What is alopecia and ayurvedic cure

What is alopecia or hair loss?

Hair loss is a major problem these days. Any age group is affected with this and is a problem for which people visit doctors frequently. As hair is a major factor of your appearance and is a part of physical attraction, definitely you don’t want to lose hair. There are many causes for hair loss and the proper treatment depends upon the root cause of hair loss, which varies from person to person. Inherited characteristics and sex hormones play a significant role in hair loss in both men and women. It is a mistake to simply assume the onset of hair loss is inevitable and cannot be cured. Some forms of baldness are even temporary.

What is hair loss according to Ayurved?

In Ayurvedic texts three terms are used to describe the symptom of hair loss, such as - indralupta, khalitya and ruhya. According to Aacharya Vagabhata, when hair falls suddenly it is known as indralupta while khalitya is a long running process of hair fall. One more opinion is that indralupta affects beard, khalitya affects scalp and ruhya affects the entire body. The major reason for hair loss is over consumption of lavana rasa (salt).

What else can I know about your hair ?

Each hair sprouts from a single hair follicle. The follicle is the socket where the hair shaft develops in. Cells in the follicle multiply and form the hair shaft. The shaft of the hair itself is not a living substance only the follicles are alive. As more cells are formed at the base of the follicles they get keratinized and die, they push the shaft out of it’s socket and the new hair shaft grows longer and longer. When the hair is long enough, it stops growing. In the average uncut hair, the shaft is usually from 10 to 45 inches (24 to 100 cms) long. The hair may grow for four to six years. There are strong genetic influences, which decides the factors, such as - how long, how prominent and where the hair grows. Your entire scalp may have from 100,000 to 150,000 hairs.
You should not necessarily be alarmed when you notice some hair coming out while combing your hair. Every one looses some hairs every day. An approximate estimate is 100 hairs per day. That hardly makes a difference in the count of 100,000 to 150,000 hairs, normally present on your scalp.
The variation in melanin pigment content, gives variations to the colour shades of the hair. It is the same pigment, which gives colour to your skin. Since the pigment is added to the hair shaft at its root, it is natural for the hair closest to the scalp to be more darkly pigmented than the rest of the hair shaft. The pigment may also be bleached out of the dead hair shaft by sun and wind.
As you get older, there is less and less pigment added to the hair shaft, causing it to become lighter in colour. Eventually, pigment cells at the base of the follicle stop adding pigment to the shaft and the hair looses its pigment to become grey or white.
When hair is lost characteristically from an area, it is known as alopecia areata. Occasionally, the entire scalp loses its hair (alopecia total) or even all the body may loose hair (alopecia universalis).

What causes hair loss and premature greying of hair according to Ayurved?

Romkoop (hair follicle) contains bhrajak pitta. Pitta present at the root of the hair increases, in association with vata, and this appears as the falling of hairs. Then kapha and rakta together block the follicles of the hair by not allowing fresh ones to grow.
According to modern medicine the most common cause of hair loss, in both men and women, is related to hormones, specifically to testosterone. This relationship explains, the reason, why it is called androgenic alopecia or male pattern baldness.
In certain hair follicles, the cells within the follicles are able to convert testosterone to dihydrotestesterone through the action of an enzyme produced by that particular hair follicle. In males, these hairs are present characteristically along the front of the scalp, resulting in the typical ‘M’-shaped receding hairline. The apex of the scalp at the back and top of the skull is the other location where such hair follicles are typically located. Usually the hair around the sides of the head is spared, leaving a halo of hair. The cells in this area are genetically different and do not convert testesterone to dihydrotestesterone. In women, the susceptible cells are located more diffusely, resulting in a general thinning area that is in the front half of the scalp.

