Natural Solutions for Hair Loss: Effective Remedies for Regrowth

Castor Oil

Posted by Nadine (Trinidad) on 11/12/2015
★★★★★

Hi, I have been using Black castor oil since March of this year but I think the results are good. my hair has gotten fuller, I have mixed in a bit of olive oil into it as it makes the consistency less thick.

Acupressure on Nails

Posted by Margaret (Huntsville, US) on 09/19/2014
★★★★★

I have had hair loss due to fungus. I read a book on hand reflexology about rapidly rubbing the fingernails across one another (face the 4 fingers toward each other, then rapidly buff against one another, hands going in opposite directions--up & down, or back & forth) to prevent hair loss and cause it to grow back. 5 minutes, 3 times a day. Since I have a delicate condition in my neck and can't handle the jarring, I use a hand massager, and set my fingernails, one hand at a time, on it. My hair is now growing back, although I have to keep it up every day, so I am also beginning to try the ACV also. I'm not usually on this site, so I may not respond to questions. The reflexology book is very old--can't remember author's name. Hope this helps.

Wheatgrass

Posted by Audrina (Los Angeles) on 07/21/2014
★★★★★

An incredible benefit of drinking wheatgrass (the juice powder) is that it has made my hair incredibly smooth, silky, and fuller than it ever has been before. I was thinking it may help those who are suffering from hair loss. I noticed a difference in my fine hair right away.

Onion Juice

Posted by Jane (Mass) on 04/02/2014
★★★★★

Onion juice will regrow hair. The Allicin in the onion juice stimulates follicle growth and draws blood supply up to the root. Blend one medium onion in a blender, you can add 2 tbs honey and tbs olive oil. Put into a squirt bottle. Massage onto your scalp before bed and wear shower cap, wash off in morning. There was a study in Journal of Dermatology, 80% of subjects showed hair growth within one week. You can use nightly until you get the amount of growth desired and then use once a month for maintenance.

MSM

Posted by James As Commonly Called ;-) (Rugby, Uk) on 11/05/2013
★★★★★

Do also look into the benefits of Organic Sulfur ( msm crystals ) for hair problems. Good luck.

Biotin, Bamboo Extract

Posted by Shannon (Charlotte, North Carolina) on 04/17/2013
★★★★★

Hi, I have found that Biotin (5000mcg) and Bamboo Extract (900mg) daily have helped a LOT with hair loss from hypothyroidism. I have been taking Biotin for years (when I started Synthroid) and Bamboo Extract for about 6 months. My hair looks so much better. I have also recently started drinking ACV 3x per day and I think that is helping too. Good Luck!

Lugol's Iodine

Posted by Miranda (Campbellsville, Ky) on 11/06/2012
★★★★★

I have been suffering with hypothyroidism for 20 years. One year ago I started using Lugol's iodine. 3 drops in about a cup of water or juice everyday. After about 3 months, I thought I was cured and therefore quit using my thyroid medication (Naturethroid). I was so wrong and so discouraged that I almost quit using the Lugol's. However, I decided to just keep using it anyway, it was helping my symptoms: hairloss, being extremely tired, can't think, feeling bad all over, etc. As a bonus, it cured my fibrocytic breast (they hurt really bad for a while while using it, but then they got better, then well).

Anyhow, one month ago, to my suprise, my pharmacy informed me that my nurse practicioner reduced my medication from taking 5 pills a day to 3. I had given up hope that it was going to work because I'd had this problem for so long (my thyroid felt like a rock). I'm not cured yet, but I have renewed hope that I possibly could be someday. I do know this: anytime you begin a thyroid Rx medication, change a medication, or stop a medication, one of the side effects is hair loss for up to 3 months! The Lugol's has given me my hair back - Thank God. Chances are, if you tell your doc that you're going to try this, they will probably not approve. So, I didn't tell mine, but whenever I felt like my thyroid was off, I would get them to check it. If someone begins the iodine therapy, just have your doctor monitor your thyroid profile as closely as possible because it can cause you to become hyperthyroid because of too much Rx medication. However, needing to reduce or eleminate the Rx medication eventually is a good thing. I'm really hoping FDA doesn't interfere any further with this wonderful healing elixer. I will try to keep everyone updated with any progress. Good luck. God bless.

Edgar Cayce's Hair Loss Remedies

Posted by Maria (Gippsland, Australia) on 01/28/2012
★★★★★

Hi Mary (from Rural, Va), As hair loss can be a symptom of iodine deficiency I think you have found your answer, congratulations. With shrimp and kelp containing iodine plus the iodine painting you are correcting your deficiency. Could you please tell me which form of iodine you are using for the painting? Thanks.

