In Ayurveda, a traditional medicine practiced in India, treatments depend on your body type. This practice believes there are three distinct human body types--vata, pitta and kapha, each susceptible to specific imbalances. Ayurvedic practice takes two approaches to illnesses and disease conditions. If you're generally healthy, treatment focuses on preventing a condition, but illnesses indicate the need to restore body balance and correct underlying problems. In Ayurveda, hair is part of your body’s bone tissue, so therapies must address physical imbalances that affect bone health, along with spiritual and emotional issues.
Find Treatments to Correct Imbalances
An Ayurvedic practitioner must assess your dosha or life force to determine which treatments you need to correct the imbalance that is the cause of your hair loss. In some cases, the recommended treatments include foods that boost your immune system, meditation and therapies that reduce stress, along with other traditional treatments for your condition. Alt MD says treatment for hair loss often requires a combination of therapies. These include meditation and diet changes such as increasing the consumption of milk and calcium intake, herbal treatments, and topical applications for the scalp.
Use Oil to Improve the Condition of Your Hair
One important course of action for treating hair loss is to improve the condition of your hair, using oil. Applying oil to the hair before shampooing is the tradition in India--the opposite of the Western practice of shampooing, then conditioning. Massaging your scalp with oil removes dust particles and impurities on the scalp and hair. This also deep-conditions the hair and coats each strand, preventing your shampoo from stripping your hair’s natural oils. Ayurvedic medicine practice suggests that regular oiling releases heat from your scalp that can damage hair follicles. The conditioning and the massage, which stimulates blood flow to the hair follicles, decrease hair loss. Yoga Journal says you should oil-condition your hair daily or weekly. Apply it and comb it to the ends of your hair. Cover your hair with a warm towel to help the oil penetrate. Leave the oil on for at least an hour; overnight is better. Use an oil that works best for your hair type, according to Ayurveda. Almond oil is best for thin, dry hair (vata); coconut oil is best for hair that grays quickly (pitta); and use olive oil for kapha–thick oily hair.
Try Medicated Oils and Herbs
Alt MD cites bringhraj oil as one of the preferred medicated oils used for Ayurvedic treatment of hair loss. Alt MD says Ayurveda uses include amalaki in oil for hair loss treatments. Kerala Agricultural University also mentions oil prepared with amalaki juice as a traditional Ayurvedic hair loss treatment. To treat your hair loss from the inside, Yoga Journal recommends traditional Ayurvedic herbal preparations such as bhringaraj, from 250mg to 1g capsules, or 250mg to 500mg brahmi (gota kola) to nourish your hair and calm your mind. You can also buy the dried herbs and consume them as tea.
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