Hair Loss
Natural Remedies

Natural Solutions for Hair Loss: Effective Remedies for Regrowth

The comments below reflect the personal experiences and opinions of readers and do not represent medical advice or the views of this website. The information shared has not been evaluated by the FDA and is not intended to diagnose, treat, or prevent any disease or health condition. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional for medical concerns.
Fenugreek
Posted by Drsd (Dubai, UAE) on 08/31/2012
★★★★★

as a long time sufferer from hair thinning, I would proudly say that I haven't almost missed a remedy for hair fall. Recently, I came across a remedy on the web, that used methi (fenugreek) to stop hair loss. I added few more ingredients to methi and the remedy was very powerful.

Here is what I have concocted:

  • 2 teaspoons of methi soaked in 1/2 a glass of water overnight
  • 1 large red onion (actually, I find them purple! )
  • 1 table spoon of cayenne powder or 3 jalapenos
  • strain the methi seeds on the next day, put them in a coffee bean miller or a food processor, add the peeled onion and the cayenne pepper, make a paste out of all that.

now massage the scalp with the paste, wetting your palms frequently with water to help your finger tips slide around and the pepper to sting alittle bit. Cover with a shower cap. you will feel instant heat on the scalp. In an hour, rinse thoroughly and wash and condition as usual.

I noticed an 80% reduction in the mass of falling hair.

now, this remedy is potent and effective in ceasing hair fall, but will not suffice ALONE in the battle of regaining hair. So adding nutritive foods and taking vitamin supplements is imperative to check hair fall.

hope this is as useful to you as it was to me! regards :)


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.


Oiling the Hair
Posted by Dana (Nyc, Ny) on 01/21/2012
★★★★★

Peace & Love. I have been losing my hair since I was 9 years old, I am now 21. I was using Rogaine when it first hit the market, I was only 12. I used all sorts of crappy pills and "chemical" stuff. I was a young growing female, so I had obvious vitamin deficiencies. I was never seriously ill my entire life, nor have I ever had a bacterial infection on my skin/hair. Female baldness, however, DOES run in my family, BUT none of the women started losing their hair until they were in their mid thirties or higher.

I do believe that baldness/hair loss (for most people who arent ill) is half your genetics and half of what you put in and on your body. I have completely stopped using chemical based products on my skin or hair and will hopefully cut them out of my diet one day as well (and I mean ANY sort of chemical, don't use anything thats not EARTH GROWN on your hair and skin) I don't use those fake 'organic" ones you find at health food markets. I'm telling you ladies and men that have a history of hair loss without physical illness, to take up AYURVEDIC remedies. A nice Indian lady once told me "These Americans don't put oils on their hair that's why when they're old they are all balding!" And I swear to you it's the truth.... I dont care if you "think" you're not losing hair and you "think" your hair is lush... But compared to Eastern folk, Latin folk, and Island folk, all of us Americans look "bald". Our hair lacks lustre body and youth. YOU HAVE TO OIL UP YOUR HAIR!

Put the below list of ingredients into your hair 2-3 times a week, depending on how oily or dry your hair is (mine can get oily quick so I put it in twice a week for now)

Get Amla oil, Brahmi oil, Henna leaves or dried Henna, Coconut oil, Aloe Vera, Honey, Milk, Eggs, Some fresh cut red chillies, Castor Oil, Almond Oil, Mustard Oil. Mix it allllll up, rub it on your scalp and all through you hair *The trick is to massage it well into your scalp for 3 minutes. Wash it out in the morning with Shikakai powder (natural cleaner like baking soda) and some baking soda in water.

And try more ayurvedic recipes, many of which can be found online that are pure and organic. Take what you think would be best for you. Stop taking all the pills and chemicals, and use ONLY what you can eat. That's the trick. If you can't eat it dont put it on your body!

