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11 Natural Remedies Treat for Alopecia Areata

admin — Thu, 31 Mar 2011 08:15:12 +0000

Natural and holistic treatments are a gentler yet still effective alternative to treating hair loss than the harsh chemicals found in synthetic over-the-counter and prescription products. Using herbal and homeopathic remedies helps to promote healthy, strong hair and supports circulation, hormonal balance and thyroid functioning.

1) Essential Oils
A double-blind, placebo-controlled study examined the use of a combination of essential oils or a placebo oil in 86 people with alopecia areata. The combination oil was a mixture of thyme, rosemary, lavender, and cedarwood essential oils in a mixture of carrier oils (jojoba and grapeseed). This oil was massaged into the scalp daily. The control group used only the carrier oils for their massage, also daily.
After 7 months, 19 (44%) of 43 people using the essential oil blend showed an improvement compared with 6 (15%) of 41 people in the control group. Although no side effects were associated with the topical application of essential oils, they may cause allergic reactions in some people.

2) Red Pepper
Red pepper is another topical solution that is used to fight hair loss. It is applied directly to the scalp in hopes of irritating the skin, so that the body’s immune system will respond to fight the irritant by releasing histamines. Histamines will increase the flow of blood to the hair follicles.

3) Onion Juice
A study published in the Journal of Dermatology examined the effectiveness of onion juice or placebo in people with alopecia areata. Twenty-three people with alopecia areata applied the onion juice twice daily for two months, and 15 people applied tap water twice daily for two months.
People in the onion group began to experience regrowth of hair after two weeks of treatment. At four weeks, hair regrowth was seen in 17 (73.9%) people and at six weeks, hair regrowth was observed in 20 (86.9%) people. Improvement was significantly higher among males. In the tap water control group, hair regrowth was apparent in only 2 people at 8 weeks.

4) Rosemary
Rosemary is an herb commonly used as a spice in Mediterranean dishes. It’s used in traditional medicine to stimulate hair growth, improve memory and support the nervous and circulatory systems. According to the UMMC, in a study of 84 participants with alopecia areata, some participants were treated by massaging their scalp with rosemary and other essential oils of lavender, thyme and cedar wood daily for seven months. These participants experienced significant hair regrowth, compared to the participants that massaged their scalps without the essential oils. However, better designed studies are needed to substantiate the effects of rosemary and hair growth.

5) Hypnosis
A preliminary study explored the use of hypnosis on hair growth and well-being in people with alopecia. The study involved 28 people with extensive alopecia areata, alopecia totalis, or alopecia universalis who did not respond to previous conventional treatments.
After treatment with hypnosis, all patients had a significantly lower score for anxiety and depression. Hair regrowth of 75% to 100% was seen in 12 people after 3 to 8 sessions of hypnotherapy. Total regrowth occurred in 9 of these 12 people. In 5 people, a significant relapse occurred.
There were major limitations to this study, however, including the small size of the study, the lack of a placebo group, and the fact that the study was not double-blind. Larger, well-designed studies are needed.

6) Saw Palmetto
The most popular natural hair loss treatment is saw palmetto. Saw palmetto acts similarly to finasteride in treating enlarged prostates. Saw palmetto reduces the amount of didihydrotestosterone (DHT) in the body. It is believed that an excess of DHT is the leading cause of male pattern baldness.
Saw palmetto comes in two different forms of capsules–saw palmetto extract and saw palmetto berries–and can be taken once or twice a day. The extract is preferred for hair loss. The recommeded dose is 320 to 400 mg.

7) Biotin
Biotin, or vitamin H, belongs to the vitamin B complex group. The B complex vitamins are important in promoting healthy hair, skin and eyes. Biotin is used to treat hair loss, brittle nails and loss of hair color associated with biotin deficiency. According to MedlinePlus, some preliminary evidence supports that biotin can reduce apolecia when taken orally in combination with zinc and topical application of the cream clobetasol propionate on the skin. However more studies are needed to substantiate its effectiveness.

