Chinese Medicine For Hair Loss: How Does It Work
As the saying goes our mood depends on how good our hair looks. Having healthy hair not only makes us feel great, it also gives us confidence in our daily lives and social interactions.
But what happens when our hair begins to fall out and our luscious locks are not what they used to be anymore?
Hair loss is a natural process and every person will lose about 50-100 hairs per day. However, when hair loss is accelerated and/or hair growth declines, this can lead to thinning hair or even balding.
A Safe Effective Reliable And Affordable Treatment Option
Hair loss is a common condition that affects both men and women. Common causes of hair loss are genetic factors, age, alopecia areata, environmental stressors, low-quality haircare products, scalp infection, and hormonal imbalance.
Acupuncture is a safe and minimally invasive procedure involving tiny needles into the scalp to stimulate hair growth by supplying oxygenated and nutrient-rich blood to your hair follicles.
Thus, it is a safe, effective, reliable, and affordable treatment option than FUT, FUE, and other methods. It also reduces follicular inflammation and increased blood flow to the scalp, providing essential nutrients to promote hair growth. Contact us today for high-quality acupuncture sessions if you want to reduce hair loss and improve hair regrowth.
Try A Few Key Supplements
If youre wondering what vitamins are good for hair loss during menopause, there are a few key nutrients you need. Biotin and Viviscal, for example, come up again and again in perimenopausal hair loss research. Deficiencies in biotin are rare, but many women take supplements because it seems to improve the condition of their hair and nails.
Viviscal has Biotin in it and calcium. And vitamin C. It also contains shark cartilage, oyster extract, and a marine complex which is apparently the secret elixir that gives the ingredient its power. The U.S. National Library of Medicine published an article with a double-blind placebo controlled study that showed the efficacy of this product significantly more women who took Viviscal than the placebo noticed hair growth after 90 days, and even more after 180 days.
Now its true that the funding for the study was provided by the makers of Viviscal, but double-blind is double-blind. Furthermore, in an entirely separate article, Beauty Editor writer Katrina Persad tried Viviscal for six months and documented her results in a quite convincing photo essay and article that showed fairly dramatic results and Viviscal did not pay her for her trouble.
Check out this list of nutrients for hair loss, and where you can find them.
Read Also: What Type Of Zinc Is Best For Hair Loss
Inclusion And Exclusion Criteria
Inclusion criteria
Patients met the standards described in Dermatology of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine by Zhili Zhang the disease had not been treated with other medication in the past two months, and the patients had no allergies to the drugs involved in this study. The patients volunteered to participate in this study, and the study was approved by our ethics committee.
Exclusion criteria
Patients with a history of allergy to the drugs used in this study were excluded, as were those with combined secretory alopecia, drug-induced hair loss, or congenital alopecia areata those with combined bacterial infections of the scalp or tinea capitis those with previous hair transplant surgery and those with hematopoietic, kidney, liver, heart, or brain diseases .
Treating Hair Loss The Tcm Way
Apart from the tips listed above, TCM treatments can also be used to fight hair loss.
Diet plays an important role and we can use TCM food therapy to help manage the condition. Consume blood nourishing foods like red dates and longan, as well as kidney nourishing foods like black sesame, black beans and black fungus.
You can also try our specially formulated hair tonic, which comprises of natural TCM herbs like Zingiber officinale to combat scalp itchiness and Fallopia multiflora to revitalise hair follicles and promote growth. Get yours at any PULSE TCM Clinic!
For individuals with chronic or more severe hair loss, you can try out acupuncture and herbal medication as well. Regular acupuncture improves Qi and blood circulation to the scalp, while herbal medication helps to address imbalances in an individuals body constitution, speeding up the hair growth process.
Note: Information provided is not a substitute for a physician or any form of medical care. Individual symptoms differ due to different body constitutions and diagnosis. One should consult a licensed TCM practitioner for accurate diagnosis and treatment.
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Acupuncture And Research For Alopecia Areata
What is Alopecia Areata?
Alopecia Areata is a type of alopecia characterised by non scarring hair loss. Non scarring alopecia usually results from inflammation to the hair follicles that leaves the hair follicles able to regrow if the inflammation subsides.8 The condition is found in 0.10.2% of the general population.13
The cause of AA appears to be related to the disturbance of autoimmune functioning, physical and emotional stress, genetic factors and poor microcirculation.1 2
AA could cause significant psychological problems, result in reduced self-esteem and negatively affect the quality of life.1 2
What is Acupuncture?