Once you start oiling your hair, try other remedies, like eggs and milk for a hair mask, and mix some good ayurvedic oils in the mask as well. Trust me a combination of oiling your hair and hair masks once or twice a month will do the trick and NOOOOO shampoo. Only shikakai and occasional baking soda or borax. After a while oiling you hair 2-3 times a week, your hair will being to balance between oily and dry and you can either oil your hair every night or once a week. :-) I'm telling u it works.

I have been doing this for over a year and my hair loss has been cut in half and my hair looks beautiful! My hair was always dull in color, easily tangled, and FLAT as hell.. But now its bouncy and pretty and I can even grow it long again (almost past my waist yayy! ) without having to worry about it being "too heavy" and falling out more cuz it's long (that's a buncha doodoo) :-). I'm telling you ladies, find the ayurvedic recipes that's the only way to go. I mean look at Indian ladies hair! They must be doing something right then!

Half is your genes and the other half is WHAT YOU DO! Your hair loss will be cut in half I promise that, and your hair will look more youthful which is also a plus. Hope this helps guys :-)


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!

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.


Edgar Cayce's Hair Loss Remedies
Posted by Myway (Wilmington, De) on 11/18/2014

If you go to the Foxfire book, volume 3, there is an old folk remedy that my father used - burnt car oil, on dogs who had skin conditions. Dad used it on several dogs back in the late 60's and 70's. The dogs would stop itching and their hair would grow out. Back then, the dogs ran all over the place....country life. We didn't have money or resources so, the Foxfire book was the go-to for old time remedies and cures. This oil method always worked for the dogs. My point? Edgar Cayce's crude oil treatment most probably works very well for hair loss. Good luck!


Joyce's Remedies
Posted by Joyce (Joelton, Tn) on 02/03/2010 490 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.


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.


Iodine
Posted by Rob (kentucky) on 07/26/2024
★★★★★

Iodized Collodion in Alopecia. - Dr. Chatelain (Monit. Thérap ) recommends the treatment of alopecia areata by Iodized Collodion, in the proportion of one part of iodine to 300 of collodion (a viscous solution used to coat wounds). The patch is rubbed with a 1:1000 solution of corrosive sublimate, and then painted with the collodion. The iodine is thus allowed to remain in contact with the patch of alopecia for a long time. When the artificial pellicle falls off, the process is repeated. Cases rebellious to other forms of treatment are frequently cured within two months by means of iodized collodion, it is claimed.

From the Book: MERCK'S MARKET REPORT AND PHARMACEUTICAL JOURNAL, September 1893, page 278.


Aloe, Cayenne
Posted by Nancy (Brunswick GA) on 04/08/2008
★★★★★

I would like to post another remedy. Can't believe how many people are interested in this remedy! I felt some of your readers might want to have this. Nancy

To grow hair:
Aloe Vera Gel and Cayenne Pepper.
1/4 to 1/2 c. of Aloe Vera and 2 capsules of cayenne pepper.( Any cayenne will do, You can use Kitchen Spice)
May need to adjust measurement of the aloe and cayenne a little more or less..For the right consistancy.
Pour mixture into a hair color bottle and shake well.
Apply to scalp, massaging in with fingertips.
This mixture will stimulate and clean the hair follicles.
The hair cycle may take a few weeks possibly months, but you will see results.
Leave on scalp at least 10 to 15 minutes or more if you wish. Can be applied weekly.
If you want to use this remedy more often I suggest you try it once and wait a few days, particularly if you have sensitive skin issues.
Caution.....This will burn somewhat, Be careful around eyes. Do not make mixture too runny as it could run into eyes.
Do not make mixture too thick as it will not squirt out of bottle.
You will continue to feel a slight burn even after this remedy is rinsed off.
Aloe Vera gel normally needs to be refridgerated, When mixing remedy allow it to sit a few hours at room tempature before applying to scalp.
Do not apply to scalp cold, as this will close your pores.
If you make more than you need, it will keep a few days in a cool place.
I have used this mixture as a facial scrub, It is a firey facial! Cayenne Pepper is great for circulation. Cayenne Pepper packs a punch, mixed with Aloe Vera and all the great things in Aloe Vera are increased.
Cayenne is called a "catalyst" herb that increases the efficacy of the ingredients you are using.


