What can herbal medicine offer people dealing with alopecia? Saw palmetto, evening primrose oil and other herbs are promising great things in the fight against baldness.
Affecting both men and women, baldness is nothing more than the slowing of hair growth in areas of the body where hair was previously present. Known medically as alopecia, baldness can be caused by hormonal imbalances, medications, stress and even fungal diseases. The most common cause of baldness, however, is simply genetics.
How alopecia is best treated depends directly on what's causing it. For example, if a fungal infection like ringworm is the culprit, anti-fungal medications will often destroy the underlying infection and give the scalp a chance to heal on its own. And for androgenetic alopecia, or the type of baldness directly tied to your unique genetics, herbal medicine may have at least some of the answers.
Treating Baldness with Nutrition
Though there isn't good scientific evidence suggesting that nutrition will reverse baldness, there are certain steps that just seem to make sense, at least based on what we know about nutrition's role in skin health. Some of the suggestions a nutritionist might make include:
- Adopt an anti-inflammatory diet rich in fresh vegetables and non-animal protein.
- Supplement the diet with essential fatty acids and multi-vitamins.
- Drink green tea for its believed anti-inflammatory properties.
Treating Baldness with Herbal Medicine
There isn't anything that herbal medicine can do to reverse the natural genetic process that causes androgenetic alopecia but certain herbal medicine may help nourish the scalp and slow down the rate of hair loss in some people. Some herbal medicines feed the hair follicles by increasing blood flow; other herbs work to normalize hormonal imbalances. Still other herbs work to support the immune system. Used together, these herbal approaches may be effective for some people.
Saw Palmetto for Baldness
One of the most promising herbal medicines for baldness is an herb known as saw palmetto. The Florida native is now one of the best selling herbal supplements in North America and one with a long history of use as an herbal medicine. Today, researchers know that saw palmetto fights baldness by acting as an 5AR inhibitor in the body. To date, only one good study has been published but the authors of this study were so optimistic that they openly called for more research on saw palmetto and androgenetic alopecia.
Evening Primrose Oil for Baldness
Animal studies show that alopecia is sometimes tied to deficiencies of certain essential fatty acids. While there's no evidence that evening primrose oil will reverse any type of baldness in humans, it's important to remember that evening primrose oil is one of the richest natural sources of gamma-linolenic acid, an essential fatty acid long recognized for its role in skin health.
Unproven Herbal Treatments for Baldness
Many herbal remedies for baldness focus on increasing blood flow to the scalp. Herbs that have been traditionally thought of as natural stimulants include Ginkgo biloba, rosemary, yarrow and horsetail. Still other herbs are considered general tonics that support the entire immune system. These include garlic, echinacea and astragalus. While there's no evidence that they herbs actually prevent or reverse any type of baldness, many are highly regarded folk remedies.
More Information about Baldness
It's important to remember that only your doctor can tell you if the baldness you are experiencing is caused by hormones, stress or just the natural aging process. If you would like to learn more about the possible causes of your hair loss, talk to your primary care provider the a treatment regimen that is right for you.
References:
Prager, N., Bickett, K., French, N., Marcovici, G. (2002). A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial to determine the effectiveness of botanically derived inhibitors of 5-alpha-reductase in the treatment of androgenetic alopecia. Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine
Cunnane, S., Manku, M., Horrobin, D. (1985). Abnormal essential fatty acid composition of tissue lipids in genetically diabetic mice is partially corrected by dietary linoleic and gamma-linolenic acids. British Journal of Nutrition
University of Maryland Medical Center, Center for Integrative Medicine. (1999). Alopecia