There are some other abnormalities that can cause hair loss, e.g.,

Low thyroid function (hypothyroidism) can cause a thick oily scalp, with coarse sparse hair, or actual baldness. Over active thyroid function (hyperthyroidism) results in sparse fine hairs.
Damage of pituitary gland that stimulates the thyroid gland, sex glands and adrenal cortex also result in hair loss.
Excess formation of male hormones due to any of the disorders can be a cause of hair fall.
Heredity may also play an important role. Sushruta stated that romkoop (hair follicles) never increase, they remains constant, since birth.
Most popular theory of alopecia areata states it as an autoimmune disease where the immune system of the body attacks the hair follicles.
Inadequate calories and insufficient protein intake will affect your hair, if you are on a crash diet to loose your extra weight. Hair loss can occur.
In anorexia nervosa, a psychosomatic problem associated with refusal to eat an adequate amount of food may also affect hair.
Severe psychic stress results in sudden loss of hair. Biological stress is a more common cause of sudden hair loss. Any number of surgical operations, haemorrhage or shock associated with an accident can cause it.
There are number of mechanical stresses on the scalp and hair that can cause hair loss.
Post partum alopecia - About two to five months after having a baby, women may suddenly start loosing hair. The hair loss may continue for several months, but eventually there is a complete restoration of normal hair. The cause is not clear.
Pressure alopecia may occur in a baby if the head rests continuously on one area. The same can happen in adults confined to bed who rest most of the time with pressure on the back of the head or persistently on one area of the head.
Severe fever or any illness associated with prolonged fever may result in a subsequent loss of hair.
Diseases, particularly those associated with weight loss, which usually means poor nutrition as well, may also cause alopecia. This includes cancer of lymphoma group.
Tuberculosis and syphilis may rarely cause alopecia.
Some patients have autoimmune diseases such as systemic lupus erythematosus. Alolpecia is a useful diagnostic pointer for that and is seen in more than 50% of patients.
Tinea capitis, which is a fungal infection of the scalp, may cause a localized loss of a patch of hair that resembles alopecia areata, but that spot usually has scales and other changes by which doctor can identify it.
Certain beauty practices can lead you to hair loss. Hair styles that cause pulling on the hair providing constant traction cause traction alopecia, when the hair is pulled back from the frontal hairline, as in a ponytail, top knot etc. You can see the stretched hair contributing to a receding hairline. Alopecia may occur in those who straighten their hair with a hot comb and use hot petrolatum with iron e.g., crimping or hot water bath etc. This causes thermal damage to the hair follicle and may eventually lead to irreversible destruction of hair follies.
Certain techniques can damage the hair shaft, but it won’t affect the hair growth. You can regard the hair shaft as a piece of dead wood. It can become dry and cracked or broken if not properly cared for, or if subjected to harsh chemicals e.g., hair bleaching and colouring (highlighting).
Many medicines may cause hair loss. The most common are those, which are used for chemotherapy, in the treatment of cancer, particularly doxorubicin and cyclophosphamide. If such drugs are prescribed, physicians warn the patients in advance.
Medicines used to treat high blood pressure, angina pectoris and hypercholestrolemia; medicines used to treat arthritis (penicillamine, indocin, naprosyn and methotrexate), parkinson’s disease (levodopa); any other medication which has an androgenic (male) hormone action, such as - anabolic steroids, often used by athletes and bodybuilders or danocrine used for treating endometriosis in women causes hair loss. Oral contraceptives may sometimes causes loss of hair.
These medicaments do not always have this side effect as many patients use these without hair loss, still one should keep this in mind that thinning or fall of hair could occurs.

What is dandruff (darunaka) and does it cause hair loss?

