Hair loss is caused by various factors including diet, genetics, stress and environmental chemicals. Hereditary-pattern baldness affects 40 million men and 20 million women, according to the American Academy of Dermatology, or AAD. Currently, saw palmetto is the only organic product that may help genetic-pattern baldness, but many organic products are available for other types of hair loss. Types of stress-induced hair loss---telogen effluvium and alopecia areata---respond to a variety of organic treatments.
Essential Oils
Essential oils have been in use since the middle of the 13th century, according to Ernest Guenther, author of "The Essential Oils." Rosemary and lavender are common oils used to treat alopecia areata. A study by I.C. Hay and colleagues, published in the November 1998 "Archives of Dermatology," treated 86 patients with alopecia areata. The patients were split into two groups. One group massaged essential oils, thyme, rosemary, lavender and cedarwood in a carrier oil mixture of grapeseed and jojoba oils onto the scalp daily. The other group used only the carrier oil mixture. The essential oil group showed a 44-percent improvement in hair growth in comparison with the 6-percent improvement of the control group. The researchers concluded that essential oils are an effective treatment of alopecia areata.
Saw Palmetto
Organic saw palmetto comes from the American dwarf palm tree, serenoa repens. The extract is made from the dried, ripe berry of the palm tree. It is taken in tablet form, liquid extract, capsule or as an infusion in tea. Saw palmetto is commonly used for enlarged prostate, but is also used to treat hair loss. Saw palmetto may block some testosterone effects and reduce male-pattern hair loss similar to finasteride, better known as Propecia, according to the MayoClinc.com. More studies are needed for a more definitive conclusion.
Protein
Nutritional problems can cause hair loss in some individuals, according to the AAD. Some vegetarians, crash dieters or people with poor nutritional habits may suffer from hair loss because of inadequate amounts of protein, according to "USA Today." Protein malnutrition causes hair to shift into the resting phase and fall out in large numbers. Adding the proper amount of organic protein into the diet can reverse this hair loss.
References
- American Academy of Dermatology: Dermatology Insights
- PubMed.gov: Randomized Trial of Aromatherapy. Successful Treatment for Alopecia Areata
- Google Books: The Essential Oils - Vol 1: History-Origin in Plants-Production-Analysis
- MayoClinic.com: Saw Palmetto (Serenoa repens [Bartram] Small)
- School of Forest Resources & Conservation: Saw Palmetto
- USA Today: Hair Loss
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