Conventional hair loss treatments versus natural holistic solutions

In this article we will review some conventional hair loss treatments versus natural holistic solutions. Hair loss is a common problem for many men and women, and for those who suffer from it, it can cause emotional distress and low self-esteem. What makes it worse is to be told by ‘medical experts’ that you have just to learn to live with it.  For me, that was not an option, so I did my own research to find a way to combat hair loss once and for all.

Who treats hair loss?

The specialists who deal with hair loss are usually trichologists or dermatologists.  When a patients’ Alopecia is not too severe, they are often prescribed (toxic) medication and/or hormones.  These might work for some people; however, these need to be often taken for the rest of their lives.  For others, these drugs lead to more rapid hair loss and the medication also comes with an extensive list of side-effects.

Doctors usually attribute hair loss to hormonal problems or autoimmune diseases, but many cannot give answers as to why it happens and how to prevent or cure it. Have you ever wondered where these hormonal issues stem from or why your own body is attacking your cells, including your hair follicles? Many doctors can’t give you the answer because they don’t even know themselves.

Typically, when medical professionals can’t find answers in their books, they tell you to live with it or they prescribe medication. You may be surprised to know that even alopecia sufferers can regrow their hair, through natural, holistic hair loss solutions.

Can you regrow hair?

In severe cases of Alopecia Universalis (loss of hair all over the body), the medical world is lost and offers no solutions at all.  Typically, when doctors can’t find answers in their books, they tell you to live with it. You may be surprised to know that even those with alopecia can regrow their hair, through natural, holistic hair loss solutions.

Questions about the causes of hair loss

Doctors usually attribute hair loss to hormonal problems or autoimmune diseases, but many cannot give answers as to why it happens and how to prevent or cure it.

Have you ever wondered where these hormonal issues stem from or why your own body is attacking your cells, including your hair follicles? Many doctors can’t give you the answer because they don’t even know themselves.

Hormones also play a part in hair loss. “Hair growth can decrease if DHT (a male androgen hormone that causes follicles to shrink) is high” explains wellness physician Dr Axe. “For men, male pattern baldness follows that of a receding hairline. For women, baldness is characterized by thinning on the top or the centre of the head. This is also known as androgenetic alopecia.”

If you would like to learn more about hair loss, please check out my hair loss causes page.

Or to discover more information about cleaning living and holistic lifestyle, explore my optimal health page.

Medical conventional, traditional treatments versus holistic hair loss solutions

If you suffer from hair loss, you might be wondering why your body would go on the rampage to such a degree that it attacks your hair follicles.

Before answering that, there are two important things I’d like to explain first:

1. Traditional, conventional hair loss treatments work for some, but they don’t heal everyone
2. Holistic, alternative solutions work for some, but they don’t heal everyone

No single treatment can tackle hair loss.  After considering both holistic and traditional hair loss solutions, you must weigh the pros and cons and decide what’s best for you.  I chose the holistic approach and hadn’t looked back since.

When my hair first started to fall out I looked into ‘hair doctors’, but immediately felt that it was going nowhere. I knew I had to look within, as I always do when it comes to my health. I felt that the holistic approach was best suited to me and my health issues.

Medical conventional hair loss treatments

MINOXIDIL

Minoxidil is aconventional hair loss treatment and is a lotion that’s directly applied to the scalp. It’s available over the counter and on the Internet. I tried Minoxidil, and after just one use I was plagued with multiple side-effects and a sleepless night.

Minoxidil started out as an anti-ulcer medication, but it was found to be more useful for the heart as it widened the blood vessels. So it was re-assigned as a treatment for high blood pressure.

As heart patients took minoxidil, it came to light that they were experiencing increased hair growth.

Those with light forms of alopecia see the best results. Alopecia Areata is usually a condition that causes just a few patches of hair loss. Minoxidil does not work on severe hair loss.

It must be applied for at least three months to see results and hair often begins to fall out again once you stop using it.

SIDE EFFECTS OF MINOXIDIL INCLUDE:

• Skin irritations and reddening of skin
• Itchy scalp, dry scalp and/or dandruff
• Inflammation/ soreness of hair roots
• Burning sensation of scalp
• Dermatitis and/or acne
• Headaches
• Upset stomach
• Breast tenderness
• Chest pains
• Racing heart and/or irregular heart beats
• Sickness and/or vomiting
• Hair growth on face, forehead and ears in women
• Increase in body hair in women
• Increased hair loss
• Decreased libido
• Weight gain

    Swelling of the face, hands and lower legs.

(Courtesy of www.hairlosshell.com/minoxidil-side-effects-for­ women)

Conventional hair loss treatments Propecia, finasteride or Proscar?

Finasteride is a conventional hair loss treatment that was first developed for the treatment of enlarged prostates.  During trials, it was discovered to help participants (men) that suffered from androgenetic alopecia.

