Natural Remedies for Stopping Hair Loss and Damage

We all know how important our diet is in terms of our health, but it may surprise you to know that what we put into our bodies is not only evident when it comes to our waistlines, but that it is also reflected on our heads. The health of our hair is dependent, like the rest of our body, on what we consume and the balance of our diet. Of course, we can affect the appearance and texture of our hair by which shampoos and conditioners we use, but for a more effective, natural way of influencing your hair, you should turn to your diet.

The first thing to consider is your sugar intake. Not only refined sugars, but also naturally occurring sugars, such as those in fruits, should be accounted for, as an excessive amount of sugar could be hindering your chances of having healthy hair. Unhealthy fats also play a part in restricting hair growth as they clog the hair follicles, congesting them to the point where hair is unable to grow or does not grow efficiently.

There is such a thing as too much animal protein and dairy in the diet. As such, your best bet is to opt for a whole food diet that incorporates healthy oils such as coconut and olive. Ensure to consume plenty of nuts, seeds, low sugar berries and even seaweed to give yourself a fighting chance of having a luscious mop of hair. An intake of Flax and Chia seeds will have unrivalled benefits for your hair due to their high content of essential fatty acids which will improve the quality of your hair and aid in the process of transform thin, weak hair into thick, glossy locks.

There are many hair-enhancing supplements available that can improve the health of your hair, such as zinc, iron, magnesium and calcium. These, as well as natural remedies such as saw palmetto, stinging nettle, green tea, pygeum extract and pumpkin seed oil, and you may find these to be considerably beneficial in your fight against hair loss.

Another factor to consider is how we wash our hair and the effect that has on it. Shampoos contain harmful cleansers and additives that antagonise and irritate the cuticle on the hair shaft, creating dead hair that will be prone to thinning and falling out. Not only are harsh chemicals found in the products we use, but also in the water we rinse in.

Shower water contains fluoride and chlorine which weaken the structure of the hair strand and causes it to fall out. It is advisable that a good shower filter is used in order to ensure that you are washing in purer water. A combination of diet control, the incorporation of supplements and chemical-free cleansing is the key to unlocking your hair’s true healthy potential. It is all about being mindful of these factors in order to take control of your hair.

Homemade Remedies To Aid with Hair Loss Due to Stress

There are three stages in the cycle of hair growth which includes the growing of new hair followed by shedding. The first phase of growth is called anagen, followed by the second transition phase, categen, and lastly, the resting phase known as telogen. During this final phase, strands of hair separate from the follicle to prepare for it to shed naturally. However, as natural cycles go, there are certain roadblocks along the way and stress can be one of the most common ones experienced. Due to a prolonged exposure to stress, the hair cycle may prematurely enter its last phase, leading to hear loss. It’s recommended to make sure your diet has the necessary nutrition for hair nourishment and to learn how to relax to make sure your hair growth is normalized.

Exercise to Reduce Stress

The medical term for hair loss as a result of stress is telogen effluvium. According to research fever can also be a cause for hair loss, imbalance in the hormones resulting from pregnancy or another underlying problem, malnutrition and sometimes, it occurs as an after-effect for someone who has experience a sudden physical or emotional shock.

Stress itself leads to many problems. A person who experiences an extended amount of stress may also suffer from imbalanced hormones and a confused immune system that may jeopardize the root of your hairs, resulting in hair loss. Minimizing stress is extremely important.

To remain stress free, incorporate a regular exercise regime into your lifestyle. It increases the release of endorphins in your body, which reduces pain. Exercising generally improves your health and stimulates your circulation. To de-stress, you can opt to get massages or a warm bath.

The most effective tool you can use is learning how to breathe deeply. Inhale air through the nose for a few seconds, hold and gently exhale through your mouth, making sure you contract your muscles accordingly. Getting stressed about something isn’t worth losing your hair – remember that.

