Learn about these natural hair loss solutions

Noticing a few strands of hair in your brush or sink is very normal throughout life, but losing clumps of hair can be distressing. Although traditionally thought to affect only men, many women experience hair loss as well.

What causes hair loss anyway? Just like with a garden, hair grows (or doesn’t) depending on what is going on “under the surface.” Plants need good nutrients and a little love to grow strong roots and be healthy; so do hair follicles.

Many gardeners choose to use natural products to help plants thrive rather than chemicals. Is there a way to similarly address hair loss naturally without resorting to artificial (and potentially harmful) substances?

What causes hair loss?

Stress

Have you ever heard someone say that something makes them want to “pull their hair out?” Under extreme stress, as much as 90% of the hair in the growing phase can shift all at once to the shedding phase. About 6 weeks to 3 months after a stressful event is usually when this shedding occurs and it is possible to lose handfuls of hair at once under such a condition.

Hair will often grow back as long as severely stressful events can be avoided. But for some women, this is a mysterious chronic disorder that can persist for months without any true understanding of the triggering stressors. The more obvious stressors that affect hair growth are events like child birth, malnutrition, severe infection, or major surgery.

Hormones

There is a substance, called dihydrotestosterone (DHT), which is a root cause (pun intended) of hair loss in both men and women. DHT is a by-product of the hormone testosterone; which is usually abundant in men but also found in women and girls to a lesser degree. With the help of an enzyme found in the hair’s oil glands, testosterone changes to DHT. DHT literally shrinks the hair follicles and makes them finer and finer over time. Teenage girls may experience this kind of hair loss until their hormones balance out.

Medications

Besides birth control medications that affect a women’s hormones, other medications can cause hair loss. Such medications include anticoagulants, beta blockers, various hormones, anti-depressants and even high doses of vitamin A.

Over-Styling

Tight hairstyles like high ponytails, braiding, cornrows, tight buns and extensions all tug at the hair. If the condition is detected early enough, hair loss due to this cause will generally re-grow once the hairstyle is discontinued.

Poor Nutrition

Poor nutrition is the hair loss cause that is actually one of the most understood. With a poor diet, the body tries to conserve what few healthful nutrients it has and diminishes the amount of nutrients that go to the hair. This results in gradual thinning. And just as the thinning occurs gradually, it takes a well-balanced nutrition plan months to reverse hair loss that took months to make itself apparent.

Which natural solutions work best for me?

It depends on what you suspect is the cause of your hair loss.

Stress

If you suspect that stress plays a role in your hair loss, consider taking on a relaxing hobby. Habitual relaxing activities, like yoga or simple meditation, can help clear the mind and reduce stress-related hair loss. But be aware that this must be habitual to ensure that you continue to avoid the hair-loss causing stressors.

If you find yourself dealing with high levels of stress, consider the high quality and comprehensive blend of vitamins, essential nutrients and herbs called Executive Stress Formula that is manufactured by Douglas Laboratories.

Hormones

For those who have been told that hormones (specifically testosterone and the DHT that it can create) may be to blame for hair loss, supplementing with saw palmetto is potentially useful. Saw palmetto has traditionally been used to treat a number of conditions (most notably enlarged prostate), but the evidence supporting its ability to address hair loss caused by androgenic alopecia is quite promising. Although researchers are not entirely sure how it works, it is believed that saw palmetto blocks the conversion of testosterone to DHT. With lower DHT, sensitive hair follicles shrink less.

If you are a woman and your doctor suspects that hormones are playing a role in your hair loss, Douglas Laboratories’ Saw Palmetto Max-V is a great way to see what saw palmetto can do for hair growth. Women experiencing hair loss should consult their healthcare practitioner before taking this product.

Over-styling

If over-styling sounds like it might be the culprit, start “babying” your hair a little more. Avoid any “tight” hairstyles like pony tails or various types of braiding. Be sure to brush and dry hair gently (without a hot hair dryer) to avoid weakening hair and leaving it more prone to breakage.

Medication

One can’t just stop taking an important medicine to try and stop hair loss, so ask your doctor if there are any alternative medications or natural alternatives that may work as well.

Nutrition

When poor nutrition is the cause of hair loss, it can seem daunting to overhaul your diet. Fortunately, there are some relatively simple adjustments you can make without having to eat “perfectly.”

1. Boost your protein: The American Academy of Dermatology notes that inadequate protein intake is one of the leading causes of hair loss. Maintaining sufficient protein levels is important for hair health, as proteins make up hair follicles.

Supplementing with a high quality rice and pea based protein, such as PureLean Protein Blend Basics, is a good choice.  To read more about which protein is right for you, read my recent article: Which Protein is the Best Fit for You?

2. Boost your B vitamins: A study from Dermatology Research and Practice found that women with thinning hair who were given a pill that included biotin (also known as Vitamin B7), twice a day for 90 days, regrew hair and experienced less shedding than those who received a placebo. If you think a lack of these nutrients may be the cause of your hair loss, or you are looking to just support the hair that you have, consider adding a supplement like B-Complex by Vital Nutrients.

3.  Boost your iron: Iron deficiency is one of the most common nutritional deficiencies in the US and women are among those with the greatest risk. Without iron, the body goes into survival mode to support vital functions and keeping your hair is not one.

For those wishing to up their iron levels, consider Vital Nutrients’ Iron Plus C because it also contains the Vitamin C that is required for the body to absorb iron.

4. Boost your essential fatty acids: A study published in the Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology found that supplementing with omega-3 and healthy omega-6 fatty acids along with an antioxidants boosted hair growth in comparison to the control group.

Omega 3 6 9 Emulsion, by BioGenesis, is a quality product that provides a full spectrum of omega fatty acids; including the omega-6 variety that may be lacking in some diets and is missing in many omega supplements.

This newsletter should help you find natural products that can help you address your hair loss concerns. If you have any questions regarding the concepts discussed here or anything else, please feel free to fill out our Ask the Doctor form found at the Doctors Corner.

Yours in health,

Dr. Gregg Gittins