Edgar Cayce's Hair Loss Remedies

Posted by Antonia (Rural Ms) on 12/29/2014
★★★★★

I have been losing hair for the last several years and I am slowly balding. I started taking a coconut oil supplement lately and hope it will help. I stopped using iodized salt several years ago too. Could doing this create an iodine deficiency? Also, I use to eat shrimp quite often, but have eaten very little in the last couple of years.

Ted's Remedies

Posted by Barbara (Toronto, Ontario, Canada) on 01/01/2012
★★★★★

Hi Sayno from Vancouver, BC, Your dandruff is an internal issue. Most everyone is lacking the health essential fatty acids in their diet. I cured my seborrheic dermatitis a skin disorder on my scalp with organic extra virgin coconut oil. I took 2 table spoons each day of the 29 oz jar and after I finished I noticed my scalp healed completely and it felt as smooth as a baby's bum. My scalp prior to using extra virgin coconut oil was very dry with scab like bumps that were also very painful at times and would also bleed a little after I scratched it. I only flaked a little and itched a little, but mostly it was sore and extremely dry. Before I decided to experiment with extra virgin coconut oil, I was consuming flaxseed supplements and oil for about 12 or so years.

It definitely helped, but this past summer for some reason the flaxseed oil was not doing a good job and so I decided to search for something else. I am soooo amazed at the results of extra virgin coconut oil and it's many many other medicinal healing properties. Just google health benefits of extra virgin coconut oil and you'll be amazed. Mother Nature always come through for us, we just have to look for it.

Accutane-Related Hairloss Remedies

Posted by Nickodactyl (Pullman, Wa Washington, United States) on 12/10/2011
★★★★★

I'd like to start by saying how amazing this website is and all of the great information that Ted and all of the members provide. A little background; I started Acctuane July of 2010 and got off it in December of 2011. I took anywhere from 40-80 mg a day. I saw a previous post on Acctuane and hair loss on this forum and I have been following it to a T for the last 4 months will little success. I am 18 years old and had the thickest head of hair before Accutane and I have no family history of baldness on either side of my family. I am 100% sure that I am losing hair due to Accutane. It isn't in the MPB pattern, it is mostly diffusing all over. I have taken so many supplements in attempt to counteract my hair loss, here are some:

Biotin (5mg)

N-acetyl Cysteine (1500mg)

Riboflavin 5- Phosphate (36.5mg)

B Complex (Activated/co-enzymated 3x daily)

Molybdenum Picolinate (1, 000mg)

Phytisone Adrenal Complex (3x daily)

AC Grace Vitamin E (1200 IU)

Glutathione (2x daily)

EPO (1000mg)

Thorne Mediclear (2x daily)

Prescript Assist soil based probiotic (2x daily)

Niacinamide (1, 000 mg)

L-Glutamine (10g)

Copper (2mg)

Zinc (30mg)

Manganese Sulfate (400mg)

Fish oil (2x a day)

L-Lysine (1000mg)

Vitamin C (5000mg)

MSM (3000mg)

Vitamin D (6000 IU)

As you can see, I have experimented with a lot of different supplements and it's quite overwhelming. The hair loss did not start until 2 months after my course was over. I feel like none of these are getting to the source of my problem which I believe to be cell divison. Accutane is a chemotherapy agent and acts by suppressing cell division and proliferation. I have done copious amounts of research over the last 8 months and feel like I am getting so close to the answer.

"Retinoic acid (active form of Accutane) induces differentiation and reduces proliferation of stem and progenitor cells. It works on acne by inducing similar events in basal sebocytes. These same actions also lead to 13-cis-retinoic's (Accutane's) side effects, and these are directed towards proliferating cells in the adult such as in the skin, gut and bone. "

"A wide ranging effect of retinoic acid is to inhibit proliferation in dividing cells, and this accounts for its frequent consideration as an anti-cancer agent."

"Deleting telomere elongation capacity throughout the body would also be life-threatening, because it would mean that our regular, proliferating cells (like those in the skin or the lining of the gut) would suddenly have iron limits on their ability to reproduce themselves and thus replenish tissue. From the moment that we denuded our cells of telomerase, a clock would be ticking. With each division the telomere would shorten by a notch from whatever it had been when we took telomerase out. We would be under the specter of a rather horrible death, as our stem cells went offline one by one under replicative senescence with each failure of a stem cell responsible for supplying key functions, the tissue would fail to be renewed and would slowly degenerate. "(De Grey, 297)

To sum all of this up, the evidence we currently have is that long term treatment with ATRA (all-trans retinoic acid), which is almost chemically identical to Accutane, causes "telomere shortening, growth arrest, and cell death."

