Natural Solutions for Hair Loss: Effective Remedies for Regrowth

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.

I tried numerous suggestions from Earthclinic and other sites to stop hair loss and none helped, but happily found something simple that works.

While searching for hair loss treatment shampoos I found many pleased with Argan oil, but that seems to be a fad now and the $30.00+ price tag, to me, supports that. I kept searching and discovered Niacin and caffeine shampoo by OGX (sold online and at Ulta Beauty stores) for $7.00. They also carry a conditioner with same active ingredients plus I found a $3.50 off coupon if I spent $10.00.

I thought, why don't I just take some niacin (not niacinamide)? There was a partial bottle of 250 mg niacin with 125 mg calcium I had for lowering cholesterol, I believe. After taking one per day for just 2 days my hair loss stopped. This is what I am taking same brand/dosage but mine is not the prolonged release just plain old niacin and calcium: http://www.swansonvitamins.com/21st-century-niacin-250-mg-110-tabs (and NOT the advanced formula either. they sure like to mess with stuff).

I didn't buy online, but from the corner pharmacy.

Previously, after running my hand through my hair I would find 5 or more hairs in my hand every time and all day finding hair fallout on the clothes I was wearing, in the sink etc. and a massive amount after washing my hair.

I have a disclaimer. I was taking Armour Thyroid and thought that was the hair loss culprit so I switched to Nutri-Pak Thyroid (get online) which has the same exact active ingredients and dosage per 130 mg pill as the armour 120 mg pill. I switched only 2 days before taking the niacin. (I phoned my doctor's office and told them I'm doing it so they would have on record.) I could not determine if that made a difference and I have often read that the thyroid med stays in one's system for days or longer.

I believe the niacin is what helped and am interested in knowing if taking niacin to reverse hair loss will help others. My Google searches support the benefits of niacin for hair, skin and circulation.

Jamaican Black Castor oil WORKS!!!!! Your hair grows so fast you won't know what to do and it doesn't take long at all. I use it and have told others about it. If you are looking to grow your hair, you can't go wrong with this product!!!

Try sage tea for hair loss. Works well and smells good. Steep leaves--I use the dry kind-- in hot water, let cool, massage GENTLY onto clean scalp (hair can be damp) Either rinse out or leave on.

All the best!

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.

I had thinning hair because of a thyroid problem. If your doctor says there is nothing they can do if you have hormone imbalance, then he/she is wrong! Time to find a new doctor or - better yet - a naturopath.

My husband uses 8 ounces of aloe vera gel, 1 teaspoon of lavender essential oil and 1 teaspoon of tea tree oil (mixed in a glass bottle and kept in the fridge). Every day he massages about 2 teaspoons into his scalp. His hair loss has slowed down quite a bit. Everyone loses hair on a daily basis but his was clogging the shower drain. Now, it may be that it is the actual massage that slowed down his hair loss and not necessarily the ingredients but he's just happy that "something" is working.

Googling around again and one site said to no longer use soap or shampoo on hair but 1/2 cup soda in 1 1/2 cups water and massage in scalp and then rinse with cold water as little as needed and don't mess with hair much, combing , curling , styling , but massage head once in a while until improvement shows.... Hope this helps.

Hi, I think it could be the lysine. Try taking b50 or b100 and eat eggs.

Hair Loss:

I had the same symptoms. I remembered then that hot water is for cleaning but COLD water is for toning and healing for such things. Slowly turn the shower head to cold as you wet your hair (make sure you are not feeling chilled at the beginning) try cold water for about one to two minutes, then towel dry. Remain in temperate surroundings and repeat the towel drying process until you know you could not catch cold.

Repeat this procedure and you will feel the wonderful effects of natural treatment and increased blood circulation and a feeling of well being.

In addition I use urea with great benefit. This is, however not for those that do not know anything about it. I also use coconut oil, undiluted ACV, and colloidal silver in case there might be a parasite infestation. In addition I chew soaked fenugreek seeds, a good teasp. Daily for diabetes but it makes also the hair grow. This may take some months as the action is at first in the hair follicles. Good luck and patience. The itching and burning disappeared quickly at the outset. Om

Hi, I just thought I'd share my success with growing out my hair (even if not intentional). It used to be thin and stay shoulder length, it would break off, very fine and dry. This was when I was in my twenties and part thirties. Now, five years later, my hair is shiny, wavy and fairly thick, I cut it about a foot (12inches) every 9 months or so, it reaches my waist right now.

This is what worked:

1. stopped using commercial shampoo.

2. only wash with a natural shampoo with low alcohol content once a week (I started doing this after a trip to Italy, when I got some advise from a lady with enviable curly hair to her hips. She says shampoo is the worst enemy of hair; it strips it of nutrients, opens the fibers and makes it vulnerable to break off).

3. wash everyday (if needed) with a natural, low alcohol content conditioner, or even better; an olive oil based cleaner like available in Italy (not available were I live, so I realized I could use a lightweight conditioner). The reason the conditioner cleanses is that if you think about it; oils cut (mix with) oils. What we want to cleanse is the amount of oils in our hair, right? We don't want to strip out all the good oils from the hair, that makes it break... (commersial or harsh shampoos)

4.Rinse with COLD water when finished, to close the fibers in the hair.

5. Supplements; I started taking selenium, blue-green algae and alpha-lipoic-acid together (to control blood-sugar spikes). It seems the side effect of perhaps Selenium is to support hair-growth. I also took multi mineral or coral calcium and Sublingual Vit-B multi-vitamin in the evening from time to time.