Acupuncture is one of the most frequently used forms of complementary medicine.4 Acupuncture involves the insertion of needles into the skin and underlying tissues at acupuncture points for a therapeutic purpose.
Acupuncture points could be stimulated with several types of acupuncture needles, electricity, laser, pressure or heat. The procedure is frequently used in dermatology for treating a number of skin disorders.5 6 In addition, the most frequently used acupuncture technique for skin disorders is Plum Blossom Acupuncture , in which the skin should appear flushed, with bleeding.7 8
Is there any scientific evidence to show that Acupuncture can treat Alopecia Areata?
Although scientific research into Alopecia Areata is still in its early stages, there have been several studies to show how acupuncture can help to reduce hair loss.
Reasons Why Women Experience Hair Loss
1.) Too much Vitamin A
- Overdoing vitamin A-containing supplements or medications can trigger hair loss, according to the American Academy of Dermatology. Thedaily value for vitamin A is 5,000 International Units per day for adults and kids over age 4 supplements can contain 2,500 to 10,000 IU.
2.) Lack of Protein
- If you dont get enough protein in your diet, your body may ration protein by shutting down hair growth, according to the American Academy of Dermatology. This can happen about two to three months after a drop in protein intake, they say.
3.) Heredity
- Female-pattern hair loss, called androgenic or androgenetic alopecia, is basically the female version of male pattern baldness. If you come from a family where women started to have hair loss at a certain age, then you might be more prone to it, says Dr. Glashofer. Unlike men, women dont tend to have a receding hairline, instead their part may widen and they may have noticeable thinning of hair.
4.) Female Hormones
- Just as pregnancy hormone changes can cause hair loss, so can switching or going off birth-control pills. This can also cause telogen effluvium, and it may be more likely if you have a family history of hair loss. The change in the hormonal balance that occurs at menopause may also have the same result.
5.) Emotional Stress
6.) Anemia
7.) Sugar
Read Also: How To Stop Hair Loss Early
Can Acupuncture And Traditional Chinese Medicine Help With Unhealthy Hair And Hair Loss
Q: Since the birth of my third child, my hair has been dull and lifeless. I am also losing A LOT of hair. Can traditional Chinese medicine help with unhealthy hair and hair loss?A: Many women will lose hair after the birth of a child. Estrogen levels fall during pregnancy, which causes the hair a woman would normally lose during that time to stay in place. When her baby is born, all the hair she would’ve gradually lost over that time comes out at once. Typically, the hormone levels correct over time and hair is restored to its normal condition. From a traditional Chinese medical standpoint, you have suffered from a Qi and blood deficiency due to the birth of your child, as well as the loss of kidney Jing . This has deprived your hair of the nourishment it needs, which is controlled by your kidneys. Hair loss in women can also result from changes in birth control medication, as well as conditions such as:
- Renal failure
- Viral, fungal, or protozoan infections.
- Through tapping your scalp with a 7-star or plum blossom needle that stimulates blood flow to your scalp.
Acupuncture For Hair Loss: What To Know Before Going Under The Needles
So many different factors can contribute to hair loss, which might explain why you’ll find just as many rumored remedies and treatments for it online . One of those remedies you might come across as you search for treatment options? Acupuncture.
This ancient Chinese system of medicine studies how energy flows in the body, is obstructed, and then can cause disease or injury, as explained by leading expert in integrative and precision-based medicine and the founder of Firshein Center, Richard Firshein, DO. “Ultimately, the goal of acupuncture is to unblock energy or improve the flow of chi by using specific acupuncture points or meridians to promote health and wellness.”
You might have heard of using the ancient Chinese practice to treat acne, premature aging, and other skin concerns, but how much do you know about its use for hair? To learn more about acupuncture for hair loss, and hair loss remedies in general, we turned to Firshein as well as trichologist and founder of Alodia Hair Care, Isfahan Chambers-Harris, Ph.D., and trichologist and co-founder of Fouteenjay Salon, David Adams. Keep reading to learn more about this approach, as well as other methods worth trying.
Meet the Expert
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How Does Tcm Or Acupuncture Help With Hair Loss
Doctor’s Answers
Thanks for your query and interest in understanding the science behind TCM for your hair loss problems.
I will attempt to generate a few scenarios to better answer your question.
