Homeopathic Treatment of Hair problems

Treatment of Hair problems

Homeopathic Treatment of Hair problems

Hair problems are extremely common, and while they are not half as dangerous and debilitating as many health problems, they are certainly troublesome and frustrating. Most hair problems have very simple solutions, but it is important to remember that your hair type is genetic, and there is a limit to what can be done with home remedies, hair care, and even advanced modern techniques. Finally, you simply need to do the best you can with the hair you have. Interfering too much with your hair can eventually cause other more serious problems.

 

Different Hair Problems:

1.Hair fall:

Hair loss (alopecia) can affect just your scalp or your entire body. It can be the result of heredity, certain medications or an underlying medical condition. Anyone — men, women and children — can experience hair loss.

Hair fall problems and hair loss problems are also extremely common. Unfortunately, these are not always very easy to solve. There are numerous reasons why hair loss could occur, and treatment needs to address these causes. Fungal infections can sometimes be treated by regularly rinsing your hair with a vinegar and water solution, but sometimes, proper medical treatment may be needed. Nutritional problems could also cause hair loss, but unless you are aware that you have a specific deficiency, the only thing to do is ensure that your diet is balanced and varied. Poor hair care is another cause of hair loss – you need to use a suitable shampoo and conditioner, comb your hair regularly, and protect your hair from sunlight, pollution, and wind.

Hair grows everywhere on the human skin except on the palms of our hands and the soles of our feet, but many hairs are so fine they're virtually invisible. Hair is made up of a protein called keratin that is produced in hair follicles in the outer layer of skin. As follicles produce new hair cells, old cells are being pushed out through the surface of the skin at the rate of about six inches a year. The hair you can see is actually a string of dead keratin cells. The average adult head has about 100,000 to 150,000 hairs and loses up to 100 of them a day; finding a few stray hairs on your hairbrush is not necessarily cause for alarm.At any one time, about 90% of the hair on a person's scalp is growing. Each follicle has its own life cycle that can be influenced by age, disease, and a wide variety of other factors.

This life cycle is divided into three phases:

• Anagen -- active hair growth that lasts between two to six years
• Catagen -- transitional hair growth that lasts two to three weeks
• Telogen -- resting phase that lasts about two to three months; at the end of the resting phase the hair is shed and a new hair replaces it and the growing cycle starts again.

 

2. Dull Hair/Dry Hair:

Dry hair problems are among the most common of all hair problems. This is sometimes due to insufficient production of sebum by the scalp, but the fact is that, in many cases, dry hair is simply the result of the sebum not reaching the hair. This happens most often with hair that is very curly – when hair is straight, it is much easier for sebum to spread from the scalp all over the hair, but with curly hair, this does not happen so easily. Fortunately, the solution is usually very simple – you simply need to comb your hair more often. If this does not work, then frequent oiling is needed, along with use of a suitable conditioner.

3. Oily Hair:

Oily hair is a less common problem, and is also one that is more easily solved. The simplest solution is to use a shampoo for oily hair, and gradually increase the frequency of washing your hair. You should also avoid using conditioner.

4. Gray or White Hair:

Gray or white hair—sometimes colloquially called "salt and pepper" when it is 'peppered' throughout dark hair—is not caused by a true gray or white pigment, but is due to a lack of pigmentation and melanin. The clear hairs appear as gray or white because of the way light reflects from the hairs. Gray hair color typically occurs naturally as people age . For some people this can happen at a very young age (for example, at the age of 10). The same is true for white hair. In some cases, gray hair may be caused by thyroid deficiencies, Warden Burg’s Syndrome or a vitamin B12 deficiency.

5. Dandruff:

Dandruff is a common chronic scalp condition marked by itching and flaking of the skin on your scalp. Although dandruff isn't contagious and is rarely serious, it can be embarrassing and sometimes difficult to treat. Fortunately, dandruff can be controlled. In mild cases, the person need only find a suitable shampoo which contains a gentle cleanser. When the dandruff is severe, a medicated shampoo will be required.

Dandruff can be chronic (long-term) or the result of certain triggers. People with dandruff may also experience irritation and redness on the scalp.

Excessive flaking may be caused by an underlying illness or condition, such as psoriasis, a fungal infection (Malassezia), seborrheic dermatitis, or even head lice.