Improved Nutrition

Various nutrients play a part in nourishing your hair. As it’s made from keratin, a type of protein, it’s vital to include protein in your diet. Iron is also important for hair growth. Zinc and selenium can also be actively supportive, as they allow for iron and protein to be properly absorbed. It’s recommended that 30 mg of zinc and 200 micrograms of selenium should be taken daily to meet the dietary requirements.

These are available as supplements in the market. However, you can include these nutrients in your diet by eating more cereal grains and leafy vegetables. If nothing else, a healthy diet enhances the health of your hair.

These supplements can be purchased from almost any health store, but an increased intake of leafy vegetables can also help.

Time

There is no reversing the unfortunate instance when stress leads to your hair cycle going to the last phase of shedding before it’s the right time. When this happens, your scalp needs recovery time. Keep yourself stress free by learning how to relax and following a healthy lifestyle, including exercise and a proper diet.

In order to deal with your hair while it’s recovering, you can include different items in the styling of your hair to make it look good. To keep things interesting, hair pieces and hats can be used. Once hair loss has occurred due to stress, it takes around 3 months before it shows signs of improvement and new growth.

Herbal Treatments to Prevent Baldness and Regrow Hair

The condition of our hair is something that affects us in more ways than we may think. Loss of confidence, anxiety and depression are all negative side effects than could stem from hair loss. On top of this, the health of our hair is often a sign of our general health, and could be a warning sign to amend our diet and/or lifestyle. As such, the health of our scalps is something that certainly cannot be ignored or neglected. After all, our hair is not only visible to ourselves, but to our peers, and could well affect us in all manner of aspects of our lives, from our position in the workplace to the way our children view us.

Of course, there are many pharmaceutical products on that market that can aid in the process of hair growth and restoration. However, many of these are teeming with nasty side effects and could end up doing more harm than good. This is why more and more people are turning towards natural solutions to prevent balding and improve the condition of their hair.

Ginkgo biloba can be consumed to improve all manner of health issues, not least your hair. By simply increasing blood flow to the scalp, it stimulates the follicles enables the hair shaft to be stronger. Ginkgo biloba is widely available and can provide a simple solution for improving the condition of your hair.

Polygonum multiflorum is a seemingly miraculous Chinese herb which has been used for centuries to treat issues of the scalp. Its unique properties have shown to not only slow hair loss and restore hair, but also promote hair growth and almost reverse the ageing process of your hair. It is often mixed with other herbs to create an easy to consume tonic that may well enhance the condition of your hair tenfold. You should, however, consult your doctor before taking polygonum multiflorum, as in some rare cases liver problems can develop if the persons body if particularly sensitive.

An array of aromatherapy mixtures which can also aid in hair restoration are available. Essential oils such as rosemary, lavender, cedarwood and thyme can be applied (mixed with an oil base) to the scalp with the effect of stimulating hair follicles and encouraging blood flow to the scalp, similar to ginkgo biloba.

The Reishi mushroom is a somewhat unknown quantity to many, but having been hailed as a baldness cure, it could well serve to be used as you battle baldness. Reishi mushrooms are of Chinese origin, and seemingly possess properties which can counteract the ageing process.

These mushrooms have the added benefit of strengthening the immune system and are highly valued in Asian countries due to their wondrous capabilities.

With several remedies available, it is easy to see why many opt to go down the natural root as they recognise the benefit of treating a natural process such as hair loss with a natural solution. These solutions offer peace of mind for the consumer, something that is not always the case with manufactured medicines.

Hair Growth Foods

Dead, limp, thin hair is often mirrored by the mood of the person who’s head it hangs from. Unhealthy hair reflects a person’s well-being and often stems from negative aspects of someone’s health and or lifestyle. In stark contrast, a head full of shiny, thick hair in abundance is often coupled with a better mood and a more confident aura from the person who sports it. Good hair health begins with your diet. By choosing appropriate foods and supplements you can retain control of the quality and quantity of hair on you body. It is all about the correct balance of hormones and vitamins, something which is affected massively by what we choose to consume. Through a combination of research and human need to strive for optimum health, certain foods have been discovered to possess unique properties which can be deemed perfect for encouraging a healthy mop of hair, and so can be called ‘hair foods’.

