Alopecia is natural or abnormal baldness or thinning or the hair. It can appear in patches or over the entire head. Hair loss can result from the aging process, surgery, radiation, severe illness, drugs, endocrine disorders such as hypothyroidism, sudden loss of weight, vitamin or mineral deficiency (especially iron), over-consumption of supplements such as vitamin A and niacin, poor diet, stress, certain forms of dermatitis, pregnancy, and hereditary factors. There are over a dozen types suddenly lose large amounts of hair, it may be appropriate to consult you physician to rule out any underlying medical problem that may be causing this loss. Be aware, though, that it is normal to loss about forty to eighty hairs per day.
General Recommendations
Some people lose hair after an illness because of an accumulation of oils, dead cells, and medication residues at the hair follicle. These residues can “choke” the hair, causing it to fall out. Ask your beautician or beauty supply store about products that remove such residues from hair and scalp. A rinse of sage tea or apple cider vinegar can help hair grow, as can a scalp massage with ginger root juice tonic or with that carries cayenne pepper. Lying on a slant board for fifteen to twenty minutes per day will cause blood to flow to the scalp, and daily scalp massage will also help improve circulation. To encourage hair growth, make an infusion with the herbs and use them as a rinse. Use only natural hair products; avoid using harsh chemical products on your hair.
Stimulating hair growth from within by the foods you eat is even more important than what you put on your scalp and hair. Vitamins, minerals, amino acids, and other nutrients provide the raw materials from which hair is produced. Our diet is too rich in foods that actually starve the hair, such as fat, sugar, and refined foods. You may need to make certain dietary modifications to encourage your hair to grow.
Dietary Modifications
Follow the basic diet.
Include plenty of foods rich in the sulfur-containing amino acids L-cysteine and L-methionine, which are found in animal products (eggs are an especially rich source), legumes, and cabbage.
Skin, hair, and nails contain some of the body’s most rigid proteins, all of which have high sulfur content. Eat animal proteins in moderations, however. An ample serving of lean meat, poultry, or fish is three to five ounces, depending upon your body size. Eastern medicine says that eating too much meat can cause hair loss. This just might be true!
Cut down on sweets. Eastern medicine also says that too much sugar – especially fruit sugar (fructose) - can cause balding on the sides of the forehead. It has been found that sugar is often a contributing factor in hair loss, and that after sugar is removed from the diets of certain individuals, the hair-loss process is either halted or totally or partially reversed.
Include foods rich in the B vitamins, with special emphasis on choline, inositol, and PABA. Choline is plentiful in eggs, wheat germ, legumes (beans, split peas, and lentils), oatmeal and brown rice. Lecithin, wheat germ, rice bran, whole wheat, and legumes are excellent sources of inositol. PABA is found in mushrooms, cabbage, sunflower seeds, wheat germ, oats, spinach, and eggs.
Make sure that your diet contains ample essential fatty acids. Eat fish two or three times a week (not deep-fried). If your hair is dry and brittle, you may improve its texture by supplementing your diet with primrose oil or pure cold or pressed flaxseed oil (buy it only in refrigerated opaque bottles)
B-complex vitamins are essential for health and growth of hair.
Vitamin C helps improve circulation to the scalp.
Vitamin E improves hair health and enhances hair growth
Beneficial Juices
Green leafy vegetables are sources of B complex vitamins.
Parsley, green pepper, and broccoli are sources of vitamin C
Spinach, asparagus, and carrot are sources of vitamin E
Ginger juice is used traditionally to stimulate circulation to the scalp
Pumpkin juice aids in removing dandruff.
Suggested Juicing Recipes / Hair Loss
Hair-growth Cocktail
Lettuce leaves dark green 2
Pumpkin (small)
Carrots 4-5 (greens removed)
Bunch up lettuce and pumpkin and push through mixer with carrots.
Very Veggie Cocktail
Wheat grass (handful)
Parsley ½ (handful)
Carrots 4 (greens removed)
Celery stalks 3
Fennel ½ cups (chopped)
Apple ½ (seeded)
Bunch up wheat grass, parsley and push through mixer with carrots, celery, fennel, and apple
Ginger Hopper
Ginger root ¼ inch slice
Carrots 4-5 (greens removed)
Apple ½ (seeded)
Push ginger through the mixer with carrots and apple
Potassium Broth
Parsley (handful)
Spinach (handful)
Carrots 4-5 (greens removed)
Celery stalks 2
Bunch up parsley and spinach leaves, and push through mixer with carrots and celery.
Green Surprise
Green lettuce leaf 2 (large)
Apples (green) 2-3 (seeded)
Lime twist (for garnish)
Bunch up the leaf and push through mixer with apples. Garnish with lime twist. The surprise is that you won’t taste the leaf!
Hair Growth Tonic
Ginger juice tonic
Ginger root 1-2 inch piece
Juice ginger root. Pour the juice on your head and massage into the scalp. Let dry for 10-15 minutes, then shampoo. Ginger root juice has been used naturopathically to stimulate circulation to the scalp. Your head will feel a refreshing tingling sensation!
