Shiny and healthy hair is the desire of one and all. Lustrous mane not only enhances the appearance but is a significant indicator of the overall good health of a person. On average, there are about 100,000 to 150,000 strands of hair on a person’s head. 90% of hair is in a growing phase while the remaining 10% is in the resting phase. Each hair strand has a lifespan of around five years. After completing its life span the hair strand falls. A person sheds around 50 to 150 strands of hair in a day. Following this, new hair starts to grow as soon as it falls from the follicle. our hair mainly constitutes of keratin which makes a hair strand stronger than a copper wire of the same diameter.
What are the common hair problems?
- Dandruff– It is a skin condition that involves the scalp. It leads to symptoms of flaking and mild itchiness. Seborrheic dermatitis which involves inflammation of the skin is a more severe form of this condition. It is caused due to fungal infection of the scalp, poor diet, or sluggish metabolism.
- Hair loss/ thinning– It is common among both males and females. In males, it may be patterned balding. Hair loss is mainly caused by medications, changing hormones, stress, and menopause in females, excessive use of hair styling products, chemicals, and excessive heat.
- Dry hair– It is caused due to excessive shampooing that strips away natural hair oil.
- Split ends– It is caused due to overbrushing hair, excessive heat or perming, and lack of hair conditioning.
- Oily hair– It is caused due to excessive secretion of natural hair oil or sebum.
- Frizzy hair– It occurs when hair’s moisture level decreases to below normal levels.
- Color damaged hair– Chemicals in hair color make hair porous and prone to breakage.
- Gray hair
What are the various causes of hair-related problems?
- Hormonal imbalance- Hormonal changes that occur during pregnancy, childbirth, or menopause can cause temporary hair loss. Discontinuing the intake of birth control pills can also result in hair loss.
- Medical conditions- These include thyroid disease, autoimmune diseases such as alopecia areata, and scalp infections such as ringworm.
- Medications- These include medicines for treating cancer, high blood pressure, depression, arthritis, and heart problems.
- Physical shocks such as high fever, major illness, sudden weight loss, or surgery
- Emotional shock such as that caused by death in the family
- Traction due to hairstyling
- Diet low in iron, protein, and other nutrients
What measures can help prevent baldness?
These are: –
- For dry hair use an acidic shampoo with a pH between 5 and 6.
- For oily hair use a shampoo formulated to control sebum.
- For dry hair wash hair around every three days only.
- Avoid heat products on hair as much as possible.
- Apply overnight hot oil or moisturizing conditioner for dry hair.
- For dandruff use an anti-dandruff shampoo regularly.
- For split ends get a professional trim regularly.
- Avoid using hot water for hair wash. The use of cold water makes hair looking shinier and smoother.
- Use hair color that has moisturizers.
- Always get a pre-color trim as ends are prone to absorb the excess color.
- Have regular meals and a balanced diet.
What homeopathy can do in treating various hair problems?
Homeopathy has a major role in treating various hair problems. Homeopathic medicines address the basic cause of various hair problems. This helps to eliminate the symptoms right from their root.
Homeopathic medicines don’t have side effects and don’t create a dependency on medicines for the removal of symptoms. For this, a trained homeopathic physician takes a detailed case record of a patient. He tries to elicit symptoms from both the mental and physical spheres of the patient. The medicine most similar to the disease manifestation is the best medicine in any given case.
How to Prevent Baldness with Homeopathic Medicines?
- Thuja Occidentalis– It is indicated when the hair loss is due to scaly dandruff. The hair is dry and brittle. The patient as a person is very fleshy, dark-complexioned with unhealthy skin and a tendency for warts.
- Natrum Muriaticum– It works best when hair loss is due to childbirth or in women suffering from iron deficiency anemia. The patient desires salty food and is very thirsty. There is a tendency for easy lachrymation and headache when out in sun.
- Lycopodium Clavatum– It is indicated when hair loss is due to some deep-seated, progressive chronic disease. It affects the throat, chest, abdomen, liver, and ovaries. The patient as a person desires warm and sweet food and drinks. There is a tendency for flatulence that aggravates between 4-8 pm.
- Phosphorous- It is indicated when hair loss arises due to loss of vital fluids and dandruff that fall out in clouds. Patchy hair loss also responds well to this remedy. It is best suited for patients who are tall, thin, fair-skinned and have a great thirst for cold drinks.
- Sepia– It is indicated when hair loss is due to chronic headaches or hormonal changes that occur during menopause or even pregnancy and childbirth. The patient as a person has a tendency for frequent backache and sensitivity to cold. There is often great sadness with weeping in such patients.
Hair problems are common to people of both sexes and all ages. Hair fall can mainly be attributed to a deficient diet low in mainly iron and proteins, hormonal imbalance as occurring during pregnancy or menopause, certain medical conditions, and medications as well as emotional trauma. Some of these causes result in temporary hair loss where the hair grows back once the cause is well treated. Hair loss as seen in patterned baldness and scarring alopecia is permanent in nature. In such cases treatment helps to contain the spread of the disease. Some lifestyle changes are necessary to have healthy hair. For treating various hair problems homeopathy provides the best treatment option. Homeopathic treatment addresses the root cause of hair loss and at the same time improves the overall quality of the hair. It provides lasting relief without any side effects to the patient with hair fall.