Restore your Luscious Locks

Having the good fortune of being born with a generous mane of hair, I never understood the trauma of hair loss. So, when suddenly my hair began to come out in clumps, I found myself in the same state of shock many people experience when they lose their hair. There is nothing more devastating than losing your hair at any age. I needed answers ‘Why is this happening to me? What is causing this and when will it stop? Luckily, I have been a naturopathic practitioner for close to three decades and this kicked my detective skills into action. I began to explore the many reasons why men and women lose their hair and the natural solutions to fix this. 

Straight away, I did a mineral/heavy metal scan in my clinic and found higher than normal aluminium levels in my body. This heavy metal can cause a block in silica absorption, as well as iodine and zinc. Normally I filter my shower water, but because of building a new house, our temporary rental couldn't connect a temporary shower filter. All town water that is fluoridated is high in aluminium. I corrected these problems by increasing my zinc, iodine and silica and slowly the hair loss began to decrease, but not completely stop. I just turned 50, so naturally as they say with age, I should expect a drop in hormones, even though my cycle hadn't changed. I ordered a saliva hormone test and discovered from this my progesterone was low from some very tired adrenal glands. I popped myself onto some natural progesterone boosting herbs and suddenly my hair loss stopped. 

Shedding, thinning or a change in hair quality that results in hair loss can affect both sexes and when it happens it can be traumatic. There is no single reason behind this as it can be caused from a simple nutrient deficiency to a much more complicated, underlying health condition.

The beauty and health of a person’s hair depends on the quality of their blood supply and the nutrients found in this. If the blood supply to any given hair follicle is cut off, it will die.  Likewise, if the quality of the nutrients that the hair is fed is poor, the hair will also be starved of nutrition and begin to fall out.  Luckily there are some incredible natural solutions to help solve the dreaded hair loss. Some reasons for hair loss include:

STRESS and TRAUMA, whether it be physical or emotional causes hair growth to halt resulting in shedding. Stress releases high amounts of cortisol affecting the hair follicle. Cortisol impairs the production of sex hormones by the adrenal glands causing ‘androgenetic alopecia’.   During periods of stress, cortisol disrupts cell signalling and increases oxidative stress disrupting the hair growth cycle. Shedding often occurs 3 months following a stressful or traumatic experience.   If you want to confirm if stress is one of your hair loss drivers, ask your naturopath to order a saliva cortisol profile to check for DHEA and Cortisol levels.  Sudden weight loss, surgery, the loss of a loved one, sudden weight loss or illness can result in hair loss. 

HORMONAL CHANGES that occur with menopause, pregnancy, polycystic ovaries, endometriosis and other hormonal shifts are common causes for hair loss.  Pregnancy can be quite traumatic and requires huge amounts of nutrition to make a healthy baby.  Often hair loss occurs following pregnancy, due to hormonal shifts, but never fear, as it will often stop within a few months if you are healthy. Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) can cause an excess of androgens leading to ovarian cysts, weight gain, blood sugar imbalances, changes in menstruation and hair thinning on the head, but excess growth of hair on the body.  If you suspect hormonal imbalance, ask your naturopath to order a saliva hormone profile or dutch hormone test to check exact hormone levels. 

NUTRITIONAL DEFICIENCIES are the most common reason for hair loss. Deficiencies of iron, zinc, silica, manganese, biotin, B vitamins and iodine will all result in hair loss.  I use a german spectrometry machine to gauge deficiencies in vitamins and minerals, as well as a german quantum machine and for anyone that lives remotely we suggest sending in a hair sample and we can test this on site. 

THYROID CONDITIONS like hyperthyroidism or hypothyroidism can cause thinning, shedding or brittle hair.  If you suspect this, you may also suffer from thinning or missing eyebrows (particularly on the outer edge of eyebrow), loss of hair on other body parts, fatigue, racing heart, temperature changes, foggy brain and more.  If you suspect a thyroid problem, ask your naturopath or health practitioner to order a complete thyroid panel to check. 