Coconut Oil
Posted by Mike (Woodbridge, New Jersey U.S.A.) on 01/01/2009

ON THE POSTS ACV AND COCONUT OIL FOR HAIR LOSS< NEITHER EXPLAINED EXACTLY THE METHOD OR QUANTITY OR INTERNALLY. OR EXTERNALLY APPLIED. BE SPECIFIC. THANKS, MIKE

EC: When a post mentions tablespoons, it is usually an internal dosage.


Coconut Oil
Posted by Tamara (Fort Collins, Colorado, Usa) on 05/31/2013

The reason that she mentions her eyebrows getting thicker is that thinning eyebrows is a sign of hypothyroidism, and coconut oil is one remedy that people use in order to help correct thyroid imbalances. Your thyroid helps to regulate your metabolism as well, so taking coconut oil internally can help your thyroid function better, and therefore raising your temperature to a more normal 98.6 F if it was too low. However, if you should have a mustache, then it can also help with fungal problems that can cause hair loss. You shouldn't have any need to worry that CO will cause unwanted hair growth.


Brushing Technique
Posted by Shirley (Missouri) on 08/20/2008

Response To 08/19/2008 Sad Ger from Singapore:

Answer,
I hope I can to be clearer about the way this brushing should be done. When you start to brush your hair while you are bent forward and have your hair toward the floor, you start at the scalp but do not put pressure on the brush at the scalp. At this point you don't want to be brushing the scalp but just the hair. From the scalp you brush your hair down to the tips.I use one hand to push the hair into the brush and brush all the hair starting from the back of my neck down to the ends.

When you're finished, you would stand up straight again. Let you hair fall back away from your face and brush from the forehead towards the back or from the crown down the sides. When you begin this brushing, you hold the hairbrush firm onto the scalp and beginning brushing from the scalp with pressure on the brush, and brush the hair towards the back, sides or whatever feels right for your hair.

Hope that explains it more correctly. If not you may send me an email for more info.


Brushing Technique
Posted by Erin (Ny) on 01/20/2018

I would say give yourself a head massage. I'd bend over while messaging and massage from back of your head to front.

And then stand up or sit up straight and massage front to back.

I'm just guessing but I think you'll have less and less hair loss as you continue to massage your head and give your scalp some focused attention.

Hope it works for you


Apple Cider Vinegar and Baking Soda
Posted by Angelo (New York) on 08/22/2010
★★★★☆

I have been waiting a little over a year to write this letter expecting better results than what I have. Unfortunately, I believe the benefits of fighting Male Pattern Baldness with baking soda and ACV may have been exaggerated. I've been using ACV & baking soda since Aug. 9, 2009 (today is Aug. 22 2010) and the difference in my hair regrowth is only slight at best. The shape of my head is still quite visible. I've found that drinking horsetail tea on a regular basis and adding it to the ACV rinse helped with the MPB even more so but again only slightly. However, until something better comes along I'm going to continue using baking soda & ACV because it's a wonderful treatment for dandruff. Also, every shampoo & conditioner I've investigated contains Sodium Lauryl Sulfate and/or Sodium Laureth Sulfate. These two chemicals are what are used to make soap nice and lathery but they also destroy hair follicles. I must also add that baking soda & ACV restored my hair color. It didn't get rid of the gray hairs but restored the youthful shine & got rid of the dullness that comes with age. As I continue the baking soda & ACV treatment, if anything should favorably change, I will make sure to write.


Apple Cider Vinegar, Hydrogen Peroxide
Posted by Shemika (Hightstown, Nj) on 06/19/2010

I am grateful for Mary's story about topically applying acv to her head by mistake when she had a fungal infection and thus losing all her hair.

