Thanks Earth Clinic, I'm glad to have found you. Just need to know how to do the VCO thing right.
Pat
Replied By Francisca (Michelbach-le-bas, Alsace, France) on 04/24/2010
Hi Pat, most of my life I had hair loss as well, maybe not so much as you but too much anyway. In December I started drinking fresh juices everyday (fruit and or vegetables) and in a few days my hair was not falling at all anymore. Now with Spring it does fall a little bit but nothing like before (hair always seems to fall more in Spring and Autumn, for some reason). Maybe you are missing some vitamines and minerals...... As far as putting oil in the hair I have tried a few oils like mustard oil and sesame oil and they go out all right but I only do it because right now I have a perm. When my hair is normal maybe I won't do it anymore as my hair is oily. Good luck.......Replied By Rob (Manhattan, New York) on 04/24/2010
Pat, try supplementing with Evening Primrose oil, about 500 mgs twice daily..(can substitute for Borage oil)
also, take a zinc/copper supplemnent..(copper because zinc can effect copper absorption)...also a good B vitamin with Biotin....(or just Biotin 1000mcg daily) give this a test for about six weeks to see results... freeze dried stinging nettle may help as well...Replied By Che (Roxas City, Capiz, Philippines) on 04/24/2010
Hi Pat,i had the same problem as yours before but the falling hair was solved when i change my shampoo from synthetic to organic. My shampoo contains aloe vera and peppermint and other organic ingriedients. Its very effective my friend introduce me this product. just email me for details as im in a hurry to go [email protected]Replied By Lisa (Thousand Oaks, Ca, Usa) on 04/24/2010
Hi Pat,
That is so awful, I know. I had a terrible experience of having such a bad reaction after having my hair dyed. I have dark brown hair- close to black- and every time I would get it dyed I would have a reaction to it. My husband would tell me I was ridiculous because the itching would be so terrible for the first week after dying it. My vanity kept me going though. Then, it changed to also feeling burned. Finally, the last straw was the time that, in addition to these two symptoms, clumps of hair started falling out. Red Alert! That was it for me too. I can live with gray hair but not NO hair! So, now I have gray throughout my hair.
I did the coconut oil thing and had the same experience. Washing and washing to get it out and still it didn't all come out. My hair was limp and lifeless. Haven't done that since. Too much work and not the results I had hoped for.
My hair has finally been restored. It grew back in and thickened up after about two months of green juicing. We use lots of various veggies each day changing them up so we get a variety of vitamins and minerals. Also, we added in eating sea veggies daily because I read that that is also a reason why Japanese women often have such healthy hair. We continue to juice daily and my hair continues to get thicker. My next goal is to see if I can get it to grow dark again!
Another benefit is that, like you, I always had to wash my hair everyday otherwise it would start to itch and get oily quickly yet my scalp would flake. Contradictory sounding but true. Now I can go for 3 days without washing it with no bad effects. It's found a healthy balance- soft but not oily, no more dandruff and itching completely gone!
I hope this info can help you Pat. It really is distressing when your hair falls out and being distressed certainly doesn't help the situation! One other suggestion that I began about 3 weeks ago and now hair doesn't even fall out when I wash it is scalp stimulation. What I do is take hanks of hair in my hand and pull in different directions which stimulates and strengthens from what I understand. It actually feels really good.
Keep us posted, Lisa
Replied By Annie (Denver, Co) on 04/25/2010
There is a short video on youtube called coconut oil treatment. She just uses the coconut oil on clean damp hair. Work it through until it is saturated. Wrap head with towel or plastic bag and leave on for about 30 min. Then clean with clear water or a non toxic organic shampoo. I have used it for years and love my hair. There are several other videos on youtube about this subject.
Hope this helps
Annie
Replied By Pat (Athens, Alabama, Usa) on 04/26/2010
Thanks to all of you who have responded thus far. I am curious about the juicing a couple of you have mentioned. What and how are you juicing? Will regular fruit or vegetable juices drank daily work? I know I'm not getting enough fruits and veggies in my diet, but the idea of juice sounds like a sugar rush and a good way to gain weight as I'd like it way too much - like a soda or something (I don't drink soda - but juice sounds yummy). I did start the ACV with a tad bit of baking soda just this morning and am mixing it with about an ounce of grape juice (reconstituted frozen - it's all I had on hand) to get it down. I do intend to keep this up I am doing a spoonful of blackstrap molasses and a spoonful of coconut oil a day too. I guess I need to start supplementing with some zinc too. I'm open to more suggestions. Also, what are sea vegetables? That's not something I've ever heard of here in North Alabama.
Thanks,
Pat
Replied By Francisca (Michelbach-le-bas, Alsace, France) on 04/27/2010
Hi Pat, I make different juices every day. I tried the organic, shop bought ones first but that didn't work at all, or at least I didn't see any benefits. When I bought my juicer I also bought a couple of juice books and I get a lot of ideas from there. Unfortunately my husband and I are not at all into the green smoothies but we do like other kinds of vegetable juice. As far as fruit juices go we often take the less sweet ones like green apples, grapefruit, blueberries, raspberries..... One thing I forgot to tell you is that I also started brushing my hair according to the instructions I found here, brushing to the back a number of times and then bending down my head and brushing to the front. One thing which has always helped me when my hair is falling a lot, my scalp is greasy and itchy is, strangely enough, to have a perm. That dries my hair a bit and it stops falling right away. My perm is now almost out and I want to see how my hair is going to behave without it because not only do I want to avoid the chemicals but also the money I pay for it.