Some individuals with severe dandruff may have social or self-esteem problems. Therefore, treatment may be important for both physiological and psychological reasons.

 

 

Causes of Hair loss:

Most people normally shed 50 to 100 hairs a day. But with about 100,000 hairs in the scalp, this amount of hair loss shouldn't cause noticeable thinning of the scalp hair. As people age, hair tends to gradually thin. Other causes of hair loss include hormonal factors, medical conditions and medications.

Family history: Your risk of hair loss increases if relatives on either side of your family have experienced hair loss. Heredity also affects the age at which you begin to lose hair and the developmental speed, pattern and extent of your baldness..

Poor nutrition: Your hair may thin out if you skimp on good dietary sources of iron and protein, such as red meat, nonfat dairy products and iron-fortified cereal. Hair loss related to poor nutrition often accompanies eating disorders and crash dieting.

Hormonal factors:

The most common cause of hair loss is a hereditary condition called male-pattern baldness or female-pattern baldness. In genetically susceptible people, certain sex hormones trigger a particular pattern of permanent hair loss. Most common in men, this type of hair thinning can begin as early as puberty.

Hormonal changes and imbalances can also cause temporary hair loss. This could be due to pregnancy, childbirth, discontinuation of birth control pills or the onset of menopause.

Medical conditions:

A variety of medical conditions can cause hair loss, including:

• Thyroid problems: The thyroid gland helps regulate hormone levels in your body. If the gland isn't working properly, hair loss may result.
• Alopecia areata: This disease occurs when the body's immune system attacks hair follicles — causing smooth, roundish patches of hair loss.
• Scalp infections: Infections, such as ringworm, can invade the hair and skin of your scalp, leading to hair loss. Once infections are treated, hair generally grows back.
• Other skin disorders: Diseases that can cause scarring, such as lichen planus and some types of lupus, can result in permanent hair loss where the scars occur.

Medications:

Hair loss can be caused by drugs used to treat:

• Cancer
• Arthritis
• Depression
• Heart problems
• High blood pressure

Other Causes of Hair Loss:

• A physical or emotional shock: Many people experience a general thinning of hair several months after a physical or emotional shock. Examples include sudden or excessive weight loss, a high fever, or a death in the family.
• Hair-pulling disorder: This mental illness causes people to have an irresistible urge to pull out their hair, whether it's from the scalp, their eyebrows or other areas of the body. Hair pulling from the scalp often leaves patchy bald spots on the head.
• Certain hairstyles:Traction hair loss can occur if the hair is pulled too tightly into hairstyles such as pigtails or cornrows.

There are many types of hair loss, also called alopecia:

• Involutional alopecia- It is a natural condition in which the hair gradually thins with age. More hair follicles go into the resting phase, and the remaining hairs become shorter and fewer in numbers.
• Androgenic alopecia- It is a genetic condition that can affect both men and women. Men with this condition, called male pattern baldness, can begin suffering hair loss as early as their teens or early 20s. It's characterized by a receding hairline and gradual disappearance of hair from the crown and frontal scalp. Women with this condition, called female pattern baldness, don't experience noticeable thinning until their 40s or later. Women experience a general thinning over the entire scalp, with the most extensive hair loss at the crown.
• Alopecia areata- It often starts suddenly and causes patchy hair loss in children and young adults. This condition may result in complete baldness (alopecia totalis). But in about 90% of people with the condition, the hair returns within a few years.
• Alopecia universalis – It causes all body hair to fall out, including the eyebrows, eyelashes, and pubic hair.
• Trichotillomania - It seen most frequently in children, is a psychological disorder in which a person pulls out one's own hair.
• Telogen effluvium – It is temporary hair thinning over the scalp that occurs because of changes in the growth cycle of hair. A large number of hairs enter the resting phase at the same time, causing hair shedding and subsequent thinning.

Signs and Symptoms of Hair Loss:

Hair loss can appear in many different ways, depending on the problem that's causing it. It can come on suddenly or gradually and affect just your scalp or your whole body. Some types of hair loss are temporary, while others are permanent.