Finasteride treats hair loss by interrupting the process that causes hair to fall out; the conversion of testosterone into dihydrotestosterone (DHT).

Propecia and Proscar treatment

Propecia and Proscar are two conventional hair loss treatments. These are two distinct finasteride drugs, however, neither are suitable for women, and there are no official reports on the success rates of these drugs.

You can expect to see hair growth in two to three months after you begin using finasteride, but if you stop using it, you’ll most likely experience hair loss again

According to a recent New York Times article, US President, Donald Trump uses Propecia to treat his own male pattern balding.  https://www.nytimes.com/2017/02/02/health/donald-trump-hair-growth-drug-propecia.html

You may not have heard of Propecia or Proscar.  They have been in approved for public use since 1997. At this point, there are no studies that indicate how safe they are but the manufacturers have provided a list of side effects.

SIDE-EFFECTS OF PROPECIA

Merck is the manufacturer of Propecia.  They have issued the list below as possible side effects of use:

• Decreased libido
• Erectile dysfunction and/or impotence
• Decreased semen volume
• Abnormalities of external genitalia of male foetuses (when administered to pregnant women)
• Male breast cancer
• Early male andropause
• Shrunken penis/ testicles
• Peyronie’s disease (crooked penis)
• Depression.

You may gain a head full of hair but do you want to achieve it at the cost of becoming impotent or suffering male breast cancer, crooked penis or decreased libido? Think twice about your options

Dr Michael S. Irwig, of George Washington University, states that side effects from finasteride can be physical, mental and sexual.  His research indicates that side effects from this class of drug can go on for many years, even after you’ve discontinued the drug.  His website includes forums and a page where you can report any side effects you have experienced. www.propeciahelp.com.

Can irritants stop hair loss?

Irritants are used on the scalp to produce an allergy.  The idea is that it’ll stop your immune system from attacking the hair follicles. Liquid irritants are used a lot to treat alopecia areata.

When irritants work properly, regrowth can be seen within the space of just four weeks.  Regrowth can be patchy, so be prepared for that, and once you stop using it, your regrowth will typically stop too

Approximately one-third of people experience success with irritants.  Diphenylcyclopropenone /Diphencyprone (DCP) and Primula Obconica are the most popular irritants.

SIDE EFFECTS OF IRRITANTS

• Active itching on treated areas
• Flaking of scalp
• Burning sensation on scalp
• Swollen glands
• Fever
• Anaphylactic reaction (with fainting)
• Vitiligo (depigmentation in patches of skin)
• Eczema with blistering
• Numbness
• Infertility
• Mutagenicity (alters genes)

Warning:  Do not use irritants when pregnant or if planning on becoming pregnant.

Steroids for hair loss?

Steroids primarily imitate the work of the adrenal glands. They save the lives of people suffering from anaphylactic shock and can also help treat Addison’s disease, a condition in which the adrenal glands no long produce cortisone.

Steroids have anti-inflammatory and anti-allergic properties.  They suppress the immune system, which is why they are used for the treatment of autoimmune diseases like alopecia, diabetes mellitus, lupus (SLE), Crohn’s disease, multiple sclerosis (MS), pemphigus, psoriasis, rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and many others.

My concern with steroids is it weakens your immune system even further, and so your autoimmune diseases will only increase and not decrease!

Steroids can be taken in various forms: tablets, injections or creams.

Once you start taking steroids, it can become difficult to come off them. The adrenal glands often stop producing cortisone when the body is given an artificial substitute. I went through this myself when one of my doctors misprescribed me. Thanks to Paul Robinson and his fantastic book, Heal The Adrenals with T3, I weaned myself off hydrocortisone forever, and my adrenal glands are now working on their own again.

PS when I was on HC I gained extreme amounts of weight, like 16 to 20 kg and I felt like killing myself because it made me feel so fat, ugly and desperate.

Weaning off steroids. I have done it in a matter of few week with Paul Robinson’s amazing approach.

If you’re on steroids, you’ll need to wean yourself off it very slowly eventually.  This allows the body to get used to smaller amounts so that it can reproduce on its own again.

Note: It’s not always possible to get the adrenal glands to return to producing cortisone again. Even when successful, it can take up to two years for the body to produce enough adrenal hormones to cope with everyday stresses again.

If you are having troubles with this condition, I’d really recommend reading Paul Robinson’s books, visit his health forum or click here to find out how I beat Adrenal fatigue.