AUTOIMMUNE CONDITIONS are common causes of hair loss. ALOPECIA AREATA is one of the most well known.  It is an autoimmune condition that causes the immune system to attack the hair follicle. Often it results in clumps of hair falling out.  LUPUS is another autoimmune condition which causes the immune system to attack your healthy cells and tissues like joints, skin, kidneys, heart, lungs, blood vessels and brain by mistake.  Hair loss is a common side of effect of this condition, but also the medications given for this cause large amounts of hair loss. 

MEDICAL CONDITIONS like scalp infections, lichen planus, scalp yeast infections, sarcoidosis and other forms of autoimmunity are common reasons for hair loss.  If you suspect something more serious, ask your GP or naturopath to order the right testing to confirm this. 

MEDICATIONS are a major cause for hair loss.  The most common of these include anti-depressants, NSAID’s, blood pressure medications, blood thinners, methotextrate and chemotherapy drugs.

PARASITES and malabsorption problems are other common reasons for thinning and poor quality hair.  Parasites live off the body’s nutrition often absorbing iron and zinc which can result in hair loss. If you suspect parasites, ask your naturopath to order a gut microbiome or microbiome mapping test to check for this possibility.     

HAIRSTYLES that pull back the hair tightly can result in stress to the hair follicles causing hair loss.   

POOR BLOOD CIRCULATION to the scalp caused from muscular tension in the neck, spinal misalignment and/or a lack of exercise starves hair follicles of their food supply resulting in dying of hair follicles. 

 

How to Locate your CAUSE

If you are unsure of the reason for your hair loss, ask your naturopath or medical practitioner to organise some testing to help you find out.

At Wholistic House we can test nutritional deficiencies on the spot.  Hair is the most accurate carrier of epigenetic information. Using a hair sample, we can use different devices to analyse mineral, vitamin and amino acid deficiencies and other possible imbalances. This test can be done anywhere in the world.  If you would like more information on this testing, visit www.wholistichouse.co

Order a saliva hormone test to accurately check levels of progesterone, E1, E2, E3, testosterone, androgens, cortisol and DHEA.  Testing hormones via the blood is not as accurate as saliva or urine. 

Rule out any thyroid problems by doing an extensive thyroid panel including T3, T4, Reverse T3, thyroid antibodies

Consider doing a proper gut microbiome test to check for signs of leaky gut, parasites, bacterial overgrowth and other gut problems that may be causing hair loss. 

At Wholistic House we use some incredible advanced technology to check for mineral and heavy metal levels. If you would like to book this test, please call 0755363113 or book online at www.wholistichouse.co

Ancient Chinese Wisdom

Ancient Chinese healers believe that when hair loss occurs in different areas of the head it is due to different reasons. This includes:

Hair loss at the front sides of the head is thought to result from consuming too many YIN foods and liquid like fruits, juices, soft drinks, sugar, sweets, eggplant, tomatoes, raw and tropical vegetables. They believe that the kidneys, digestion and reproductive systems need support. These individuals may be ‘in their heads’ quite a bit and tend to over-analyse everything.

Hair loss in the centre of the head is thought to arise from consuming too many yang foods like animal products, meats, eggs, dairy products, salt, fish and seafood.  The liver, pancreas and reproductive organs are thought to be congested with fat causing hardening of tissues.  Cardiovascular problems such as atherosclerosis may be developing.  Mentally these people may be aggressive and very determined.

Hair loss in the front and central part of the head is thought to be caused from a combination of too many yang animal foods and too many yin foods like sugar, fruits, juices and a lack of wholegrains and vegetables. Mentally these people may be quite unpredictable.

