Our busy,crazy lives mean that we are increasingly becoming more and more stressed, and depending on what type of person we are we can carry this tension in our scalp. This can result in the starvation of individual hair follicles and can results in hair loss...
Frequently, hair loss patients suffer from poorer circulation generally, and carry their stresses in the neck and shoulders. Additional stress can further reduce the oxygen supply to certain areas of the scalp and hair loss occurs in those patches.
New research is showing that there are connections between your gut and your hair. A condition called Alopecia areata is an autoimmune disease which attacks your hair follicles, thus causing your hair to fall out in clumps. We all know that our gut is responsible for good digestion.
Some simple tips to care for your hair;
- Be gentle with your hair when wet as it is more elastic and can break more easily.
- Use a good soft brush with round bristles.
- Massage your scalp regularly possibly with apple cider vinegar and sage to stimulate growth or use stinging nettle tea.
- Use natural hair care products-suphate free so as not to strip hair of natural oils.
- Internally the herbs Licorice helps prevent loss and Silica makes it strong and shiny.
- Biotin is linked to hair loss-increase by eating brown rice, peas lentils, oats, walnuts and sunflower seeds.
- Reduce sugar as it is highly acidic and destroys B vitamins and avoid raw eggs which stop biotin being absorbed.
- Mulberries prevent both greying and hair loss as they stimulate the liver and kidneys.
- Zinc and Kelp are essential for growth and strength
- Add nuts to your diet. They are better if you soak them for a few hours or overnight before eating them.
McDowells suggestions
A special mix might include a mix of herbs:- Maritime Pine Bark, Sage, Nettle, Rue, Prickly Ash, Vervain, Ginseng, Rosemary and Rosehips, as well as the Bach Flower Remedy Crab Apple.
In addition, I normally recommend massage with a little rosemary oil or rosemary hair rinse to improve scalp circulation and health. You should be aware however, that any hair follicles that are already damaged will not recover, and massage initially will seem to cause more hair loss.