Green Tea
Green tea is another item popular in natural hair growth products, although not for the reason first believed. Green tea proponents believed that green tea was a DHT blocker, but a 2005 study that appeared in the “Journal of the National Medical Association” concluded the driving force behind green tea was its ability to act as an anti-inflamatory agent.

9) Aloe Vera
Aloe vera contains seven different superoxide dismutases, which some believe will fight hair loss by fighting superoxides in the body. There are several patents using superoxide dismutases to combat hair loss. Aloe vera has also been touted for its ability to deep-clean the pores and bring pH levels in balance.

10) Nettle Root
Nettle root, or stinging nettle, is another supplement that is believed to inhibit DHT production. It has been shown to be more effective when used in conjunction with another product, such as saw palmetto or pygeum.

11) Honey
Honey is a natural sweetener produced by the honey bees. It’s also another natural treatment for alopecia. According to Hair-Loss-Causes-In-Women.com, a mixture of 2 tbsp. honey, 1 tbsp. cinnamon and 3 tbsp. olive oil may help. Apply this mixture over the hairless scalp. Leave it on for 20 minutes then rinse. Another recipe is to mix honey with egg yolk; apply this mixture to the affected scalp and leave on for one hour, then rinse and dry the scalp. These treatments may be done as needed to treat alopecia.

12) Dong Quai
Dong quai, which is sometimes referred to as Chinese Angelica, is another herb that is believed to be capable of blocking the formation of DHT. It has been used in Asia for centuries for all types of ailments.

Carefully selected herbal ingredients such as Ginkgo biloba, Rosmarinus officinale and Xanthoxylum clavaherculis promotes blood circulation which ensures that nutrient rich blood reaches the hair follicles. In addition, Equisetum arvense, Avena sativa and Echinacea also help to stimulate and nourish tiny hair follicles to encourage abundant hair.

Does apple cider vinegar can cure alopecia areata?

admin — Tue, 28 Sep 2010 01:26:04 +0000

A mixture of apple cider vinegar and sage tea has been used as a hair rinse to help hair grow.
Bio Rizen from American Biologics contains licorice extract and may help prevent hair loss. It can be taken orally and/or used topically.
Eat plenty of foods high in biotin. Biotin is needed for healthy hair and skin, and may prevent hair loss in some men. Good sources include brewer’s yeast, brown rice, bulgar, green peas, lentils, oats, soybeans, sunflower seeds and walnuts.

Story of DesertFox: I didn’t know what to do so I started searching on the good ole internet for a solution to remove buildup in the hair and I found out that perhaps baking soda would help. I tried it about 3 times in a span of 2 weeks but my hair still had a lot of build up in it. I decided to try out Apple Cider Vinegar as some people had suggested on various websites and I will say I can’t be happier.

So far I have washed it 3 times with Apple Cider Vinegar and it has been efficiently removing all the buildup in my hair. White particles (of what I suppose are what where causing the build up) keep floating up and I just keep using a comb to “rake” them out. Not only does ACV remove shampoo build up it also removes hair spray, gel, and any other type of product you may have used. Also, when I use the ACV it soothes my scalp and makes my hair shinier and healthier looking. I also heard it helps unplug and remove excessive sebum and oil on the scalp so using it once every week or once every two weeks can help.

Can alopecia areata be caused by food allergies?

admin — Sun, 26 Sep 2010 01:19:14 +0000

An allergic shock like asthma attacks, rhinitis and food allergy can also increase the risk the development of Alopecia Areata. Studies have showed higher incidence of AA occurrence with people that have previously faced an allergic reaction. Researches also show that Caucasians have a higher incidence of allergic linked AA than Indians. This might suggest that racial and cultural differences can influence the outcome of AA.