The first hair food is Alfalfa Sprouts. Alfafa is a great source of vitamins A, B2, B5, C and K. On top of this, they contain folic acid, zinc, copper and magnesium, all of which are necessary to achieve strength of hair and maintain a healthy scalp. Rather than opting for shop bought sprouts, it is best to grow your own from alfalfa seeds in order to ensure you can consume the sprouts when they are at their peak in terms of nutritional value. Alfalfa sprouts will grow in roughly 5 days and can be consumed in numerous ways, from sandwiches to stir fries.

There’s a reason our parents used to be so insistent that we eat our greens. As we all know, a regular intake of vegetables is paramount to maintain general health and well-being, but in terms of your hair vegetables provide more natural goodness than at first thought. Leafy, green vegetables such as spinach are renowned for their nutritional values and if eaten regularly, and raw, then they can do wonders for the health of your scalp.

Vegetables of a dark green colour contain high levels of calcium and iron which contribute to naturally conditioning your hair and promote a healthy growth. Carrots, as well as being good for improving vision due to their vitamin A content, will also stimulate hair growth, making them a nutritional essential.

One hair food that many will not have considered is wheat germ. As well as being a source of protein, essential for any growth aspect in the human body, wheat germ contains potassium, calcium, zinc, thiamine, niacin and many vitamins, all of which serve well to maintain healthy hair and skin. In terms of negative impact on you follicular health from your diet, high amounts of white sugar, caffeine and alcohol, known as ‘dead foods’ will disrupt hair growth.

These should be avoided in favour of the afore mentioned ‘hair foods’ if you are looking to improve or maintain the health of your hair and in view of your general health and well-being.

Hair Loss In Women

Hair loss, particularly in women, is a bigger issue than you might at first think. Over 25 million women in the US are suffering with or have suffered hair loss and the emotional stress that comes with it. For women, it is not as simple as to blame the ageing process as is common with male pattern baldness. When a woman starts losing her hair it is more noticeable and less socially acceptable than when a man starts going bald. So why are these women suffering with hair loss? The biggest cause of hair loss in women seems to be a hormone imbalance. This is why balding often occurs when women are going through drastic hormonal changes such as childbirth or the menopause. A lot of the time, when we think of this “female pattern” baldness, we are not talking about such a dramatic loss as in men, it is generally considered to be more of a thinning of the hair, but still unpleasant for the sufferer nonetheless.

Hair loss in women is not a battle that cannot be won. Of course, there is a science behind the human bodies ability to retain and reproduce hair, and it is all about maintaining this hormonal balance in order to prevent and reverse hair loss in women. This critical balance is based on the three sex hormones of progesterone, estrogen and testosterone.

The major hormone which upsets this balance is called dihydrotestosterone (DHT) which, as its name suggests, affects our testosterone levels. This in turn, affects the human body’s ability to grow hair and is where androgen alopecia comes from.

So in order to reduce hair loss, an anti-androgen remedy is needed and often recommended. That remedy can come in the form of saw palmetto, which has been shown to block cell membranes from absorbing high levels of DHT, thus correcting the balance of hormones. This makes saw palmetto an effective hair loss remedy due to its anti-androgen properties.

Saw palmetto is increasingly available in many forms, such as tablets and capsules, as well as in whole berry form, and it may well be worth your while to look into whether or not it would serve as a suitable supplement to incorporate into your life. Of course, the sufferer of hair loss must also consider their diet, as well as their lifestyle in playing a part in their hair loss. Firstly, an anti-oxidant rich diet. By utilizing doses of anti-inflammatory herbs such as tumeric, ginger and dandelion, you can naturally increase your ability to retain hair. Choose organic, grass-fed meats and look into taking supplements such as Curcumin, Ginkgo Biloba Extract, Stinging Nettle Extract, Green Tea Extract, Fish Oil, which will all provide numerous benefits beyond aiding your battle against hair loss.