I unthinkingly slapped some acv on my head before bed last night as I do from time to time, but this time I woke up disturbed and vaguely recalling her post so I got up and reread it as well as Teds instructions about the subject since I hadn't read them in a couple years. I realized I was making the same mistake Mary had because I likely also have a fungal infection due to my parasite infection.

In Jan just when my hair was starting to see some real progress I absentmindedly put a little acv on it and continued to do so on occasion. Soon afterwards I was combing my hair and it started falling out in clumps. Not making the connection I continued over the past five months to put acv on my hair from time to time, wondering why it kept getting shorter and wouldn't grow any more. Sure enough, topical acv is likely part of the reason why my hair fell out and hasn't grown. I had credited it all to the meds I took about the same time which are known to cause hair loss, which is also likely part of the reason as well. Now I hope to get it right by using tea tree oil and the proper remedies instead. I will let that be a lesson I have to be more careful. Thanks for your site.


Apple Cider Vinegar, Hydrogen Peroxide
Posted by Bb13 (New Jersey) on 07/22/2015
★★★★★

I am a licensed beauty professional as well. ACV is not what made Mary's hair fall out, it was most certainly the peroxide. But I will say, unless it is a conditioner, I don't recommend leaving any product on overnight. Everyones skin is different, including your scalp, and will react different. Also, vinegars are cleaning agents, as are baking sodas...mixing these products together is essentially stripping the hair of anything. Salons use baking soda to strip the hair. ACV is a great product, but should not be applied to the hair in full strength (more is not better in this case). In fact, (I did not see it so I cannot be sure) but I would be willing to bet that Mary's hair did not fall out, but actually broke off. Am I saying not to use it, absolutely not, I love ACV, I use it all the time...use it in moderation...equal parts with water, do not leave it in overnight.


It's in the Water
Posted by skip (Washington, DC) on 07/02/2007
★★★★★

YES I can vouch that since I came to AMERICA my hair are falling. The water here has either chlorine or too much remnants of estrogen wich causes hair loss and feminizing men!

Probiotics
Posted by Nic (South Africa) on 12/30/2022
★★★★★

Please also try probiotics. A good quality liquid or capsule kept in fridge with multiple strains and high bacterial count. If it's a gut issue, this will quickly remedy the hair loss.


Potato Oil or Juice
Posted by Katzie (Calgary) on 08/15/2022
★★★★★

Update: It's been 3 months now and my potato oil is still working like a charm!

I am halfway thru my bottle, and have found it is best to use at least 1x/week. Remember, ya don't have to worry about the length of your hair as you're not supposed to coat the lengths; potato oil is for the scalp only.

I once went about 3 weeks where I only used it twice, and sure did notice a difference! More hair loss, for sure, as I found I was pulling my hair from bathroom drains again, so once a week it is for me. It has been SO nice not having to pick out my fallen strands from the shower & sink drains! Such a treat.


Supplements
Posted by Hisjewel (Usa) on 09/29/2020

Thanks Art.


Dietary Changes
Posted by Surfer (Florida) on 04/19/2018
★★★★★

I started a vegan diet back at the end of January and almost immediately noticed my hair fall in the drain drastically declined to almost nothing.


B Vitamins
Posted by Natalie (Seattle, Wa) on 02/25/2016
★★★★★

Coenzymated B vitamins (the kind you dissolve under your tongue) works amazingly well for hair loss. I noticed my hair feeling thicker, smoother and fuller within the first 10 week! I think the other kinds of B vitamins are not absorbed very well.


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.


Multiple Remedies
Posted by Lisa (Thousand Oaks, Ca, Usa) on 10/24/2012

Hi Gloria, I also went through radical hair loss but mine was from hair dye. I would always have the worst reaction but I was too proud to let myself go gray. The reaction was so bad my husband would get upset that I would continue this procedure. Well, I went to Aveda because that was supposed to be "natural" and it worked for a time but then, I began reacting again. So, I changed to "natural" hair dyes from the health food store. Again, they worked for awhile and then I began to react once more! It was bad but the last straw for me was I began to lose hair in clumps. That's when I thought, perhaps gray would be better than bald... I stopped using shampoos with anything other than the mildest herbs and cleaners in them. I massaged my scalp, I used borax when washing my hair. Then I learned about hair oiling here on EC and began that practice about a year and a half ago. I take Chinese herbs and do fresh green juices every morning and follow much of Weston Price's ideas on diet.

