Ayurvedic medicine attempts to fight hair loss through a combination of dietary herbs and massage therapy. Before beginning an Ayurvedic treatment, consult your doctor to ensure the herbs recommended won't interfere with any of your medications.
Alopecia
According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, alopecia is an umbrella term that encompasses two different types of hair loss. Alopecia areata is better known as pattern baldness, which affects men and women. According to the UMMC, this type of hair loss is permanent. Alopecia areata, on the other hand, can often be stopped. This type of hair loss occurs when your immune system attacks your hair follicles. Western treatments for alopecia areata include corticosteroids, a biotin supplement and aromatherapy massage.
Ayurveda
This system of medicine evolved in India several thousand years ago and is still used today. According to the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, Ayurvedic medicine uses herbs, special diets and massage therapy to treat conditions ranging from alopecia to indigestion. The goal of Ayurvedic medicine is to cleanse and balance the body. Practitioners believe ailments stem from an imbalance in the body's constitution, called "prakriti," or the body's life forces, called "doshas." Any treatments prescribed are unique to the individual because no two people have the same prakriti or doshas.
Hair Loss and Pitta
In the Ayurvedic system of medicine, hair loss is linked to a particular dosha called "pitta," representing excess body heat. In "Ayurveda for Health & Well-Being," author Shanti Gowans notes that people with dominant pitta tend to exhibit hearty appetites, high body temperature, hair loss or baldness, oily hair and a predisposition to gray hair, often at a young age. To counteract these characteristics, you need to balance your pitta. Gowans suggests you consume cooling foods and beverages such as milk and sweet fruit, meditate to release excess anger and spend as much time as you can near cooling, soothing places such as lakes and gardens.
Herbal Remedies
In "Simple Ayurvedic Remedies," Dr. H.S. Puri recommends a two-pronged approach to treating hair loss. Puri suggests you adopt a balanced diet, because hair loss is often caused by poor nutrition, and massage your hair and scalp with brahmi and bhringraj oil. The traditional Latin names of these herbs are Centella asiatica and Eclipta alba, respectively. Online health food stores offer inexpensive vials of each.
Considerations
Any time you employ non-Western healing techniques, tell your doctor. She needs to be aware of everything you're doing in terms of diet and lifestyle. If you should develop an allergic reaction or other complication based on an herbal treatment, it's important that she have a full understanding of your health regimen in order to diagnose and treat you promptly, accurately and effectively.
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