Question: I was just diagnosed with Alopecia Areata after a scalp biopsy and I have been trying to research online but the wealth of information is a bit overwhelming. I’ve read that people with Alopecia Areata are likely to have asthma and/or allergies. I have both. I’m allergic to various trees, grasses, pollen, dust, mold, cat and dog dander, smoke, and I have food allergies, though not severe food allergies, to wheat, corn, peanuts, and almonds. I recall quite a few years ago getting blood work and my doctor at the time (who I didn’t like and left for a different doctor) asked me if I had allergies (which she’d know if she cared to glance at my chart), to which I responded yes, and she replied that she could tell by my bloodwork. The bloodwork I got wasn’t for allergies (I had allergy testing by an allergist in high school to hellp figure out a good way to treat my asthma), so how could she tell based on bloodwork that wasn’t even intended to diagnose allergies? I heard something about histamine levels being high in people with allergies, could that have been it? The reason I’m asking about allergies is that based on what I’ve read, it seems like Alopecia Areata is an immune disorder where your body attacks your hair/follicles, whatever, and causes the hair to fall out. And I know allergies are when your body attacks foreign objects (ie: dust, pollen, dander, etc…) I’m just confused how these conditions are related. Anyone have a better grasp of it than me who’d be willing to give a quick explanation? I don’t know if it’s too complicated to explain but if you could just give me a cursory explanation I’d truly appreciate it. Thanks so much.

Answer: Man, I should get the points for 4 questions for responding to this.
The correlation between allergies and AA is that both are related to over-activity of the immune system. The relationship is casual and tied to genetics by pre-determining the risk of developing overly aggressive immune responses.
Blood work that includes a cell differential will tell you much of what you need to know. Elevated levels of eosinophiles (eosinophilia) is a dead give away. Eosinophiles are like the nuclear weapon of the immune system and respond to things too large for your immune system to “eat,” such as parasites. They are triggered through IgE signaling, which is the same signaling involved with allergies. Elevated levels indicate either recent and significant infections or allergies (which your body confuses with a low-level infection).
AA is an AUTOimmune disorder. That means that your over-active, misdirected immune system is killing your hair follicles. If it attacked a different part of your body, it might be called Type 1 diabetes, MS, Grave’s Disease, rheumatoid arthritis… or any one of numerous autoimmune diseases.
The way these things usually happen is that a marginally self-reacting B cell got through the thymus without being killed. You had some kind of infection or irritation to something on your skin… a yeast infection or allergy to froofy shampoo/conditioner/soap. Due to high eosinophilic activity in your skin and their proteolytic enzyme release by the eosinophiles, that marginally self-reacting B cell found a fragment of a protein from one of your ‘digested’ hair follicles before a macrophage could mop it up. The B cell then started dividing (reproducing) and specializing against the follicle protein due to continued stimulation, likely driven by elevated interleukin signaling common to those with allergies/asthma. Antibody class switching occurred to generate an IgE response to this follicle protein. Bam… AA.

The relationship between food allergies and hair loss may be there but it is minimal and more than likely an indirect link. If your food allergy is under control but your hair isn’t, maybe you should consider consulting a hair loss specialist to find out how to control excessive thinning or shedding.

“Journal of Dermatology” about onion juice on alopecia areata

admin — Tue, 21 Sep 2010 07:05:29 +0000

Alopecia areata is a patchy, non-scarring hair loss condition. Any hair-bearing surface may be involved, and different modalities of treatment have been used to induce hair regrowth.

A study published in the Journal of Dermatology examined the effectiveness of onion juice or placebo in people with alopecia areata. Twenty-three people with alopecia areata applied the onion juice twice daily for two months, and 15 people applied tap water twice daily for two months.

People in the onion group began to experience regrowth of hair after two weeks of treatment. At four weeks, hair regrowth was seen in 17 (73.9%) people and at six weeks, hair regrowth was observed in 20 (86.9%) people. Improvement was significantly higher among males. In the tap water control group, hair regrowth was apparent in only 2 people at 8 weeks.

