| It is normal to lose 50 to 100 hairs a day. Beyond | | | | in the gut. A 'leaky gut' can result from food |
| this, hair loss can result from general nutrient | | | | intolerances, so if you suspect poor digestion, |
| deficiency. One of the problems with nutrition and | | | | consider a food intolerance test when other |
| hair however is that we can't programme nutrients | | | | symptoms suggest this. |
| to do what we want - and hair growth is not a | | | | Zinc has, in some cases of alopecia, been found to |
| priority so nutrients may be used up in other areas | | | | restore bodily hair growth as well as on the scalp. |
| first. | | | | Iron is often suggested after a study attributed hair |
| B vitamins (especially B6, biotin and inositol) have all | | | | loss in non-menopausal women to lack of iron. |
| been found to be important in hair growth, so a | | | | Keratin - the hair protein - is predominately sulphur - |
| heavy duty B complex is recommended. Avoid | | | | which is probably why biotin is so useful as this is also |
| alcohol and caffeine as they destroy B1 and other B | | | | predominately sulphur. MSM may be helpful for the |
| vitamins. Other important nutrients are manganese, | | | | same reason. |
| magnesium, silica, kelp and vitamins C and E. | | | | High copper has been associated with hair loss |
| Stress worsens hair loss. It can reduce scalp blood | | | | especially in women on HRT or who have taken the |
| flow, in addition to interfering with digestion and | | | | Pill. Good liver health will help keep copper down. |
| absorption. If stress is a consideration support the | | | | Mercury, lead and cadmium toxicity have also been |
| adrenals with vitamins B5 and C or glandulars. | | | | associated with hair loss. |
| Healthy hair needs good circulation and blood supply. | | | | Hair loss can also be due to hormonal imbalance |
| Standing on your head - to raise body over head will | | | | especially post-menopausally, or with polycystic ovary |
| boost circulation to your scalp, but ONLY attempt | | | | syndrome. (PCOS can lead to elevated testosterone |
| this if you are very healthy and fit! A more practical | | | | and hair loss). Herbal medicine can help here -- some |
| approach is an Indian head massage -- it increases | | | | PCOS clients have had good results from taking saw |
| blood flow and circulation in the scalp, helps transport | | | | palmetto and agnus castus. Horsetail (a good source |
| minerals to the scalp and is wonderfully relaxing. | | | | of silica) may also help, but a herbalist should be |
| Organic cider vinegar massaged into the scalp opens | | | | consulted if you wish to take herbs. |
| up the pores. If you are actually losing hair from the | | | | Hormone imbalances promote copper retention. A |
| root (as opposed to brittle hair) then the cider | | | | thyroid self-test may be useful as thyroid activity is |
| vinegar can help unclog sebum glands that sometime | | | | reduced in the presence of high copper. Calcium and |
| block causing the follicle to die off as hair cannot get | | | | copper often rise together. The balance of copper |
| through. | | | | and zinc together is a better guide to copper levels |
| Essential Fatty Acids promote healthy hair, and water | | | | than copper alone. Smoking and high consumption of |
| obviously is vital to avoid dehydration. Filtered or | | | | chocolate, white wine and coffee can tip it the |
| bottled water is best - glass bottles preferable to | | | | wrong way. B3 and zinc are good antagonists to |
| plastic to avoid taking in plasticisers. | | | | copper. Essential fatty acids also help hormonal |
| Thinning, dry hair can be a sign of protein deficiency. | | | | balance. |
| Increasing protein (possibly as protein shakes) can | | | | So how do you assess you mineral status? Hair |
| restore vitality and sometimes colour. But if protein | | | | Mineral Analysis can provide a detailed mineral |
| intake is good, another possibility is low hydrochloric | | | | analysis, plus personalised supplement programme |
| acid (HCl), which is needed to digest protein. If you're | | | | designed to address imbalances. Learn more about |
| low in HCl, proteins are not digested properly, so the | | | | Hair Mineral Analysis and discover how to how check |
| minerals they contain are not released. Mineral | | | | your levels of nutrient and toxic minerals on my |
| deficiencies could also be due to absorption problems | | | | website below. |