Firstly, if your hair loss results from menstrual irregularity or postpartum, there is usually a hormonal imbalance associated with the signaling of hair follicles and thus the hair growth cycle, I.e. rate of hair loss is higher than rate of hair growth thus the observance of net hair loss. This in TCM is translated to the main hormone producing organ system- the âKidneyâ system.
If hair loss is observed during periods of high stress/depression, there is an indirect link that affects hormone production in the hair cycle signaling cascade. In TCM, we attribute this to the main organ systems of emotional management-âLiverâ and/or âDigestiveâ.
Therefore the acupuncture points selected and herbal prescriptions aim to stimulate the organ systems to regain its function and therefore nip the problem in its bud. Weekly acupuncture is recommended. These two scenarios are more common and the causes can be non-exhaustive.
That being said, the TCM physician will need to enquire more about your lifestyle habits and diet etc to clearly conclude your constitution. Eastern medical therapies focus very much on the balance in the affected systems, therefore treatment plans differ in individuals. Let me know if you need further clarification. Hope this helps!
Acupuncture And Herbs For Hair Loss
Hair loss is a condition that can start from a very young age, in one’s 20’s or even earlier. Male-pattern hair loss is extremely common. It can lead to partial or complete baldness. Female-pattern hair loss is ordinarily confined to thinning of the hair in the front and crown regions. Some causes of hair loss can be stress, thinking too much or family heredity. Feelings of anxiety and self-consciousness may be present.
Using acupuncture and herbs is a safe and effective way to help hair growth. I have had some success with hair loss cases in my clinic. In Traditional Chinese Medicine , the differentiation mainly falls into two types: deficiency or damp heat stagnation. I combine acupuncture with herbs and it works well for most clients.
The main acupuncture points are G5, 7,20, Du16, 19, Yi Ming, and St8. The treatment is given once a week or more often. Also at home everyday the client can use a seven star needle and tap the bald patch or scalp where the hair is thinning.
Many herbs can nourish the hair and help hair growth such as: He Shou Wu, Nu Zhen Zi, Han Lian Cao, Shuan Ye, Dang Gui, Shu Di Huang, etc… Herbal tea is made from the herbs and taken orally. I also make herbal tincture for topical application, especially for use with the seven star needle. The above treatment promotes scalp blood circulation. It not only helps hair growth but may also prevent graying of hair. New hair growth can be seen after two to three months of treatment.
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Chinese Medicine Treatment For Hair Loss
TCM practitioners believe that hair growth is closely related to the health of the blood, both amount and circulation. People often lose hair due to physical or pathogenic conditions that they lose much blood, such as long-term illness, big operations and chemotherapy.
Traditional Chinese Medicine can be effective to treat hair loss and the underlying conditions which cause hair loss. Traditional Chinese Medicine treatment for hair loss focuses on creating balance and harmony in the body by strengthening the blood, balancing hormones, restoring qi and directing blood to the scalp. That is to say, you should care about the quality of your blood and its circulation if you want to have healthy hair.
Comparison Of The Changes In Various Body Signs Before And After Treatment Between The Two Groups Of Patients
Before treatment, there were no significant differences in hair growth and hair loss scores between the two groups . After treatment, the hair growth and hair loss scores of the two groups were lower than before treatment, and those of the Chinese medicine group were lower than those of the Western medicine group the differences were statistically significant .
Table 3
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Can Acupuncture Help Hair Loss
What Science Says
If youve ever experienced any type of hair loss or thinning hair, you understand the devastating psychological effects it can bringand the willingness to try different approaches that might help restore your hair and your confidence.
One common treatment is acupuncture. According to the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, acupuncture is a time-tested technique used in traditional Chinese medicine. Practitioners stimulate specific points on the bodymost often by inserting thin needles through the skin. Acupuncture is known to help alleviate medical conditions such as chronic head, neck and knee pain in some individuals.
Can acupuncture help with hair loss, too? Lets take a closer look at what science says
The goal of acupuncture when combatting hair loss is to correct any imbalances that negatively alter hair quantity. Acupuncture has been found to be particularly effective for those suffering from hair loss as a result of hormonal imbalances , stress and nutritional deficiencies. One key study published in The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine showed that women who obtained daily acupuncture for six months showed similar improvements in hormone levels to those who took the drug metformin 3x daily .
Your physician can help determine if acupuncture might be an appropriate treatment option for your hair loss.
Always remember: Be informed. Be encouraged. Be empowered. But, most of all . . . Be yourself.