Onion juice (Allium cepa L.), a new topical treatment for alopecia areata.
This study was designed to test the effectiveness of topical crude onion juice in the treatment of patchy alopecia areata in comparison with tap water. The patients were divided into two groups. The first group [onion juice treated] consisted of 23 patients, 16 males (69.5%) and 7 females (30.5%). Their ages ranged between 5-42 years with a mean of 22.7 years. The second group [control; tap-water-treated] consisted of 15 patients, 8 males (53.3%) and 7 females (46.6%). Their ages ranged between 3-35 years with a mean of 18.3 years. The two groups were advised to apply the treatment twice daily for two months. Re-growth of terminal coarse hairs started after two weeks of treatment with crude onion juice. At four weeks, hair re-growth was seen in 17 patients (73.9%), and, at six weeks, the hair re-growth was observed in 20 patients (86.9%) and was significantly higher among males (93.7%) compared to females (71.4%) P<0.0001. In the tap-water treated-control group, hair re-growth was apparent in only 2 patients (13%) at 8 weeks of treatment with no sex difference. The present study showed that the use of crude onion juice gave significantly higher results with regard to hair re-growth than did tap water (P<0.0001), and that it can be an effective topical therapy for patchy alopecia areata.

The best medicine or treatment for Alopecia Areata

admin — Mon, 20 Sep 2010 04:28:20 +0000

There are so many different ways to attempt to stop hair loss and start growing your hair again. So, to find the best treatment for hair loss is not that easy.
Chinese Medicine for Alopecia Areata
Chinese herbs are a safe, natural, effective, health-promoting way to treat alopecia areata and increase hair growth.
There are a number of Chinese herbs that can be beneficial for this condition. Chinese medicine treats the root imbalances in the body that result in alopecia. When the body is brought into balance, symptoms resolve themselves and slowly disappear. There are two patterns in Chinese Medicine that can result in the hair loss symptomatic of alopecia areata. The first is a pattern of Liver and Kidney Yin Deficiency. This means that the energy of the body that normally nourishes the hair follicles is deficient. When herbs are used that nourish Liver and Kidney Yin, hair can start to grow back. The second pattern is that of Toxic Heat in the body. This means that there is an inflammatory condition in the body that is a result of excess acidity from a poor diet, exposure to pollution or other toxins, or an infection. In most people with alopecia areata, these two conditions exist in combination with each other.

Is the best treatment for hair loss a multiple approach?
You could decide to try many possible solutions at the same time. This might involve several hair loss products, and a course of treatment at a clinic.
Whilst this approach should produce better (and possibly quicker) results, the costs will, once again, escalate.
Also, you can also never be 100% sure of which product or treatment was the one that helped you the most. Of course, the alternative philosophy to this is that, it doesn’t really matter which one works, as long as you get the result you want.
Throwing as many different things as possible at your hair loss problem is not necessarily a bad idea (as long as you can afford both the cost and time involved).

Alopecia areata cure in babies

admin — Sun, 19 Sep 2010 23:32:03 +0000

The most common symptom of alopecia areta in children is hair loss. In most cases, hair falls out in small, round patches about the size of a quarter. Although most children with alopecia areata get only a few bare patches, some children may lose more hair. Although uncommon, alopecia areata in children can progress to complete loss of hair on the head (alopecia areata totalis) or complete loss of hair on the head, face, and body (alopecia areata universalis).
Babies who are having this kind of disorder will gradually become hairless. However, there is still a chance to help your baby recover from losing hairs.
Babies rarely experience such disorder though. But it can happen. If you noticed your baby is showing some indications of the Alopecia Areata disorder, you should take him to the doctor immediately for further examinations.
Treatment for Alopecia Areata in Children
There is no cure for alopecia areata in children and there are no medications that are approved for alopecia areata treatment. However, doctors may prescribe medications that are approved for other diseases to help hair grow back. Treatments options for alopecia areata in children usually involve an ointment or cream (topical medicine). The topical medicines most often used for alopecia in children include: corticosteroids and minoxidil.
Due to the fact that there is actually no definite cause of such disorder, it then follows the unavailability of precise cure. Parents are then recommended to take the baby to his doctor for further advice.

