Hair Loss Becoming More Pronounced the Last Few Weeks
How are you doing, Ted? I had found the EarthClinic website some years ago but had forgotten about it until today when looking for information on hair loss. I saw many of your posts, and you seem to really understand how to solve this problem. I hope you don't mind taking a looking at my situation. There was so much information on the EarthClinic site that I wasn't sure where to start!
I first noticed some hair loss when in Europe this past summer. A friend had taken several pictures of me with my back turned to the camera, so I noticed a small spot on the back of my head that was balding or really thinning. This was rather disconcerting as I am only 21 years old and still haven't even finished my undergraduate studies! Initially, I thought that maybe it was a dietary issue as I certainly don't eat right. While in Europe, I tried to save money by cooking most of my meals, which meant a lot of rice, eggs, and sausages. On a few occasions, I cooked some Thai curries with coconut milk, but these items certainly did not have all of the nutrients I needed.
When I returned to the States, my diet returned to "normal", which means that it got even worse. As I am a university student living in the dorms, it is mandated that I eat in the student cafeteria. The lines are very long, and the healthier options (steamed vegetables) often appear to be quite unappetizing. Consequently, my diet has been high in burgers, pizza, cereal, eggs, bacon, and LOTS of french fries. Obviously, this is not good, and I realize that. On the bright side though, I drink almost exclusively water and tea (maybe once a week), so excessive sugar from soda is not a problem.
Over the past couple of weeks, I've noticed that my thinning/balding has progressed from just the spot on the back of my head to other areas. On both sides of my head, the hair is getting noticeably thinner. As well, when I part my hair, I can see that the the scalp is becoming rather visible. Also, I've noticed that I'm finding more loose hairs failing into my textbooks, notebooks, etc. while studying.
As a first step to resolve this problem, I've been trying as much as possible to reduce the fried foods and have been eating more salads, fruits, nuts, etc. I thought that "whole foods" would be a better alternative to all of these overly processed and fried foods.
So, with these things in mind, would you be willing to give me some recommendations? I noticed that you suggested soy milk, which I do have access to in my cafeteria. Would that be a good place to start? I do have a Whole Foods market nearby, so I could pick up a few supplements, oils, etc. if necessary. Alternatively, do you recommend products from an online vendor (such as Puritan's Pride)?
Lastly, I recalled that I should mention a few other things. I have been having a problem with dandruff since grade school, so I'm not sure if that's in any way related. Also, my hair does seem to be relatively oily. I do shampoo it daily. This reminds me that I've seen on a few other sites that certain chemicals in commercial shampoos, particularly Sodium Laureth Sulfate (which my shampoo does have), seem to be problematic. Would you concur with this?
I hope that you have some time to give me a few words of wisdom, and I do thank you in advance for whatever you can share.
Thanks!
Ryan
Dear Ryan:
Somehow this mail ended up in my spam mailbox as I am deleting some of the spams.
Soy milk is best taken on an empty stomach, it's high in manganese and helps hair loss. Most of the effects is best improved if a manganese supplement is taken 25 mg, chewed to stop hair loss. People with hair loss problem, almost invariably have oily hair and scalp before becoming bald or have a major hair loss. The oily scalp is often a sign of zinc deficiency. My favorite zinc supplement is zinc acetate, but zinc gluconate 25 or 50 mg will do too, but is taken until the scalp or hair is no longer oily. If taken in excess, it causes drying instead of oily thereafter it's discontinued. So it's often taken for about 2 weeks, and chewed, or powdered before taking as tablet forms and capsule form have poor bioavailability and is taken on an empty stomach.
A vitamin C 1000 -2000 mg sodium ascorbate, or perhaps rose hips stops hair loss too, but it takes about 2 weeks before reduction. Still manganese and zinc is equally important too. Oily foods makes the body oily, and the body simply can't handle so much oils. Even in salad dressings, it's made from vegetable oils. Liver have a low tolerance for oils, and hence something must help reduced that. Granulated lecithin 1 tablespoon, twice a day, is preferably too.
Dandruff issue is quite often the effects of unnatural drying and deficiency of certain types of oil, namely evening primrose oil, and omega 3 fish oil. Most helpful in reduction onf dandruff. Long term dandruff often leads to hair loss. So it's related. I have noticed some people who constantly have hair loss is also in constant need for both manganese and evening primrose to stop both hair loss and dandruff, in this instances it comes together.
Hair thinning is a tricky one, but biotin in B complex, 5 mg for example, found in liquid egg yolk without the white eggs, or in supplements helps, as is eating some partially cooked liver. Magnesium and other things, more vegetables is need, as is omega 3 and other things found in fish is helpful. As always fried foods causes hair loss. I haven't had a hair loss for a very long time as I purposely avoid fried foods.
Acid forming foods can lead to lowered immunity and constriction of capillaries, so when I was a student I frequently take baking soda too. A mild remedy is 1/4 teaspoon of baking soda in 1/2 glass of water twicw a day.
Biotin helps thickness of the hair as is silica rich foods, such as horsetails and rice. Usually cooking your own foods is the better choice, but without the frying or stir frying. Usually soups is he healthiest, and the steamed foods, including fish and vegetables.
Ted
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