Replied By Pat (Athens, Al) on 04/27/2010
Francisca,You mentioned the perm helping with the itchy scalp. Have you had the same experience with hair color? My stylist says I can do one or the other but that both would fry my hair. I'm only 44 and reluctant to be grey just yet. I used to color my hair, up until about 4 months ago and am about 50-60% gray and now that it is growing out it looks awful I hate to cut it because I'm trying to grow it out. I haven't had a perm in about 10 years and my scalp is already sensitive and having some "issues" thus the reason for my not coloring recently. I'm not a happy camper with my hair at all. Falling out, turning gray, scalp is red, oily, itchy and irritated and I'm at a complete loss. Not sure what to do and my dermatologist just says come back in 4 weeks, if not better by then we'll do a biopsy - scary on it's own accord. I'm really wanting to color again and another reason I haven't done so is I recently had shoulder surgery and just can't get my arm up there long enough to do the deed. I'm very frustrated and I jokingly say I'm ready to just shave my head - but really my heart is aching over the whole ordeal. I'm desperate for a cure. I was just wondering if you've had any experience with color helping this, should I try a perm or should I just leave well enough alone and see what happens and give the natural remedies a chance... I'm getting impatient as this has been going on for some time.
Thanx.
Pat
Replied By Francisca (Michelbach-le-bas, Alsace, France) on 04/29/2010
Hi again Pat, I am 52 and I also think that I am too young to be grey so I do dye my hair. The only care I take is that I don't do dye and do the perm at the same time. If I go to the hairdresser to do the perm I will have to go again to do the color or else do it at home. Dye never changed the condition of my hair as the modern dyes tend not to dry your hair anymore, only the perm does. But I have to say that although one would tend to think that if you have weak hair and a problem scalp dying and perming would completely ruin it that is not true, at least not for me and I have been doing it for years. As I said I am going to try not to do a perm again for a while and see how it goes. I only do a perm maybe once every 8 or 9 months. The curls are not really strong anymore, of course, but the effect on my scalp stays. I have actually never heard of anybody having a perm done to solve scalp problems but in my case, as you know, it works wonder! People compliment me on my beautiful dark curls....... Best of luck and cheer up!Replied By Francisca (Michelbach-le-bas, Alsace, France) on 04/29/2010
PS for Pat: if you send me an e-mail I will send you a photos of myself with dyed hair and perm, it will give you an idea what "bad hair" can look like when it turns good! ([email protected]).Replied By Pat (Athens, Al, Usa) on 04/29/2010
Francisca,
Thank you so much for your input. I will consider a perm next. I have been going to physical therapy for my shoulder and as soon as I can hold my arm above my head long enough to color again THAT will be my first mission. i am almost 45 but the gray is nearly 55-60% and has taken over since my shoulder has been out of commission. I will consdier the perm as soon as I get the color taken care of; a week or two later of course as not to irritate anything further. Thank you so much for your input!
Pat
Replied By Sarah (Dallas, Tx) on 08/23/2010
The same thing happened to me, this time last year. My hair was massively falling out by the roots--I could see the follicles on the ends of the hairs. It was either a 21 day fast I had been on over the summer, a bout of staph food poisoning, or sub clinical hypothyroidism which made it start. I searched and searched the internet as to why, and learned I might be not getting enough iron, but also that we have to be extremely careful not to take too much iron. So I found 35 mg capsules and started taking one every evening, with vitamin C--and immediately my hair stopped falling out altogether!! I didn't even have the usual 8 or so strands collect in the bottom of the shower--just none fell out. Also, the irritating ache in my legs which I felt at night stopped, but only when I remembered to take the iron. I thought I was getting enough iron from eggs, meat, and a cast iron skillet, but I learned that coffee, dairy, and calcium block iron absorption, and coffee is the only thing that gets me up in the morning--so I take the iron in the evening. Also, I believe I am full of Candida, and various other parasites--which are using up my iron and causing me to be deficient. So I have just started to take Coconut oil.Replied By Tiff (Cincinnati, Ohio) on 10/11/2010
This message was for Pat, who was asking about green drinks or juicing. If you don't have time to juice everyday or at all, there is a great green drink in nutritional stores called Barlean's Greens. I use it every day to cleanse my organs and to help with the toxic load we all have to bare. But it sounds as if it might help with your hair loss as well. Good luck!Replied By Sasha (Los Angeles, Ca) on 06/10/2012
Hi Pat, I would try taking organic coconut oil internalls - start out really slow, though, because it can cause quite a detox in some people - I started out taking 1/4 teaspoon! I personally cannot take Virgin coconut oil - it gave me heartburn. However, I am able to tolerate organic, expeller pressed coconut oil. I have found that coconut oil and MSM are the best supplements ever for hair - don't despair!!