• Gradual thinning on top of head: This is the most common type of hair loss, affecting both men and women. In men, hair often begins to recede from the forehead in a line that resembles the letter M. Women typically retain a line of hair at the forehead but experience a broadening of the part in their hair.
• Circular or patchy bald spots: Some people experience smooth bald spots, often about an inch (2.6 centimeters) across. This type of hair loss usually affects just the scalp, but it sometimes also occurs in beards or eyebrows. In some cases, your skin may become itchy or painful before the hair falls out.
• Sudden loosening of hair:A physical or emotional shock can cause hair to loosen. Handfuls of hair may come out when combing or washing your hair or even after gentle tugging. This type of hair loss usually causes overall hair thinning and not bald patches.
• Full-body hair loss: Some conditions and medical treatments, such as chemotherapy for cancer, can result in the loss of hair all over your body. The hair usually grows back after treatment.

Treatment of Hair Loss:

For some types of hair loss, hair may resume growth without any treatment. In other situations, treatments may help promote hair growth or hide hair loss.

Medication:

If your hair loss is caused by an underlying disease, treatment for that disease will be necessary. This may include drugs to reduce inflammation and suppress your immune system, such as prednisone.

Medications approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat hair loss include:

• Minoxidil (Rogaine). Minoxidil is an over-the-counter liquid or foam that you rub into your scalp twice daily to grow hair and to prevent further loss. Some people experience some hair regrowth or a slower rate of hair loss or both. It may take 12 weeks for new hair to start growing.
• Finasteride (Propecia). This prescription medication to treat male-pattern baldness is taken daily in pill form. Many men taking finasteride experience a slowing of hair loss, and some may show some new hair growth.

Surgery for Hair Loss:

In the most common type of permanent hair loss, only the top of the head is affected. Surgical procedures can make the most of the hair you have left.

• Hair transplants: This type of procedure removes tiny plugs of skin, each containing a few hairs, from the back or sides of your scalp. The plugs are then implanted into the bald sections of your scalp. Several transplant sessions may be needed, as hereditary hair loss progresses with time.
• Scalp reduction: This procedure surgically removes some of the bald skin on your head. After hairless scalp is removed, the space is closed with hair-covered scalp. Doctors can also fold hair-bearing skin over an area of bald skin in a scalp reduction technique called a flap.

Surgical procedures to treat baldness are expensive and can be painful. Possible risks include infection and scarring.

Wigs and hairpieces:

If you would like an alternative to medical treatment for your baldness or if you don't respond to treatment, you may want to consider wearing a wig or hairpiece. They can be used to cover either permanent or temporary hair loss. Quality, natural-looking wigs and hairpieces are available.

Homeopathic Treatment for Hair Problems:

Homeopathy addresses the defective immune response, family history or genetic predisposition, nature and intensity of the disease as well as systemic, emotional and numerous other factors commonly affecting hair loss.

Homeopathy is one of the most popular holistic systems of medicine. The selection of remedy is based upon the theory of individualization and symptoms similarity by using holistic approach. This is the only way through which a state of complete health can be regained by removing all the sign and symptoms from which the patient is suffering. The aim of homeopathy is not only to treat hair loss but to address its underlying cause and individual susceptibility. As far as therapeutic medication is concerned, several well-proved remedies are available for hair loss treatment that can be selected on the basis of cause, location, modalities and extension of the hair loss.

Self Care Measures:

1. Hot oil treatments: Take any natural oil - olive, coconut, canola - and heat it up so that it is warm, but not too hot. Massage it gently into your scalp. Put on a shower cap and leave it on for an hour, then shampoo your hair.
2. Natural juices: You can rub your scalp with either garlic juice, onion juice or ginger juice. Leave it on overnight and wash it thoroughly in the morning.
3. Get a head massage: Massaging your scalp for a few minutes daily will help stimulate circulation. Good circulation in the scalp keeps hair follicles active. Circulation may be improved through massage by using a few drops of lavender or bay essential oil in an almond or sesame oil base.
4. Antioxidants: Apply warm green tea (two bags brewed in one cup of water) on your scalp and leave this mixture on for an hour and then rinse. Green tea contains antioxidants which prevent hair loss and boost hair growth.
5. Practice meditation: Believe it or not, most of the times, the root cause for hair loss is stress and tension. Meditation can help in reducing that and restore hormonal balance.