I am now quite salt and pepper but my hair is nice and thick and healthy once more. I won't lie though, it took a long time though to restore it! As a matter of fact, just about a month ago I was going to a wedding and my oldest daughter said she wanted to blow dry my hair for it. She couldn't believe how thick it was and healthy and just kept commenting about it! It's probably been a couple of years since she last did that for me and she said it never felt like that before. So friends, take heart, our hair can be restored but you must be steadfast at working at that and be patient! Lisa


Eggs
Posted by Z_girl (Santa Barbara, Ca) on 10/08/2012

I am experiencing greater than usual amounts of falling hair. I've tried adding hair vitamins, good protein in diet, adequate water, using safe shampoos, but the only thing that lessens the amount of falling hair, that ends up in my hands, on my clothes and in the drain, is eating several eggs per day-- they are free range, organic, omega -3 brown eggs. If I miss a day of eating at least 3 eggs my hair starts to fall out again.

Eggs are such a complex food its very hard to isolate what mineral or combination or minerals are helping my hair. I really cant eat 3 eggs every day-- not only because that is a lot of cholesterol, but I don't want to develop an allergy to them from eating them every day.

Additionally my nails and cuticles arent in that great of shape, but eggs sure helped at least the cuticles in short order.

Part of the reason I am so concerned about it, is that if I have a deficiency of some type I'd like to find out before it affects something more serious than my hair.

Any help as to why the eggs are helping would be appreciated.

Eggs
Posted by Lisa (Thousand Oaks, Ca, Usa) on 10/08/2012

Hi Z_girl, You don't say much about your diet other than eggs help with your hair and also nails. They're rich in protein, lecithin and sulfur among other things. I'm thinking it may be the protein. I say this because, when I was a vegetarian in my 20's my hair started falling out and my nails would peel. I had always had very thick hair and good nails up to then. When I finally started adding in eggs and meat my hair was eventually restored and my nails got a lot stronger. Anyway, that would be my guess. Since you're concerned about eating too many eggs, get protein through many different sources. Hope this helps, Lisa


Eggs
Posted by Z_girl (Santa Barbara, Ca) on 10/15/2012

Actually my diet is pretty good and I get a sufficinet amount of protein for my size (small). I've tried hair vitamins to no avail. If it helps the texture has changed as well to coarser and brittle-- it's like wire now, before it was soft thread. I'm wondering if its some sort of toxic buildup that my body is getting rid of by dropping the hair that contains it? Maybe its not a deficiency at all but a toxcity?


Edgar Cayce's Hair Loss Remedies
Posted by Mary (Rural, Va) on 01/30/2012

Maria, I use your basic drugstore Potassium Iodides. The colorless kind.


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.

Accutane-Related Hairloss Remedies
Posted by Njman (Paramus, Nj) on 03/01/2012
★★★★★

Accutane will definitely cause hair loss. I took it back in 2007 when I was 23years old, and my hair thinned all over.

However, it should be reversible. Like you mentioned, you experienced hair loss 2 months after stopping Accutane, which seems perfectly normal.

Accutane is a very powerful drug and will shock your body from the inside out, and hair loss is just a side effect of it.

I remember a short time after I took Accutane, I looked in a mirror at a retail store and my hair was so thin that I could see my entire scalp. But, before that moment, I didn't even realize I was losing hair. I was 23 and hairloss wasn't even on my mind. I did absolutely nothing to treat the hair loss, but it all grow back over time after I stopped the Accutane.

So in short, I'd be more concerned about the overall side effects of continuing that insane drug Accutane, than I would be about the hair loss it causes.



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