Look into sourcing an anti-oxidant supplement that incorporates all, or most, of these ingredients for ease of consumption. You must also bare in mind how much exercise you are doing, and how much you could and should be doing in order to improve your general health. This will also contribute to preventing hair loss and improve your general well-being tenfold.

Hair Growth For Children

For children, hair grows a measly quarter of an inch every month on average.

In children, the cycle of new hair being grown through your hair follicles takes around 2 to 6 years. After this, there is a period of roughly three months during which the hair shed, which is called the resting phase. Around 50 to 100 strands of hair fall out, naturally, on a daily basis. A child’s hair follicles play a vital role in determining the growth of their hair. Larger follicles will produce thick hair whereas narrow follicles will produce fine hair. Hair growth in children is determined by a variety of factors, ranging from health and nutrition to stress. To make sure your child grows hair at an ideal rate, there are few things you can do.

Step 1

Hair is a reflection of health. Opting for a junk food laden diet as opposed to a nutritious one will affect your child’s overall health, including her hair. Instead of carbonated drinks, give your child water. As vitamin A is essential for hair to grow healthy, feed your child vegetables and fruits such as oranges or yellow vegetables. This will promote the health of her scalp’s glands. Citrus fruits, strawberries, tomatoes and green vegetables are a good source of vitamin C, which is needed to prevent breakage in hair. Another important vitamin is vitamin E that adds strength to your hair. Vitamin E is found in leafy green vegetables, as well as silica, which is found in alfalfa and beets.

Step 2

Eggs are a good source of proteins which, when consumed, prevent the hair from going into the resting phrase. Eggs happens to also include an amino acid, L-cysteine, which is crucial to your hair’s health. Manganese and vitamin B along with biotin are also found in eggs, which are good for hair growth. Other sources of protein include fish, lean meats, and poultry – but eggs are recommended for breakfast.

Step 3

Whole grains, as opposed to processed flour which is used in white bread and pasta, contains vitamin B, which regulates your hormones to optimize hair growth, and biotin, which is essential for the production of keratin, the protein building blocks of your hair.

Another layer of protection for your hair is offered when your child consumes inositol, which happens to be found in whole grains.

Step 4

There are certain fats that are necessary for the health of your hair that need to be included in your child’s diet. Omega-3 fatty acids and essential fatty acids, which can be found in fish, should be included to substitute for trans and saturated fats. These are often found in commercial products for hair care. To include omera-6 and omega-9 fatty acids in a diet, have organic beef and olive oil.

Step 5

Iron and zinc, a deficiency of which may result in hair loss, should also be included in your child’s diet. Chicken, beef, and pork are the meats which include zinc and iron. You can also add sunflower seeds, bran, wheat germ and oatmeal for a good source of zinc in your child’s diet. For foods specifically containing iron, feed your child blackstrap molasses, pumpkin, enriched cereals and leafy green vegetables.

Step 6

Encourage your child to take care of her hair and start a hair care regimen when she’s old enough. Teach your child to gently towel dry her hair so as not to damage it in the process.

Make her use a wide-tooth comb when combing her hair if it’s wet to prevent breakage. Don’t bother with a hair dryer and the heat can cause further damage. It’s recommended to wash your child’s hair less but to condition it more. Use metal-free hair bands to avoid tangles and breakage. Also use a bristle brush to comb your child hair in order to stimulate blood circulation and evenly distribute natural oils on your child’s scalp.

Step 7

Sometimes children develop scalp conditions. The most common amongst children is a fungal infection caused by a type of ringworm called tinea capitis. This leads to hair loss and is contagious. It’s recommended that you take your child to a doctor.