There are no instant remedies for hair loss. You could try the latest in laser therapy to stimulate the hair follicles. Ayurveda recommends natural remedies like bhringraj oil as well as amla or gooseberry, curry leaves, and brahmi. You can water the hair roots with green tea, apply a rejuvenating mask of hibiscus leaves and flowers on the hair or give your scalp a cooling massage with aloe vera gel. Ginseng and some seaweed are useful for hair growth. Homeopathy too has some effective remedies.
Blame it on our need for quick fixes, we want an almost instant solution to every problem–including hair loss. Our first instinct on seeing more than the usual hair on the brush is to go and buy that hair loss control shampoo on that snazzy ad on television. But we are often disappointed with a change in hair products to counter the problem of hair loss.
Though hair loss and balding are often considered male problems with nearly 30-50 percent affected by age 50, women are not immune to it either.
According to a study, less than 45 percent of women go through life with a full head of hair. That leaves some 55 percent women grappling with hair loss or alopecia at some point or the other in their lives. The histology of female pattern hair loss is identical to that of male pattern hair loss.
It is well established that each hair strand goes through three cyclic phases. In the anagen phase, which usually lasts 2-8 years, the hair grows. At any point nearly 80 percent of your hair is in this growth phase; if it’s not, you have a problem. The catagen phase is next and lasts for 10-14 days. It accelerates growth. The final stage is the telogen or resting phase, which lasts around 90-100 days. The 50-100 strands you normally shed per day are probably in the telogen phase. Shedding more than that could signal alopecia or hair loss.
Effective Remedies For Hair Loss
These days, when faced with the issue of treating hair loss, the first step is trying the usual home remedies like applying eggs, yogurt, and mayonnaise. When these don’t give desired results, the next step is topical treatments and non-invasive treatments like the laser. But before you do any of that, try some refreshing, new and natural treatments for hair loss in women and men. It’s time to give something more to your mane than eggs and yogurt.
1. Go The Ayurvedic Way With Bhringraj
Scientifically known as Eclipta alba, bhringraj is one of Ayurveda’s go-to ingredients for an enviable mane. It is used in many shampoos and hair oils to rejuvenate the scalp. According to a study, bhringraj is one of the best home remedies for hair loss as its extracts work better than minoxidil, the reigning formula for treatment for hair loss.
To use bhringraj as an Ayurvedic hair loss treatment, simply warm the oil and apply to your scalp to stimulate the roots.
2. More Ayurveda Hair Loss Superstars
Indian gooseberry, curry leaves, brahmi, and fenugreek are also hair favorites with Ayurveda experts. A study on rats concluded that a blend of curry leaves, Indian gooseberry, brahmi, and fenugreek oils also worked faster than minoxidil. While minoxidil started showing results in 19 days, the oil blend worked in 18 days.
3. Water Your Mane With Green Tea
The catechins and antioxidants in green tea make it one of the best hair loss treatments. No wonder it is found in so many hair products. Some herbalists claim that the risk of male pattern type baldness is reduced by drinking several cups of green tea or taking it in capsule form on a daily basis.
And it’s not just one of the best hair loss treatments for men, women can also reap its benefits. Apply some directly to your scalp using a used tea bag that’s still warm.
4. Heavenly Hair With Hibiscus
The leaves and flowers of the hibiscus plant are known to have qualities that promote hair growth. They also prevent premature graying. Studies have proven that hibiscus is a natural treatment for hair loss.
If you want to try hibiscus as a hair loss cure, boil its flowers and leaves in water, cool it and use it as a rinse. You can also grind the flowers and leaves and apply as a hair mask.
5. Mermaid Tresses With Algae Extracts
We know about the plethora of medicinal uses of seaweed. Some of the varieties such as Atlantic Kelp and Himanthalia Elongata are used as hair loss remedies. They act as antioxidants to reduce and heal damage to the scalp and hair while providing a rich source of hair building amino acids and vitamins to aid growing new hair. As a bonus, they also add shine to the hair.
6. Simple Home Treatment With Aloe
Aloe vera gel is used traditionally for hair loss and for improvement in hair growth following alopecia. If you have a sensitive scalp, you can try this natural remedy for hair loss without thinking twice. Studies report that aloenin is the major constituent responsible for promoting hair growth without irritating the skin.
7. Oriental Cure With Ginseng
A favorite ancient herbal treatment for hair loss in Asia, Ginseng promotes vascular circulation and regulates cellular metabolism. Often used in shampoos or hair tonics, Ginseng helps nourish and strengthen hair.
8. Go The Laser Way
If you have tried to stop hair fall naturally and failed miserably, you may need the intervention of a trichologist or dermatologist to figure out the root cause and plan an alopecia hair loss treatment. In most cases, the hair follicles need some extra stimulation to wake up from their slumber (telogen phase) and be zapped back into the growth or anagen phase. This is where laser therapy steps in, which is comparatively a new hair loss treatment.
Several different manufacturers provide lasers and light sources of varying wavelengths and with different suggested modes of use, especially for men’s hair loss treatment. It also seems to be effective for spot thinning like frontal hair loss treatment. Though laser light can stimulate hair growth at some wavelengths, how it happens has not been defined in clinical studies. Nonetheless, laser treatment for hair loss is safer than the controversial DHT hair loss treatment for men, which involves the use of topical and oral medicines. There may be chances of side effects including sexual dysfunction.
9. Homeopathy Treatment For Hair Loss
With no side effects, homeopathy works on the principle of fixing things from the root. This inside-out approach seems to have become very popular with men and women looking for an effective hair loss treatment. Though it takes time to deliver results, the medicines and topical treatments which are often combined with nutritional supplements such as zinc, seem to deliver results for many suffering from thinning hair and general alopecia. Alum, Ars, Bar-c, Carbo-veg, Flour-ac, Graph, Lyco, Nat-m, Nit-ac, Phos-ac, Phos, Selen, Sep, Syph, Thallium and Vinca are some of the popular homeopathic medicines prescribed to stop hair loss.