Natural Home Remedies For Hair Fall

Introduction

Alopecia or hair loss is the process in which inactive or dead hair is emitted from the skin. Hair fall may have an impact on the social and psychological well-being of men and women of different age groups¹. Hair loss patterns may be apparent or the hair loss may occur in a diffused pattern². Hair loss is sometimes permanent like male pattern baldness and female pattern baldness. These male and female patterns of baldness are usually passed from one generation to another^2,3. Although not life-threatening but hair loss is stressful and has a significant effect on the quality of life of the patient. Read along to find some possible home remedies that may be helpful².

What Causes Hair Fall?

Normally we lose around 50 and 100 hair a day, and we need not worry about it. But sometimes, it may be a sign of an underlying medical condition. The hair loss can be non-cicatricial, known as nonscarring (non-permanent damage of hair follicles) or cicatricial, also known as scarring (possibly permanent and irreversible destruction of hair follicles)².

Temporary Hair Fall May be Caused By

• Stress
• Cancer treatment³
• Hypothyroidism
• Recent pregnancy²
• Trichorrhexis nodosa- a common hair problem caused by using hair products such as straightening agents or certain shampoos in which thickened or weak points in hair cause hair to break off easily
• Deficiencies of protein, iron, or vitamin B12⁴
• An illness
• Weight loss³

Permanent Hair Fall May be Caused By

• Genetics: A family history of hair loss such as female pattern baldness and male pattern baldness (also known as androgenetic alopecia)².
• The hair loss may be due to the distribution of the androgen (male hormone) sensitive follicles. Beginning right from puberty, androgens reduce the anagen phase (the active phase of the hair) and cause follicular miniaturisation (constriction of hair follicles, making it harder for hair to grow) leading to vellus (very thin like body hair) like hair formation and gradual hair thinning¹.

Symptoms of Hair Fall

Hair loss can be thinning of hair where gradually more scalp becomes visible or hair shedding when large quantities of hair fall out. Determination of the patient’s exact condition may clarify the cause, set of causes or manner of the hair loss¹. The symptoms of hair fall are:

• Sudden onset of hair loss
• Gradual onset of hair loss
• Diffused hair loss
• Patchy hair loss
• Hair loss with the normal-appearing scalp (in case of anxiety or psychiatric diseases)
• Male pattern baldness: M-shaped pattern of hair thinning occurs on the scalp in men. The loss of hair happens on the top and each side of the forehead by sparing hair on the sides and back of the head.
• Female pattern baldness: Diffused hair loss occurs over the top of the head with some frontal hairline depletion².

Suggested Home Remedies for Hair Fall

1. Bhringaraja

The leaves can be soaked in oil overnight and then boiled. This oil can be applied to hair to prevent hair fall⁵.

2. Indian Gooseberry or Amla

Thefruit powder of amla can be boiled in oil, and this oil can be massaged well on the scalp to prevent hairfall⁵.

3. Hibiscus or Gudhal

Flower paste of hibiscus mixed with any oil can be applied on hair to prevent hairfall⁵.

4. Calabash or Bottle Guord

To prevent hair fall, a bottle gourd can be chopped and soaked in oil and then applied to the scalp. A fine cloth may also be wrapped around the head⁵.

5. Brahmi

Powder of Brahmi leaves soaked in oil and boiled, then massaged well on the head helps prevent hair fall⁵.

6. Five-Leaved Chaste Tree

Leaves of the five-leaved chaste tree can be soaked in oil and boiled to prepare an oil mix that can be used as a home remedy for hair fall⁵.

7. Arandi Oil

According to a study arandi oil from seeds of arandi was found to show additive effects with olive oil for the management of hair fall. Arandi seed oil massage helps in preventing hair fall^5,6.

8. Sesame Oil

Zinc is found in sesame seeds oil, and it is linked to the healthy growth of hair. Regular application of sesame seed oil also helps prevent hair fall^5,7.

9. Guduchi or Giloy

To prevent hair fall, freshly crushed twigs of giloy may be soaked in water. We can drink this water regularly for a month to get the benefits⁵.

10. Aloe Vera

The juice of the leaves of Indian aloe vera can be used for hair washing to improve the growth of hair and control hair fall⁸.

11. Ginkgo

Extracts of Ginkgo promote hair growth in humans. The extract of ginkgo leaf stimulates the regrowth of hair by a combination of effects such as proliferation (increase in the number of cells) and apoptosis (death of damaged cells) in the hair follicle. Thus, ginkgo can be a possible hair tonic⁹.