Accutane induces cell apoptosis. It down-regulates the telomerase enzyme and shortens the telomere length so the cells can't divide as much anymore.

Numerous factors affect the number and activity of androgen receptors in dermal papilla cells. Retinoic acid (vitamin A derivative), if used for a long time, may reduce the number of androgen receptors by 30 - 40 percent. [29] Vitamin B6 reduces by 35-40% the extent of protein synthesis observed after androgen receptor activation. [30] A polypeptide with molecular weight of 60 kDa, analogous to an intracellular calcium-binding protein called calreticulin, prevents binding of the androgen-receptor complex to DNA and also results in the production of calreticulin.[31]

Drugs producing hair loss:
Drugs may affect hair follicles in anagen in two ways: by stopping mitosis in matrix cells (anagen effluvium) or by inducing transition of hair follicles from anagen to premature telogen (telogen effluvium). Anagen effluvium ensues a few days or weeks after drug administration, [46] and telogen effluvium only after two to four months. In both cases hair loss is reversible. Anagen effluvium can be produced by cytotoxic drugs (alkylating agents, alkaloids) and telogen by: heparin, vitamin A and its derivatives, interferons, angiotensin converting enzyme blockers, beta-blockers (propranolol, metoprolol), the antiepileptic trimethadione, levodopa, nicotinic acid, salts of gold, lithium, cimetidine, amphetamine, isoniazid and antiinflammatory drugs (ibuprofen, acetylsalicylic acid).

http://dermatology.cdlib.org/DOJvol4num1/original/jankovi.html

I feel as if there was a way to increase cell division that the hair loss could be reversed. It states in the last paragraph that "in both cases hair loss is reversible". I hope that this is the case and that I just have telegon effluvium and not permenant alopecia.

Without having a scientific background it is hard to connect the pieces and come up with a solution. Ted- if you can decipher all of this and make some connection between it, it would mean the world to me and many other Accutane sufferers.

Sorry for the long post, take care EC.

Iodine, Selenium

Posted by Bodulica (Barrie, Ontario, Canada) on 10/31/2011
★★★★★

For all of you losing hair: maybe is your thyroid. In that case you need iodine and selenium supplements. Be careful with selenium dosage. Some sources are saying that over 200 mcg is already poisonous, some say 400 mcg is still allowed...

Dietary Changes

Posted by Koltton (Scottsdale, Arizona Usa) on 10/28/2011
★★★★★

For the last 5 years when I see clients coming in with good hair I ask what they eat... So 90% consistent with good head of hair is..... A daily consumption of apples, oatmeal, milk, peanuts, dark leafy greens. This is really interesting too.... all of them had cooler body temperature...

Question: I may have hyperthyroidism and noticed when I take zinc my scalp feels better. Any thoughts?

Baking Soda, Borax, ACV

Posted by Doddie (Lawrenceville, Georgia, Usa) on 09/16/2011
★★★★★

1) I used baking soda 1:5 ; 1 part baking soda to 5 parts water to wash my hair, left it on 10 minutes and rinsed.

2) I used borax 1/2 Tablespoon to a liter of water pour it in my hair and left it on overnite, I rinsed the following day, then sprayed my hair with 1 part ACV and 5 parts water. I have a sink top water filter and so it probably did have some chlorine and definitely fluoride it in and I am hoping the borax helped some.

The only side effect I had is when I left the baking soda sit on my scalp for 10 minutes. It did burn (sting) in the areas where my hair had thinned out (on top, at temples) and I take that as a good thing (like there was a little fungus or something there that I did not know about, that needed to be removed )

3) I am very pleased with the results and my hair is not falling out.

I think that when a person chemically treat their hair maybe with perms or permanent hair color and use peroxide or vinegar incorrectly you will have a negative reaction. Read everything carefully!

Aloe, Essential Oils

Posted by Phyllis (Selmer, Tennessee ) on 08/17/2011
★★★★★

For thinnig hair - try Teds recipe of teatree oil, laverder oil, and aloe vera. I did it once a week for 3 weeks and it worked great.

Biotin

Posted by Brenda (Mt. Dora, Fl) on 03/22/2011

Regarding the previous post, www.whfoods.com states that a symptom of BIOTIN deficiency is seizures. BIOTIN is readily available in egg yolks, tomatoes, romaine lettuce, carrots, almonds, etc.