Homeopathic medicine for alopecia areata?

admin — Mon, 13 Sep 2010 00:29:23 +0000

Homeopathy is very effective in deep seated diseases like Alopecia Areata.
Alopecia Areata needs a new and deeper approach. That is homeopathy, which treats disease by going into the roots.
Alopecia Areata being an auto-immune disease,needs immunity correction.

I m under Homeopathic treatment. I hav AU so its takin long time. There r more chances of relapse in AU, so i do get hair at some places but then again they fall. I hav heard from ALL the Dr.’s that there r more chances of curing AA. So, i would advice u to go for it ASAP, before it increases. Also try out Ayurvedic treatment. The Dr.’s also told me more u delay in treatment, less r the chances of getting treated soon. So plz go now to a Homeopathic & Ayurvedic clinic & start ur treatment asap!
Take care!!!! Best Wishes!!!

Duration of treatment:

The total length of treatment varies form case to case, depending of the following factors:

* Duration of Alopecia
* Areas affected (scalp, beard, moustache, limbs, other body areas)
* Extent of spread (Small or large; one or multiple spots)
* Previous medication (Extensive use of oral or local cortisone)
* Associated diseases like Under active thyroid, diabetes, other diseases,

One may expect a definite change in about three to five months, depending on the extent. The total length of medication may be anything between six months to two years or longer.
Cases of Alopecia Totalis (universalis) do not respond to homeopathy.

HOMEOPATHIC CURES ALOPECIA areata

admin — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 08:00:47 +0000

Homeopathic remedies are prescribed by symptoms rather than conditions, as each case of a particular illness can manifest differently in different people. However, to make it quicker to find the symptoms related to Hair Loss, the symptoms experienced by a previous vistor to our homeopathic remedy finder have been grouped, by them, under the name of Hair Loss. There may be symptoms not related to Hair Loss, and this may not be an exhaustive list of symptoms.
Homeopathic Remedies & Homeopathy Treatment for Alopecia Areata
Homeopathic medicines are known to give very good results in cases of alopecia reata. The medicines most commonly found useful are –
Acid-flouricum, Phosphorus, Graphites, Apis, Ars-alb, Calcarea, Hepar-sulph, Psorinum, Kali-carb, Rhus-tox, Sepia, Psorinum, Calc-phos, Carbo-animalis, Selenium, Kali-phos, Lycopodium.
Homeopathy treats the person as a whole. It means that homeopathic treatment focuses on the patient as a person, as well as his pathological condition. The homeopathic medicines are selected after a full individualizing examination and case-analysis, which includes the medical history of the patient, physical and mental constitution etc.

The way i heal my alopecia areata

admin — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 04:49:08 +0000

I was diagnosed with alopecia areata a few years ago while I was in college. my roommate discovered a bold spot of 3 inches in diameter, I freaked out and started to panic. It was at a time right before the final exams and I was in my third year of college contemplating whether i should switch my major. at the time, I drank case after cases of energy drinks to stay up at night and study. slowly, over the course of the next month, I lost more than 60% of the hair and had asked my brother to simply shave my head, i was very depressed but at the same time I knew I had to relax myself and find ways to relieve my stress. fortunately my family and friends were extremely supportive as well. I also had regular shots of some type of steroids injected on my scalp by a dermatologist. A combination of support, knowing ways to relax and destress yourself, and medical help, 2 months later my hair started to grow back, and since then I had one incident where the bold spot was so tiny that it went away very quickly. I have always been someone who tend to analyze things over and over, now I look at things in different perspectives and i evaluate things rationally instead of being stubborn and repeat the same thing in my head.
Some hair products safe with alopecia areata:
if i had this problem i would wash my hair in the purest soap form possible and that would be something called Green Soft Soap which might be available in chemist or pharmacy. i have an old book and it says that for hair restorers there is a choice of lavender, lime, nasturtium, nettle and thyme so maybe you could ask at a Herbalist or Health Food store/shop and see what they have got there for hair