6. Stopped blow-drying. Let air-dry, massage scalp with towel while drying (for blood-sirculation) and only brush hair AFTER its dry. With a natural brush, llike boar, or wood-comb (not plastic or metal - again these will tear and break the hair if it is fine like mine).

This is what I was doing, and it's so nice to have my hair back almost like from my childhood, too bad I didn't know to do this in my twenties! ;-) Good Luck!

What is natural shampoo?

Eggs are also good for your face. Whites are good for oily skin and yoks are good for dry skin.

BETTER BUT WITH SIDE EFFECTS

Good news/bad news regarding biotin. It worked great at growing hair.... I actually had eyebrows for the first time in years! But, I wound up with severe migraines. I have tried different brands and different strengths, but ended up with migraines each and every time. Just to let you know that some of us get negative side effects from biotin. I suffer from multiple chemical sensitivities.... not sure if this has anything to do with it or not.

Hello, I am taking magnesium for hair loss, that is magnesium citrate tablets, two a day, about 100% the RDI, for now a month, and have a lot of growth on my scalp, and in the beard actually too, which appear to come in fuller.

Magnesium seems to calm the scalp, or something similar, I think. I am taking iodine and phosphorous as well, as these minerals are lacking in my nutrition.

This is a remedy from Edgar Cayce who was a medical intuit and some say a prophet. He could put himself into a trance and offer advice to people on healings. I read it today and thought I would post it here. This is the question asked of him:

(R) How may I promote the growth of new hair on my head?

(B) Eat more shell fish and rub same with a few coffee grounds occasionally.

Perhaps any males out there (or females) could try this and report back?

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.

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.

Please see an eye doctor immediately, the dimming like a curtain falling is a symptom of detached retina, it can result in blindness, but if caught in time and repaired can save your sight.

Hi, Try Lugols iodine it helped me with hair loss, also have thyriod problem. Good luck.

I know this sounds strange, but L-Glutathione & MSM help the texture/look/feel of my hair almost overnight. I have very thin hair, and when I take these supplements my hair doesn't have that "thin" appearance anymore. For the first time in my life I am getting complimented on my hair - I can't believe it!

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.

S-G: I also looked over a half dozen forums, and the experiences were both for and against taking Omega-3's as a cause of hair loss, in both men and women. However, two things I noticed:

The claim was made by several people that when they just reduced their omega-3 intake from typically 3 1000 mg capsules or more per day to just one, their hair loss stopped and reversed!

The second thing is that the ones taking ALSO the omega-6 fatty acid GLA (gamma linolenic) were getting no fallout and hair regrowth. I'm not saying it can or will work for everyone, or not even for any specific person, but it's probably worth trying for a month or two.

GLA is found highest percentage in borage oil, but also lesser % in evening primrose oil, hemp oil and black currant oil.

Why or how could this be so? It turns out there is an extremely important class of short-life messenger signal & switching molecules made throughout the body known collectively as prostanoids, which includes the prostaglandins, eicosanoids and thromboxanes. To be made in the cells, they need the omega fatty acids of all kinds. Most people who take oil supplements take the usual fish oils, high in DHA & EPA, which satisfies the RH side of the flow chain here, but take no GLA at all except a puny amount from the diet. Note the bottleneck or blockage down both LH and RH chains, where poor % conversion limits the amount. Taking DHA & EPA directly gets around the RH chain restriction problem; taking GLA gets around the LH chain restriction problem. So then the PG= prostaglandin molecule production is not limited. IOW, it could be poor cellular signaling that is corrected with the GLA.

Maryann, let me first say that I am SO sorry for your troubles. I just sent up a very strong prayer of faith that you will have your hair back! That being said, I just read that MSM helps overcome autoimmune diseases. I just started my husband and myself on it today. Also, check into Hyaluronic Acid, supposed to bring youth and hair back. (look under Alfred's posts here on earthclinic! ) My suggestions to myself in this situation would be approx. 4 grams MSM to start with, and 150-200 mg. of Hyaluronic acid. Split doses morning and nite. (MSM, split morning and mid-day, no good for night time, keeps you awake! ) My sister, 36 yrs old, took Clomid for a good while, not anymore, but now is in a hair crisis herself. She too has beautiful long hair, and it is falling! She just started on HA today, and I will give her some MSM to get started on that as well. Get a GOOD brand, no dollar store or box store stuff. God bless. Lisa

Maryann, I would definitely try iodine therapy. The fact that you have fertility troubles already points to possible, even probable iodine deficiency. I have been able to get decolorized iodine at a local pharmacy (not sure if I'm allowed to say it's CVS?). I have struggled with thinning hair as a result of thyroid and other hormone problems. I have taken iodine orally for over a year which has helped with fertility and greatly improved my thyroid function, but my hair was still falling out by the handful in the shower. I started putting the iodine on my scalp with a q-tip every other night or so and within about three applications I only lost about 1/3 the amount I previously lost in the shower. It takes weeks, even months to see new growth so of course I'm still waiting for that. However, it's so nice to keep what I've already got at least! Blessings!

1. 50 grams of Powdered Cayenne Pepper of highest scoville units (Buy strongest red chillies and get it powdered in the CHAKKI. Avoid readymade chili powder like Tikhalal, MTR etc as they may contain preservatives and salt).

2. 100 ml of the best Extra Virgin Olive Oil like Figaro.

3. 1 glass bottle with a tight cap.

4. 20 grams of black Pepper powder (kaali mirch).

to ensure I get hair growth, do I have to stop smoking?