Cayenne Pepper, Olive Oil

Posted by Bulbultuk (Bangalore, Karnataka, India) on 09/09/2010
★★★★☆

Today at 58 years of age I am very happy to say that after many years I have succeeded to grow hair on bald areas of my scalp. I have Male Pattern baldness from at least 10 years. I tried all treaments including Minoxidil etc. But to no avail. Finally desparately I started searching the NET for natural cures. I came across The Cayenne Pepper E V Olive oil and started using it on 15th August. Today its 24 days and I can see new hair sprouting. Maybe I have to wait for a longer period, say 3 months to see a noticeable growth. The new hair is thin and looks almost transparent or colourless you may say. I want to know how this new hair can be nourished to thicken and grow longer. I request readers to suggest a remedy for this. I shall update about future progress as things change. Also I will guide anyone on this cure. Please email me your queries. Thanks. Bbtk.

Cayenne Pepper, Olive Oil

Posted by Bulbultuk (Bangalore, India) on 01/22/2011
★★★★★

Try a mix of organic olive oil and cayenne pepper. Add 50 grams of cayenne pepper to 500ml olive oil and store in a tight bottle for 15 days. Let the transfusion season by shaking the bottle every day 2 minutes. The oil will become red and ready for use. Apply thrice a week on scalp before going to bed. Wear a shower cap to keep scalp warm and aid circulation. Wash with shampoo next morning. It may sting if the water flows to the eye, though its harmless. Done regularly will see positive results in a month or so. Eat a hair friendly diet containing omega3 fatty acids. To remove harmful toxins from the system consume half inch piece of raw ginger with each meal. Add lots of fruits and veggies to your diet. Best of luck.bbtk.

Joyce's Remedies

Posted by Joyce (Joelton, Tn) on 02/03/2010 489 posts
★★★★★

Hello Deirdre,

I have been visiting my favorites since answering Cindy's email and thought I would give you some information found to pass on to all EC'ers with hair loss problems. I will e-mail you the articles I gleaned the information from in case you want to read them afterwards, but I will give a short shot of helpful hints that I think will be all that most of our EC family will want. Going to the plant database I found several chemicals listed as anti-alopecics (anti-baldness).

They are linoleic acid, palmitic acid, inositol, oleic acid, linoleic acid and zinc.

Zinc is found in meats, seafoods, dairy products, nuts, legumes, whole grains and you'll even find 23 parts per million of zinc in turmeric or curcumin, and 13-17 parts per million in the coconut. If you take zinc supplements it is recommended that you not take more than 50 mgm. per day and stay with zinc gluconate as it consistently holds the lowest amount of cadmium which naturally occurs with it. (Cadmium is that toxic metal in the news now because it is being found in children's and adult jewelry made in India and China). Zinc has many other functions besides preventing hair loss, but this what we are concerned with today. You can easily search them on line to learn the others.

Inositol is "vital for hair growth", also combines with choline to form lecithin and reduces cholesterol. It's calming effect on the nervous system is thought to have an effect on depression, panic attacks obsessive-compulsive disorder and bipolar affective disorder (used to be called manic-depressive disorder), plays a role in preventing and treating cancer, improves nerve conduction velocity in diabetics, and used in constipation therapy by improving peristalti action. Inositol is found in dried beans, calves liver, cantaloupes, citrus fruits (except for lemons), garbanzo beans (chick peas), lecithin granules, nuts, oats, pork, rice, veal and whole grains. The resin, exudate and sap of the coconut palm has 690 parts per million of inositol.

The coconut (seed) also has 584-18,694 parts per million of another anti-alopecic chemical called linoleic acid. Our lovely, tasty coconut also has 770 parts per million of magnesium in its seed which adds another long list of anti-chemicals to this coconut. The coconut hull husk also has lignin 294,000 parts per million which is antibacterial, anticancer, anticoronary, anti-diarrheic, anti-HIV, antioxidant,antitumor, antiviral, chelator, hypocholesterolemic, laxative, and pesticide. Over consumption of caffeine products (carbonated beverage drinkers may be getting more than the coffee drinkers) or prolonged taking of antibiotics can decrease the body's supply of inositol.

Fatty acids in foods are incoporated into complex lipids such as triglycerides, cholesterol esters, and phospholipids. Our bodies can synthesize some fatty acids in adipose tissue and the liver. It cannot synthesize some essential fatty acids: linoleic acid (Omega 6) or alpha-linoleic acid (Omega 3). Both Omega 3 and Omega 6 are found in vegetable oils like corn and canola. Walnuts are also a good source of alpha-linoleic acid.

Pork has 40% saturated fatty acids (SFA)
45% monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA)
15% polyunsaturated faty acids (PUFA)
Olive Oil has 14% SFA
74% MUFA
12% PUFA

Good old avocados are also rich in antialopecics. So to all of you who want more hair, improve your diets and if necessary, supplement with the above nutrients.

