Natural Remedies for Thinning Hair:
Can Exercise and Herbal Extracts Help?
There are several natural remedies for thinning hair, hair loss and
alopecia that you can try...
This
page gives various exercises that will help relieve stress and
reduce your body's levels of certain hormones that are known to
have a strong connection with androgenetic alopecia.
androgenetic
alopecia is more commonly known as male pattern
baldness in men and diffuse thinning in women. And the
hormones
that are connected to this type of hair loss are testosterone and
dihydrotestosterone (DHT).
Herbal remedies for hair loss are also included, as some of them might
also help restore stronger scalp hair growth.
Exercises
for hair health
These are the sorts of things you can do that, over time, may give
slight improvements to the health and growth of your hair. However,
like any holistic approach, these home-made natural remedies for
thinning hair and hair loss will take time. So it's important that, if
you do decide to try some or all of these ideas, you commit yourself to
doing them regularly for several months.
1.
Slow deep breathing
This might sound unlikely, but deep breathing can increase your energy
levels by delivering more oxygen to your blood. Your circulation system
will run a bit more efficiently too. Both these things can help nourish
your scalp follicles.
2.
Neck stretches
Tilts - keep your head facing forwards
and tilt left then right. Turns - turn your head as far left, then
as far right as you can without straining. Nods - nod your chin down to your chest.
Then lift your head back and up.
Combined with slow deep breathing, these exercises will help
relieve tension in the neck and improve circulation to some extent. You
will need to repeat each exercise several times.
3.
Head and neck massage
These
feel good and can probably encourage an increase in circulation to the
scalp for a short period of time. Importantly, they'll also reduce
stress too, which again should help scalp circulation slightly.
4.
Gravity exercises
Another
home remedy for thinning hair involves the use of gravity. Various
ideas exist, but shoulder stands (with or without a wall to prop
yourself up) are probably the fastest way to increase blood flow to the
scalp.
Other, less extreme versions that don't require the same degree of
strength, flexibility and balance include simply lying on your back and
lifting your legs up against a wall.
You can also buy special chairs or tables that are pivoted so you can
spend time inverted.
5.
Aerobic exercise
Cycling, swimming, jogging, walking, etc tend to lower testosterone
levels which, in turn, will lower DHT levels (and less DHT should mean
less hair loss).
Note: Heavy weight bearing exercise will
increase testosterone
and DHT levels in your body (which is why bodybuilding has been linked
to hair loss). Basically, DHT causes both muscle and bone growth. And
this growth includes certain bones of the skull. (This process, called skull
expansion, is the TRUE cause of
androgenetic alopecia).
My own natural remedy for thinning hair and hair loss also involves
hands-on techniques but are entirely different from anything you read
on this page. They were developed from the skull expansion process.
Herbal hair loss products usually take the form of topically
(externally) applied creams, lotions and ointments.
These
are usually promoted as natural remedies for
thinning hair and hair loss
since many people prefer to avoid drug products that can cause side
effects.
However, most of these products will also contain man-made chemicals
within the ingredients list.
Many herbs and plant extracts can be taken internally too, so you can
address your hair loss problem from both the outside and inside.
But these products can be quite expensive when you consider that you'll
need to keeping using them long-term or even permanently to produce and
keep any benefits you see in your hair.
Given that some of these plants might be growing in your back yard, you
might like to try harvesting them yourself when the season is right -
for example, you can collect nettles in the spring and make your own
nettle tea or topical application.
Clearly, many natural
remedies for thinning hair, hair loss and alopecia will also involve
the foods you eat and supplements you take. To find out what vitamins
for hair loss you need, click
here.
Examples of symptomatic factors include an increase in DHT and 5 alpha
reducta evels within the hair loss region of the scalp. and so herbs
and plants that are 5 alpha reductase inhibitors and DHT blockers will
typicallybe used in both topical and oral products.
Herbs and plant
extracts that are said to help hair loss include:
Basil
Burdock
Chinese herbs (e.g., He Shou Wu, Ginseng and Dong Quai)
Ginkgo biloba
Gotu kola
Green tea
Lavender
Nettle
Parsley
Pygeum africanum
Rosemary
Saw palmetto
Seaweeds and sea vegetables
Some of these herbs for hair lossact by stimulating circulation
(especially basil, rosemary and lavender). But, whether the regular
consumption of such herbs can act as effective natural remedies for
thinning hair is debatable: herbs, of course, are mainly used to
accompany and enhance the taste of the foods you eat. And as such, it
is most likely that only small quantities will be consumed (even if
eaten every day).
And, whilst herbs can be quite potent, it's probably highly unlikely
that such small quantities can significantly address something as
relentless as hair loss.
However, many herbs can be taken in a much more concentrated form.
Products containing "standardized herbal extracts" (especially saw
palmetto) are often promoted as natural remedies for thinning hair and
hair loss. Essential oils too are another concentrated form of many of
the plant extracts listed above.
Essential
oils
Essential oils are associated with many beneficial effects for
both the mind and body. Over the years, many have been used as natural
remedies for thinning hair, hair loss as well as other skin and hair
conditions.They are extremely concentrated and should normally be
applied using a base or carrier oil (olive oil is especially good for
healthy hair growth and removing residues from your scalp). Methods of
application include: hair oil, rinse and massage.
These are the essential oils which, amongst others, are said to be
beneficial for your hair:
Baldness and hair
loss - Basil, Clary Sage, Lavender and Rosemary.
Poor circulation - Basil, Lemon, Orange
and Rosemary.
Dandruff - Cedarwood, Lavender and
Rosemary.
Greasy hair - Clary Sage and Lemon.
Dry hair - Lavender, Rosemary and
Sandalwood.
Grey hair- Rosemary, Lavender,
Cedarwood, Sandalwood, Ylang Ylang, Thyme.
Essential oils have an
extremely
pungent smell, so application at night and washing out in the morning
is probably the best option. (Note: some oils such as Lavender are also
good for relaxation, so they might also help you sleep, whereas others
such as Basil are stimulants and so might keep you awake).
Note: If you have any existing condition
that might be affected
by any of the exercises or herbs mentioned (e.g. hypertension, heart
condition, glaucoma, detached retina, etc) you should consult with a
doctor before trying them.
So, will any of these ideas provide you with a real
cure for thinning hair?
It's most likely that none of the natural remedies for thinning hair
described on this page (including the exercises and herbal products)
will, on their own, solve your hair loss problem. But, by trying
several approaches for several months, you might notice a beneficial
effect on the health of your hair.
The reason why most home-made natural remedies for thinning hair and
baldness will only produce modest results at best for the majority of
people who try them is simply because these products place focus on
factors linked to, but not the real reason behind androgenetic
alopecia (skull expansion).
A
new natural remedy for thinning hair and hair loss...
I myself very much believe a natural approach can produce results as
good as any hair loss drug, and in some cases, far exceed what you
might achieve from these potentially harmful pills and topical
lotions...
Following seven years of androgenetic alopecia, I developed
my own exercises that produced the results you can see in this
photo.
These exercises were based upon my research into skull
expansion.
Please
note, all the natural remedies for thinning hair on this page are
intended for information and educational purposes only and should not
be seen as recommendations made.