Foods to the RESCUE

• Eat a diet rich in unrefined, wholesome and nutritious foods.  Increase your intake of foods rich in silica, sulphur, cysteine, calcium and iodine.  The richest of these include onions, garlic, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, cottage cheese, tahini, brazil nuts, almonds, sardines, salmon, dark green leafy vegetables, brown rice, parsley, watercress, wheatgerm, horseradish, egg yolks, mustard greens, radish, alfalfa, celery, lettuce, broccoli, carrots, pumpkin seeds, seed sprouts, lecithin, brewers yeast, quinoa and brown rice. 
• Millet and quinoa are amazing grains for helping to provide incredible nutrition to nourish hair follicles
• Seafood are seaweeds are rich sources of zinc and iodine – include prawns, oysters, crab, shellfish and seaweeds like wakame, hijiki, arame and dulse.
• Alfalfa and alfalfa powder is a true hair growth superfood  
• Eat at least one raw green leafy vegetable salad daily or steam lots of green vegetables if your digestion is poor.
• Eat foods rich in omega oils like avocado, oily fish, flaxseeds and oil, hcmpseeds and oil and chia seeds. 
• Drink lots of cold pressed juices.  Good choices include pineapple, cucumber, carrot, celery, lettuce, beetroot and ginger. 
• Cucumber, alfalfa and parsley are famous foods for encouraging hair growth.
• Eat more ginger or drink ginger tea as this is a fantastic circulatory stimulant that encourages hair growth.
• Avoid refined foods, sugar, salt, sweets, saturated fats, caffeine, soft drinks and cordials.

LUSCIOUS HAIR SHAKE

Mix all of the ingredients together in a blender.  Drink up to 3 times weekly.

 

HAIR GROWTH FORMULA

Ancient Chinese formulas to prevent baldness and to encourage rapid hair growth.

Dip a cotton ball in a solution of ginger and burdock tincture or extract and massage into the bald area.  Leave for 30 minutes then wash off thoroughly

Super Supplements

• B vitamins are essential for hair quality.  Most of these are water soluble, meaning they are required on a daily basis via foods or nutrients. I also recommend these in an activated form to ensure they switch on genes correctly.  My favourite B vitamins for hair quality are B3, B5, B12, 5 MTHF and biotin. 
• Zinc is one of the most essential minerals as it is very important for maintaining hair quality and the health of the oil follicles around the hair. There are many different forms of zinc and not all zinc types absorb well.  I like to use zinc citrate, picolinate or another – aim for 30 to 50 mg per day.
• Iodine is needed for healthy hair growth.  Aim for a minimum of 150 to 400 mcg per day (depending on deficiencies) or take kelp or another algae extract.  I love to use different forms of iodine depending on the person
• Essential fatty acids encourage healthy hair growth.  These include borage, evening primrose and blackcurrant seed oil. 
• L-Cysteine and L-Methionine are very important amino acids for helping to encourage hair growth. 
• Silica is extremely important in maintaining the health and quality of hair.  It is not an easy mineral to absorb so make sure you get the right silica. We recommend an amazing ICELANDIC silica we use in our clinic as 
• Iron deficiency is a common cause of hair loss. If you suspect this you may also be suffering from fatigue, shortness of breath, heavy or absent periods and other symptoms. This can be confirmed in an iron studies blood test. Beef gelatin capsules 

Herbs to the Rescue

Polygonum or He Shou Wu

This is one of the most powerful antioxidants in the world.  It is a natural anti-ageing tonic that helps to reverse grey hair and stops hair loss encouraging regrowth.

Ginger encourages healthy blood circulation to hair roots thereby encouraging hair growth.  Rub ginger oil (diluted in castor oil) into the scalp daily or fresh ginger juice.  

Rosemary herb and the essential oil is an excellent stimulant for hair follicles, encouraging hair growth and helping to restore natural colour.  Rub rosemary oil (diluted in sweet almond oil) directly into the scalp to encourage hair growth.  Fresh rosemary can also be eaten or the herbal tea can be drunk daily.

Gingko Biloba improves blood circulation to the head improving the overall condition of the hair and preventing hair loss.  Take daily in capsule form or in tincture form.

Burdock Root eaten as a food or drunk daily as a herbal tea is thought to prevent hair loss.  In other countries the oil is rubbed into the scalp to prevent baldness.

Sage can be used as a rinse to prevent hair loss.  To make an infusion, use 3 teaspoons of sage to 2 cups of boiling water, let this sit until cool.  Strain and pour over hair after shampooing.

Amla, Horsetail, Bambusa leaf and Withania are also amazing natural hair tonics

My favourite Wholistic House picks:

Hair Juice 

Grey Away 

Ageless Beauty

In love, health and happiness,