Blackstrap Molasses, Biotin

Posted by Vm (Dayton, Ohio) on 01/01/2010
★★★★★

I have had great success with black strap molasses and later biotin in regenerating my thinning hair. I am a 58 yo female and noticed my hair thinning on top of my head.

I started taking 1 to 3 Tbl molasses and my hair started filling in and getting thicker.

Later I started taking biotin from 1000 mcg to 3000 mcg a day and it also helped my hair get thicker.

Both the biotin and molasses separately help my hair grow. I took molasses for about 6 months and quit taking it and then started in on the biotin for around 3 months and have hair that is about 2 1/2 inches long. I part my hair in the middle and there is new growth about 2 1/2 inches long all over my head but most noticable where I part my hair as the new growth is all the same length and the rest of my hair is shoulder length. My hair also does not fall out like it used to.

Both products worked.

Biotin

Posted by Leelannee (Sussex, Nj) on 09/08/2009

Okay, the iodine doesn't seem to be working as well for the dandruff anymore...still working, just not as miraculously. About a week ago I had a massive outbreak of flakes on the top of my head near my hairline. Having read that milk of magnesia is great for skin & itching, I impulsively doused that area, left it on for about 1/2 an hour, then rinsed it out--without using shampoo or conditioner, to make sure nothing else affected my "experiment". My hair felt like it was full of glue and baby powder (washed out fine the next day), but it seems that Milk of Magnesia really helps the dead skin slough off!!! I had to brush out lots of flakes but since then my scalp has been pretty clear, and much less itchy.

I also patted some Milk of Magnesia on my face and let it dry. My skin was SO soft afterwards, for days, and a couple of rough rashy patches are cleared up!

Biotin

Posted by J0hnn (Toronto, Ontario Canada) on 04/14/2010
★★★★★

This reply to Laurie from Sudbury...

I used a combination of Biotine, Vegitil Silica, and Chelated Zinc to stop hair loss and regrow natural coloured hair on my head last fall.

A couple of points...
1...the Biotine I used was capsules of 5,000 mcg each. Possibly your 300 mcg caps are not enough for this purpose. Has the hair loss cause been removed?

2...the hair on the crown of your head grows an average of 1/2 inch per month, so if the rest of your nutrition is adequate, you should start seeing some fuzz on the previously bald areas at the 4 to 6 week point.

Hopefully this answers some of your questions.

Red Raspberry Tea, Kelp

Posted by Noelle (Minneapolis, Mn) on 03/31/2013

Hi Roberta -- sorry I haven't been on the site in a while. Use the Raspberry Leaf Tea as long as you feel you need it. It's pretty safe. Really tones the female organs. Be more careful with the Kelp. If you find yourself feeling a little wired or having trouble getting to sleep, try reducing the dose or taking it only in the morning. 1/4 - 1/2 tsp of Kelp in the morning and evening will usually stop hair fallout cold.

There are a couple of types of hair vitamins that really contribute to softness and texture, although I can't name brands on Earth Clinic. (I can tell you to check out the reviews on Swanson Vitamins and iHerb. ) Also, if you're looking to thicken the hair Pantothenic Acid (Vitamin B5) really works and fast, but you have to take at least 500mg per day. B5 is also indicated for energy production in the adrenals.

As for me, hair growth is fine, but I've been experiencing a different set of hair problems since starting constitutional homeopathic treatment in late 2010. I've been on Naja (cobra venom) for 1-1/2 years now and there were problems with dosages in 2011 & 1st half of 2012. Homeopathy tends to push things out through the skin and hair, and I had an extreme reaction with both. (Hair formed huge knots, totally uncombable; I had to cut it off! I won't tell you what was going on with my skin and where. Wanted to murder my homeopath; got a second and third opinion instead. ) Things are much better now. When I comb my hair, I have no shedding whatsoever. All that's left of the damage are a couple of alopecia spots and a receding hairline in the front, which I am working on. I had to stop relaxing and coloring my hair -- it grew back in in big patches of black and white and looks really cool! People are always asking me, "how did you get your hair like that?"

Anyway, for growth I recommend:

1) Nettles, both drinking the tea and rubbing on the scalp. Make a strong infusion of Nettle Leaf; it'll keep in the fridge for about 48 hours. Longer than that, it's ineffective.

2) Get a big aloe leaf, rub some of the gel on the scalp. It seems to stimulate the hair follicles.

3) And, of course, Red Raspberry Leaf.

So there!