Hair Loss in Women: Why It Happens and What Can You Do to Stop It
There are few things as devastating for a woman as seeing her hair fall out at an unusual rate and feeling powerless to stop it. Fortunately, in most cases, hair loss can be reversed by a few lifestyle changes and the help of herbal remedies.
A person has around 100,000 strands of hair on the scalp, and it is normal to lose 50-100 strands every day. However, if more hair falls out, it can lead to bald spots or a thinning hair line — a problem that affects millions of women in the world.
Hair loss happens when the hair follicles are blocked or are not able to function properly. This can be a side effect of poor scalp circulation, vitamin deficiencies, improper diet changes, dental problems, stress, hormonal imbalances, and toxic hair products.
Bring More Circulation to the Scalp
Increased circulation to the scalp helps regrow hair because the scalp cells die or don’t function properly without enough blood and oxygen. You can bring more circulation by massaging the scalp and through the use of hair oils and herbs.
Massaging the scalp also reduces stress levels, another threat to healthy hair.
Massage the scalp at least once a week as a preventative. If you are experiencing hair loss, massage the scalp on a daily basis. If your hair is falling out at an extreme rate, keep the pressure gentle. If you are too rough, you may accidentally rip out weak hair stands.
Use Beneficial Oils in Your Hair
Using hair oils is a popular remedy in India. It is not only used for hair loss, but to grow thicker, longer, and healthier hair. When massaging the scalp, use a few of these beneficial oils to regrow hair. You should rub it on the spots that have been especially affected.
The nutrients in the oils help boost blood flow and circulation and also address a dry scalp issue. If the scalp is dry, and if you have dandruff, the hair follicles are blocked, leading to hair loss. Using oils will moisturize the scalp and stimulate the hair follicles to stop hair loss and regrow lost hair strands, and it will keep the existing hair stronger and healthier. A few oils to consider are:
- Castor oil
- Argan oil
- Jojoba oil
- Emu oil
- Carrot seed oil
- Coconut oil
- Bhringraj Oil
You can also add a few drops of essential oils, such as rosemary essential oils, to speed up the healing process of your scalp.
Apply Herbal and Nutrient Rich Mixtures to Scalp and Hair
There are also many recipes of healthy mixtures you can make and put on your head overnight for nutrients to be absorbed directly into the scalp. This type of treatment is messier than the oils and requires you to wear a shower cap when sleeping, but it has worked for many people. It can also be fun to experiment because there are so many options out there.
- Indian gooseberry – Mix one tablespoon of Indian gooseberry (rich in Vitamin C) with one tablespoon of lemon juice, massage into the scalp and leave overnight. Wash your hair in the morning.
- Fenugreek – Make a paste from one cup of soaked fenugreek seeds (protein-rich), apply to hair and leave for 40 minutes.
- Aloe vera – Use aloe vera juice or gel or the scalp, leave for a few hours, wash it off.
- Licorice root – Mix one tablespoon of ground licorice root with one cup of milk and ¼ teaspoon of saffron. Apply to scalp and leave overnight. Wash off in the morning.
Herbs that Are Beneficial for Hair
Ayurveda medicine and Western herbal medicine use herbs for hair health. These herbs boost blood circulation, heal the scalp cells, and promote hair growth.
In Ayurveda, the recommended herbs are:
- Horsetail – rich in silica
- Indian gooseberry or amla – vitamin C and antioxidants
- Neem – fights dandruff
- Ashwagandha – immune support
Western herbal medicine recommends the following:
- Hibiscus – against dandruff, prevents premature gray hair
- Stinging nettle – follicle health (taken internally)
Vitamin Deficiencies — Getting Enough Nutrients
If your body is deficient in vital nutrients, this can lead to hair loss. Simply taking a good multivitamin or even a multivitamin formed specifically for hair health may bring good results. There are also specific vitamins that are most important to hair health: biotin, iron, protein, and healthy fats.
Biotin: The Most Important Vitamin for Hair
Biotin or vitamin B7 is the most important vitamin for addressing hair loss. Biotin improves keratin – a protein that makes up hair, as well as skin and nails. If you have leaky gut or if your digestive tract is not able to absorb nutrients properly, you are probably deficient in biotin.
Food sources for B7 are:
- Liver
- Eggs
- Salmon
- Cheese
- Avocado
- Raspberry
- Cauliflower
Vitamins and Healthy Fats for Hair
Hair loss can also be caused by a lack of iron (especially if you have anemia), protein, potassium, and protein. You may be experiencing a lack of iron if you do not eat red meat. Other sources of iron are chickpeas, pumpkin seeds, beans and lentils, and spinach.
Hair growth also requires a good amount of protein. If you are vegetarian or vegan, good sources of plant protein are beans and lentils, nuts and seeds, and some superfoods such as algae, goji berries, hemp, and chia seeds.
Potassium brings circulation to the scalp and boosts follicle health. You can get a lot of potassium from bananas.
Finally, it is important to get plenty of healthy fats. Salmon and avocados are two good sources.
Make Sure You Are Eating a Proper Diet
Hair loss can be a side effect of changing a diet too rapidly, switching to a diet that is lacking in nutrients, eating a high-glycemic diet, or going on a crash diet.
As a rule, avoid any crash diets, and avoid diets that are high in sugars (especially fake sugars), and processed foods.
If you just switched or are thinking of switching to a plant-based diet, make sure you do your research to find the best plant sources for all your vitamin needs, especially protein and iron.
Hormonal Imbalance Can Lead to Hair Loss
In today’s world, many of us live under high amounts of stress on a daily basis. This can lead to hormonal imbalances, a poorly functioning thyroid, and poorly functioning adrenals, all of which can lead to rapid hair loss. Addressing these underlying issues, including auto-immune disorders and chronic illnesses, is important for many people to regain a healthy scalp and strong, healthy hair. Also, it is important to recognize that some medications cause hair loss. If this is the case, you will have to wait until you stop taking them to see real results.
Take Care of Your Emotional Health
Like stress, anxiety and depression can lead to hair loss. To reduce your stress levels and to help alleviate anxiety and depression, try yoga, meditation, aromatherapy, and journaling.
Address Dental Health
The connection of dental health with hair health is less known, but more studies have recently come out bridging the gap between the two. What the scientists are starting to find out is that any health issues in the mouth directly affect the rest of the body, including hair. Gum disease, cavities, and infections in the mouth all can lead to hair loss.
Switch to Natural Hair Products
Finally, some people experience hair loss simply from the toxins of the hair products they use. Most shampoos and conditioners, hair sprays, hair dyes, and other products, contain cancer-causing chemicals, as well as chemicals that ruin hair. These chemicals include sulfates, parabens, phthalate, artificial coloring, and artificial fragrances.
Switch to natural, organic shampoos. If you want to dye your hair, use henna instead of commercial dyes. While traditionally henna is red, more companies are now making henna hair dyes in shades of brown and black.
Recommended Reading:
- Natural Hair Loss Baldness Remedies and Cures
- Reverse Gray Hair Naturally
- Mercury Fillings, Root Canals, Cavitations – What You Need to Know
- Hypothyroidism – Prevention and Natural Remedies
- The Power of Our Hormones and How To Balance Them
- The Soap and Shampoo Conspiracy