Some types of Alopecia Areata treatment

admin — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 13:07:20 +0000

Homeopathy is a branch of medicine originated in Germany in 1794, which is based on the principle of The Law of Similars. In a way, it is an advanced form of vaccination; whereby a substance which is capable of producing a disease like state is administered to the patient, but in a very minute dose, to cure the similar disease.

Homeopathy works much beyond vaccination. Here, the dose administered is unbelievably miniscule, which renders if absolutely harmless yet very powerful.

Contrary to the conventional medicine, the action of homeopathy is much safer, deeper acting, somewhat slower, and results much longer lasting by energizing the body’s curative powers.

Homeopathy is amongst the youngest and latest medicines calling for more research and promotion.

Alopecia Areata treatment
People with alopecia areata lose patches or clumps of their hair, and in some cases may lose all the hair on their head or body,Most patients begin to lose their hair before the age of 20. The condition may improve on its own, it can get worse, or it may improve and then become worse again.
Among the various therapeutic approaches presently available for alopecia areata, only treatment with contact sensitizers such as diphenylcyclopropenone or squaric acid dibutylester has been shown to be temporarily effective. The use of immune modulating drugs, including corticosteroids and contact sensitizers such as dyphencyprone, are rarely beneficial in the management of this disease. Topical minoxidil is not likely to be helpful. A wig is sometimes worn by those with significant alopecia of the scalp. There is no known alopecia cure at this time.

Alopecia Areata treatment update, 2008
Dr. Mike Sladden of the University of Tasmania in Australia reviewed alopecia treatment studies and opines in The Cochrane Library. He says there is no good treatment for this condition. Current treatments include corticosteroids applied to the skin or taken orally, light-based therapies, and minoxidil (Rogaine). Dr. Mike Sladden concludes after his review that none of the treatments were any better than placebo. Many treatments also had “unpleasant side effects” like itching or unwanted hair growth, Sladden and colleagues note, while none offered any guarantee that hair regrowth will remain after treatment ends. The Cochrane Library, published online April 15, 2008.

Onion juice (Allium cepa L.), a new topical treatment for alopecia areata.
J Dermatol. 2002 Jun;29(6):343-6.Sharquie KE, Al-Obaidi HK.
Department of Dermatology and Venereology, Baghdad Teaching Hospital, Iraq.
Alopecia areata is a patchy, non-scarring hair loss condition. Any hair-bearing surface may be involved, and different modalities of treatment have been used to induce hair regrowth. This study was designed to test the effectiveness of topical crude onion juice in the treatment of patchy alopecia areata in comparison with tap water. The patients were divided into two groups. The first group [onion juice treated] consisted of 23 patients, 16 males (69.5%) and 7 females (30.5%). Their ages ranged between 5-42 years with a mean of 22 years. The second group [control; tap-water-treated] consisted of 15 patients, 8 males (53%) and 7 females (46%). Their ages ranged between 3-35 years with a mean of 18.3 years. The two groups were advised to apply the treatment twice daily for two months. Re-growth of terminal coarse hairs started after two weeks of treatment with crude onion juice. At four weeks, hair re-growth was seen in 17 patients (73%), and, at six weeks, the hair re-growth was observed in 20 patients (86.9%) and was significantly higher among males (93%) compared to females (71%). In the tap-water treated-control group, hair re-growth was apparent in only 2 patients (13%) at 8 weeks of treatment with no sex difference. The present study showed that the use of crude onion juice gave significantly higher results with regard to hair re-growth than did tap water, and that it can be an effective topical therapy for patchy alopecia areata.