12. Aromatherapy

Alopecia areata (an autoimmune disorder that leads to unpredictable and patchy hair loss) can be safely and effectively managed by aromatherapy. Essential oils such as those derived from rosmarinus, lavender, cedarwood and thyme are found to be significantly effective in stimulating hair follicles and can be used as a topical herbal therapy⁹.

13. Jatamansi

Jatamansi promotes hair growth by enlarging the size of the follicles and increasing the active phase of the hair cycle. Jatamansi shows hair growth effect in alopecia (hair fall) induced by chemotherapy⁹.

Though there are studies that show the benefits of the given herbs and home remedies in this condition, these are insufficient and there is a need for further studies to establish the true extent of the benefits of these herbs and home remedies on human health.  Thus, these should be only taken under the guidance and supervision of your ayurvedic physician.

When to Seek Medical Help?

You must seek a doctor’s advice if:

• You experience sudden hair loss
• You have developed bald patches
• You are losing clusters of hair
• You experience an itching and burning sensation on the head
• Hair loss makes you anxious³

You must not rely on home remedies for the treatment of this condition you should consult a qualified doctor for any advice for the condition.

Conclusion

Hair loss may not generally need treatment, and we need not worry about it as it is either temporary and the hair will grow back or is a regular feature of growing older³. Hair loss is a rising issue of social concern as it has an impact on a person’s confidence and impacts their quality of life. Home remedies such as gudhal, aloe vera, brahmi, arandi, amla, bhringraj etc. have been used for hair care since ancient times. Hair loss may also be a sign of an underlying medical condition seek your doctor’s advice if you experience sudden hair loss.

Also Read: Natural Home Remedies For Thick Hair

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

References

1. Springer K, Brown M, Stulberg DL. Common hair loss disorders. American family physician. 2003 Jul 1;68(1):93-102. Available from: https://www.aafp.org/pubs/afp/issues/2003/0701/p93.html
2. Phillips TG, Slomiany WP, Robert Allison II. Hair loss: common causes and treatment. American family physician. 2017 Sep 15;96(6):371-8. Available from: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28925637/
3. NHS. Hair loss. [Internet] Available from: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/hair-loss/  
4. Cleaveland clinic. Health essentials, Hair Loss in Women: When Should You Worry? Steps to prevent or treat thinning hair. Last updated: July 9, 2018. Women’s Health [Internet] Available from: https://health.clevelandclinic.org/hair-loss-in-women-when-should-you-worry
5. Mitaliya KD, Bhatt DC, Patel NK, Dodia SK. Herbal remedies used for hair disorders by tribals and rural folk in Gujarat. Available from: http://nopr.niscair.res.in/bitstream/123456789/25973/1/IJTK%202%284%29%20389-392.pdf
6. Zaid AN, Jaradat NA, Eid AM, Al Zabadi H, Alkaiyat A, Darwish SA. Ethnopharmacological survey of home remedies used for treatment of hair and scalp and their methods of preparation in the West Bank-Palestine. BMC complementary and alternative medicine. 2017 Dec;17(1):1-5. Available from: https://bmccomplementmedtherapies.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12906-017-1858-1
7. Obiajunwa EI, Adebiyi FM, Omode PE. Determination of essential minerals and trace elements in Nigerian sesame seeds, using TXRF technique. Pakistan Journal of Nutrition. 2005;4(6):393-5. Available from: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/26563494_Determination_of_Essential_Minerals_and_Trace_Elements_in_Nigerian_Sesame_Seeds_Using_TXRF_Technique
8. Suneetha J, Rao JK, Reddi TS. Herbal remedies for hair disorders by the tribals of East Godavari District, Andhra Pradesh. Journal of Experimental Sciences. 2011 Aug 25;2(8). Available from: https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/236016283.pdf
9. Patel S, Sharma V, S Chauhan N, Thakur M, Dixit VK. Hair growth: focus on herbal therapeutic agent. Current drug discovery technologies. 2015 Mar 1;12(1):21-42. Available from: https://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/ben/cddt/2015/00000012/00000001/art00004
10. American Academy of Dermatology Association. Thinning hair and hair loss: could it be female pattern hair loss? [Internet] Available from: https://www.aad.org/public/diseases/hair-loss/types/female-pattern
11. Sharquie KE, Al” Obaidi HK. Onion juice (Allium cepa L.), a new topical treatment for alopecia areata. The Journal of dermatology. 2002 Jun;29(6):343-6. Available from: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1346-8138.2002.tb00277.x

Disclaimer: The information included on this site is for educational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for medical treatment by a healthcare professional. Because of unique individual needs, the reader should consult their physician to determine the appropriateness of the information for the reader’s situation.

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