Side effects of steroids

Side effects from steroids can happen as early as a few days after initial use.  This is true at low dosages and with steroid scalp creams (Stanbury and Graham 1998; www.nhs.co.uk/conditions/corticosteroids):

• Weight gain (and moon face)
• High blood pressure
• Diabetes
• Brittle bones
• Muscle weakness
• Cushing’s disease (fat belly and face)
• Muscle wasting
• Hyperglycaemia
• Water retention
• Thinning skin and bruising
• Stretch marks
• Insomnia
• Mood swings
• Manie depressive symptoms (‘steroid psychosis’)
• Osteoporosis
• Cataracts
• Glaucoma
• Menstrual problems
• Impotence
• allergy shock thrush of the mouth
• Diabetes
• Pain (Legs and back)
• Depression .
• Angina
• Hair loss

Children have some additional risk of side-effects in addition to all the above:

• Retarded growth
• Delayed puberty
• Adrenal suppression
• Osteonecrosis (bones die off)

PUVA therapy for hair loss?

PUVA involves the use of longwave ultraviolet radiation (UVA). It’s used on those with skin disorders like psoriasis.  Patients usually have to take a sensitising drug before each session. The success rate for this treatment is low.

SIDE EFFECTS OF PUVA

• Blistering skin
• Burning sensation of skin
• Nausea
• Redness of skin
• Itching/ stinging sensation
• Headaches
• Dizziness
• Dry skin and wrinkles
• Discolouration of skin/freckles
• Squamous cell skin cancer
• Eye damage (if not wearing goggles during treatment)

Holistic and Natural Solutions for hair loss and strong, shiny bouncy hair

According to the David Suzuki Foundation, a science-based environmental organisation headquartered in Vancouver, 1 in 8 of the 82.000 ingredients used in health and beauty care products are industrial chemicals.

Unless you want to absorb carcinogens, pesticides, reproductive toxins and hormone disruptors daily, it’s important to remember that natural is the KEY!

As you can imagine, industrial chemicals harm the environment and alter your personal health as well. These chemicals lead to autoimmune diseases caused by inflammation in the body. Nature provides us with many wonderful raw oils. Many kinds of butter are also beneficial to your skin and hair, so you don’t necessarily need to expose yourself to harmful, toxic ingredients.

In my book, we discuss this topic in-depth. Learn about holistic, natural and effective solutions that combat hair loss, promote regrowth, increase volume and inject shine, lustre and bounce to thin and lifeless hair

We go in-depth about how to shampoo, condition, herbal colour with Natural Solutions, and you will also learn how to use essential and vegetable oilseffectively to revitalize your hair. And of course, we discuss diet, lifestyle and other natural and holistic solutions that get you back onto the path of optimal health.

Why you need to use essential oils for thicker healthy strong hair

When applied properly essential oils can make your hair thicker, shinier and silkier. Essential oils are used in high-quality haircare products for a good reason. They’re great for the scalp, sebum and hair follicles, all of which stimulates hair growth and aids in effective hair repair. On top of regenerating your hair, essential oils also provide a dynamic wellness experience. Apart from the nutritive benefits, the beautiful scents from these DIY recipes are a real blow for your senses. The potent aromas of certain oils can even positively affect your mindset, stimulate your senses, inspire your creativity and aid your meditation.

Essential oils go through a delicate process of creation. They are very concentrated and contain hundreds of unique compounds. The combination of oils creates a potent, natural potion that is vibrant, therapeutic and active. They also contain high levels of antioxidants which make your hair silky, shiny and healthier.

They can also balance your hair’s natural sebum production, nourishing your manes from root to tip, are quickly absorbed and can deeply penetrate the follicles, which promotes growth.

Essential oils have been an ingredient in haircare recipes for centuries. Lavender, rosemary, peppermint, chamomile, and tea tree, among others, are all popular oils used in hair serums, masks, shampoos and conditioners.

Check out the best essential oils to regrow stronger and thicker hair on this page. 

The holistic hair care ingredients that helped me combat thinning hair and hair loss include:

• Khadi: Herbal colouring with Henna, herbs and plant pigments
• Morrocco-Method: Herbal colouring with Henna, herbs and plant pigments
• Plant Therapy : Therapeutic and food-grade essential oils
• Ancient Apothecary: Therapeutic and food-grade essential oils
• Tata Harper:High Performing, innovative and toxin-free face care
• Au Naturelle: Advanced, active & toxin-free make-up
• Poppy Austin:Pure, unrefined, organic, cold-pressed body/face/hair oils
• Levenrose:Pure, unrefined, organic, cold-pressed body/face/hair oils
• Pukka: Pure, unrefined, organic oils

Empowering others via my anti-ageing wellness platform and holistic health books

I hope you liked this page about conventional hair loss treatments. If you would like to learn more about my tips and tricks on how to live a toxin-free life or how I saved my hair from falling ensure to check out other pages of this anti-ageing wellness platform.

Or if you want to discover my no BS guides on how to regain your health, hair and life, ensure to check out my holistic wellness books

After a frustrating decade of battling several chronic illnesses, I became disillusioned with the medical system and decided to take my health into my own hands.

Now, through my books and wellness platform, I want to empower people around the world do the same and regain their health, hair, life and beauty!