While
there are certainly a number of specific medical treatments that offer great
results, depending on the cause and the extent of hair loss, trichologists say
there are a variety of natural treatments that can yield important benefits.
Among the first natural lines of defense: Eating a healthy, nutritious
diet.
Eating
For Healthy Hair
"The
same foods that are good for your body and your overall health are good for your
hair, including foods that are high in protein, low in carbohydrates and have a
reduced fat content," says Dr Rita Khatwani, a trichologist with the Lakme
Beauty Salons. Dr Khatwani says that what you put on your plate may not put hair
on your head, but it can help the hair you do have remain healthier longer.
Essential fatty acids found in foods like walnuts, canola oil, fish, and soya
are another important dietary need.
"This
is just an observation, but I believe there are many people who may have a
sub-clinical lack of omega 3 fatty acids - these are good fats, which have
anti-inflammatory properties and may actually play a role in healthy hair," she
explains.
Dr
Khatwani also warns women that another potential deficiency - a lack of iron
that often occurs during the reproductive years - can lead to anemia, a
reduction of red blood cells that is often an undiagnosed cause of hair loss in
women.
"The
deficiency may be so slight you barely notice it, but it can play a role in
female hair loss," she says. Adding more iron-rich foods to your diet - like
broccoli or brewer's yeast - may actually help reverse some forms of hair loss,
she says.
Also
important to healthy hair growth are foods containing Vitamin B12, including
eggs, meat and poultry. According to dermatologist and hair loss expert Dr
Mitali Batra, women are prone to B12 deficiency, a nutrient hair just can't live
without. "In my office, it's not uncommon to find a B12 deficiency in women who
come in seeking treatment for hair loss," says Dr Batra. She says that
supplements are necessary to restore B12 levels, which in turn, can sometimes
improve hair loss.
And
while you're reaching for that strip of B12, don't shortchange yourself on the
other B vitamins, particularly biotin. According to experts, this nutrient is
also essential for hair growth. It's so important that biotin supplements are
often prescribed right alongside medical hair loss treatments.
"Biotin
is a major component in the natural hair manufacturing process - it is essential
to not only grow new hair, but it also plays a major role in the overall health
of skin and nails," says Dr Batra.
While
Dr Batra says we can get biotin from our diet - it's present in foods like liver
and egg yolks - we would have to consume thousands of calories daily to get what
our hair needs. That's one reason why she and many other trichologists suggest
biotin supplements.
Dr
Batra also recommends zinc supplements - normally about 80 mg daily - because
studies show this nutrient may affect the levels of androgens, the hormones
involved in some forms of genetic hair loss. But she is cautious that the use of
zinc supplementation is not any higher than what might be in a
multivitamin.
What
may be important for women to take, however, is the nutrient known as
methylsulfonylmethane or MSM - a substance vital to the life of hair and skin.
"The same way that biotin is a component of the manufacturing process of hair,
the sulphur found in MSM can be intrinsic to the structural development of hair
- particularly because it is so well-absorbed," says Dr Batra. She recommends
700 mg of MSM daily.
The
Buzz On Herbs For Hair Loss
Among
the herbs making medical headlines is green tea. Its antioxidant properties are
supposed to be good for maintaining a healthy scalp. Other folk treatment
involving herbs and plants include licorice extract (thought to prevent hair
loss, but can also increase blood pressure); horsetail (which is a source of
silica, a component in healthy hair); apple cider vinegar and sage tea applied
directly to the scalp (thought to stimulate hair growth); psoralea seeds a
Chinese herb applied to the scalp) and ginger (either taken as a tea or applied
to the scalp).
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