. Another remedy is to massage the scalp nightly with an oil made of one part rosemary oil and two parts almond oil. Vodka and cayenne is another remedy - mix one jigger of vodka with a 1/2 teaspoon of cayenne pepper (test on skin first for sensitivity) and rub it on the scalp; blood rushes to the hair follicles stimulated by the vodka and cayenne pepper - but be careful if you try it.

One patient reported that he used coconut oil on his hair and scalp for a year and during that time his hair became thicker and he had more of it on the top of his head where he had been receding a bit; it's good as a hair gel too. Good circulation to the scalp is important. Make sure to test all these home remedies on a small area first and check with your doctor or skin doctor before trying any natural home remedy if it includes any irritating ingredients.

Consider picking one of the least harmless, topical, natural home treatment remedies (the kind you whip up at home), and try it on your scalp for at least 30 days and see what happens. With extensive research, reading ratings and reviews and reading testimonials from real people you may be able to find the right hair loss product, treatment or remedy that'll work for you. And concentrate on boosting your immune system to give your hair the best chance to grow.

About the Author

For more information on hair loss remedies and hair loss products go to http://www.HairLossRemedy.us a nurse's website specializing in hair loss treatments, causes and resources for men, women and children including information on hair transplants and hair loss natural treatments

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