Widely detected cause for hair loss is dandruff; let us know something more about it.
Dandruff is skin flakes that sheds from your hair and ends upon your shoulders, which can be mild or severe.
Like the rest of your skin, your scalp also sheds old cells. Normally the cells are so fine that no one can notice it, but the cells are clumped together to produce the dandruff flakes. In reality, it is a mild form of seborrhoeic dermatitis, which is a disorder of the scalp. Dandruff is very common. When you think it, think of seborrhoeic dermatitis.
It’s a disorder caused by the excess formation of sebum, secretion of oil glands in the skin. The irritation due to this causes dandruff, producing dry or greasy scales. It may produce red patches of the scalp with large scales and sometimes a thick crest. The condition becomes worse by sweating. The sebum does contain compounds that are powerful hair removers in experiments.
In ayurved dandruff is known as darunaka.
The skin on the scalp gets cracked, becomes rough, dry and itchy, due to increase of kapha vata together. The word 'daruna' denotes hardness.
Arunshika is small ulcer with many openings manifested on the skin of the scalp due to kapha rakta. Symptoms of seborrhoeic dermatitis resemble with the symptoms of arunshika.
Can hair loss be cured?
Hair loss i.e., khalitya can be cured with proper medications, if it is temporary in origin.

How can I prevent hair loss?

Hair loss may be prevented by proper diet and conduct. Following tips will help you.

Fruit and vegetables should be taken in abundance to facilitate the supply of essential vitamins and minerals.
Endocrine abnormalities like hyperthyroidism, disorders that result in an excess formation of male hormones, an autoimmune disease like SLE etc., should be properly managed by treatment.
Don’t go for a crash diet to loose your weight as it causes damage to your health and will affect your hairs also. Return to proper nutrition that provides you sufficient protein and required calories, to recover normal hair growth.
Avoid tension, stress, worries, anger, etc., as far as possible.
Avoid inflicting mechanical tension to the hair by pulling, crimping etc. Certain beauty practices like trimming, using strong hair colour etc., impart sufficient damage to the hair.
Avoid such hairstyles, which pull back hairs from frontal hairline.
Don’t use hot combs or hot water bath for hairs.
Take care of hair shafts also by proper oiling etc., to avoid dryness or cracking of it.
Don’t use harsh chemicals (certain shampoos) over scalp.
If dandruff is there take proper treatment. A high fat intake including whole milk, butter, cream, cheese chocolates etc., often worsens the dandruff condition, better avoid it.
The medications that are likely to cause hair fall (which are mentioned above) try to replace it, only after consulting your Doctor.
Medication for your hair fall has to be taken in the earlier stages because if all the hair has fallen out and the follicles have closed, nothing much can be done.

About the Ayurvedic Treatment of Alopecia.

This treatments contains oral pills, powder and oil base application which are made from following main herbs...
ECLIPTA ALBA (BRINGRAJ) EMBLICA OFFICINALIS (AMLA) INDIGOFERA TINCTORIA (BRAHMI) CYPRUS ROTUNDUS (GUNJA) GLYCERRHIZA GLABRA (YASTIMADHU)
ALOEVERRA JATAMANSI SATAVATI TULSI

Does Ayurveda cure Alopecia 100% ?

Alopecia is always a very difficult subject to treat as there are so many factors causes Alopecia.
The Ayurveda herbal treatment has proved very effective in over 80% of above cases of Alopecia.
The results are obtained reasonably fast & long lasting.
The Treatment is based on individual study and evaluation of the case. The course of medicines varies patients of patients depending on the prakruti(Basic Nature) of the patients.
Ayurveda treatment is 100% safe, Absolutely harmless, very effective and free from toxic effects.

Is there any side effect of this therapy? Are these herbs 100% safe ?

Ayurveda Herbal Treatment are known for SAFEST Remedy.

What is the duration of Treatment ?

Alopecia Areata 3 to 6 months
Alopecia Areata (Patchy) 12 to 18 months
Alopecia Areata (Highly Active Phase) 12 to 24 months
Androgentic Alopecia 9 to 12 months
Diffuse Alopecia 9 to 12 months
Tellogen Effluvium 6 to 12 months
Eyebrow Loss 9 to 12 months
Poor Hair growth in children 9 to 12 months
Hair Loss due to Chemo Therapy 6 months

We offer some classical Indian supportive remedies for this disease which are supposed to be taken strictly under medical supervision. Kindly Ask a Doctor