For centuries, aromatherapy has played a great role in natural hair and scalp care. It is the use of essential oils and other aromatic botanical oils to improve the overall well-being. For a natural hair loss treatment, one of the oldest aromatic oils is peppermint oil.

Peppermint Oil as a Natural Hair Loss Treatment

Peppermint grows around the world, which is probably why it is so familiar. Obtained through distillation, the oil has a thin and clear consistency that contains cleansing, antiseptic, anti-inflammatory, and toning properties.

Peppermint oil is a very common ingredient in many cosmetic products. Because of the natural presence of menthol, a crystalline substance, peppermint oil can open the breathing passages.

It is a common treatment for nausea, indigestion, headaches, irritable bowel syndrome, and cold symptoms.

The versatile properties of peppermint oil make it an ingredient to a natural hair loss treatment and an herbal hair care product that has been proven beneficial to both dry and oily hair and scalp. It can maintain the balance of pH levels of the scalp.

Its moisturizing and stimulating properties can restore life to a dry hair while its tightening and cooling effects can make oily hair less greasy overtime. It can also remove dandruff. In essence, it can improve the overall quality of hair and scalp.

How to Use Peppermint Oil

You can add 3–5 drops of peppermint oil to every 4 oz. of your shampoo or conditioner. When applied, it gives a tingling sensation that does the work of preventing hair loss and restoring hair.

Peppermint oil can be slightly irritating to the skin; thus, it is advisable to take caution when using it. Large doses can produce side effects including allergic reactions and heartburn.

Women encounter a different problem when it comes to treating hair loss or thinning hair. They usually have a limited number of options. This is chiefly because the causes of hair loss in women differ from that in men in the vast majority of cases.

Also, most hair loss treatments are targeted to men. On a lighter note, there are treatments that women can resort to as much as men can.

Women’s hair loss treatments can come in the form of the following alternative remedies:

• Aromatherapy

Aromatherapy is classic, holistic, and effective. It is the technique of using essential oils derived from herbs and plants with volatile compounds such as rosemary, lavender, basil, clary sage, and cedarwood.

Since Cleopatra’s regime, aromatherapy has already been used as one of women’s hair loss treatments for its therapeutic effects on the hair, scalp, and the rest of the body.

• Emu Oil

Emu oil is extracted from the emu bird. It contains essential fatty acids (mostly oleic, with small traces of palmitic, linoleic, and stearic acids) which are known to be very beneficial for the hair and skin.

Women’s hair loss treatments are most effective when containing EFAs (essential fatty acids), which improve skin cell regeneration and revitalize the dormant hair follicles, which both lead to hair growth stimulation.

• Grape Seed Extracts

A Japanese study found out that grape seed extracts can inhibit the production of dihydrotestosterone (DHT) and stimulate hair growth because of its oligomeric proanthocyanidins (OPCs). OPCs are known to be powerful antioxidants.

The hair loss condition called female pattern baldness can be caused by DHT build-up in the hair follicles in the scalp. Therefore, administering or using products with grape seed extracts (i.e., Leimo) can be great help.

• Balanced Diet

A good diet plan for faster and healthy hair growth requires supplementation of B-complex vitamins, especially biotin. Zinc and copper are similarly essential because they ensure the proper absorption of vitamins.

Foods rich in silica and selenium should also be included in a diet aimed to address hair loss problems. Crash diets such as a low-carbohydrate diet in an effort to trim down fats are no good at all, as it can result in the malnutrition of the hair follicles.

Dietary Sources:

• B-vitamin complex: whole grains, potatoes, bananas, chili peppers, tempeh, beans, brewer’s yeast, and molasses
• Zinc: oysters, toasted wheat germ, liver, sesame seeds, peanuts, and cocoa powder
• Copper: asparagus, calf’s liver, crimini mushrooms, turnip greens, and molasses
• Silica: cereals, apples, oranges, cherries, raisins, almonds, peanuts, and oats
• Selenium: Brazil nuts, cod, tuna, sunflower seeds, turkey, eggs, and walnuts

This is the reason we should not make fun of follicularly challenged people. These people either secretly or openly go to lengths to attend to their hair and scalp needs.

Added to the recent information drive the FDA pursued on the subject of product side effects, most patients turn to natural means to solve their balding problems.

Fortunately, there are notable options that posed great efficacy against baldness—the reason alternative treatments remain popular to our bald/balding folks. A common alternative hair loss treatment is safflower.

A member of the Compositae family, safflower (Carthamus tinctorius L.) is native to India, Iran, North America, and the Far East. It bears flowers with brilliant orange-red colors. Safflower seeds are the main source of its essential oil.

Safflower oil is derived through mechanical and chemical processes. Through mechanical extraction, the essential nutrients of the oil remain whereas through the chemical process, the oil is refined by certain chemicals, thus removing most of the essential nutrients of the oil.

Safflower oil comes in two varieties: the polyunsaturated type that is high in linoleic acid and the monounsaturated type, which is rich in oleic acid. Linoleic and oleic acid are both essential fatty acids, which are ideal components in both a conventional and alternative hair loss treatment.

Nutritionally, safflower oil is similar to olive oil, which is another effective alternative hair loss treatment. The seeds of safflower contain 30% oil, 20% protein, and 35% crude fiber. All these compounds are known to be very beneficial for the hair.

Safflower seeds are also a rich source of minerals (zinc, copper, magnesium, and iron); vitamins (thiamin and beta-carotene); and tocopherols (alpha, beta, and gamma) which are antioxidants.

For centuries, safflower oil has been used to treat hair loss, regulate cholesterol levels, and replenish essential fatty acid supply.

Safflower oil serves as a good vasodilator, which means it can dilate vessels to allow entry of a better supply of nutrients for the hair follicles and thus creating a good scalp environment for hair regrowth.

What scares women the most when reaching menopause though is the loss of hair. Yes, some may find it borderline laughable a reason but it is the very subject about menopause that is rarely discussed but women have always wanted discussed.

By the time a woman reaches 45, she will begin to wonder where her beautiful locks have gone. Thinning, brittle, and limp hair are the common early signs of age-related hair loss. In fact, 40–50% of women experience these symptoms upon entering menopause.

Like men, women also fear hair loss, if not especially. Hair loss diminishes one’s self-esteem and causes social anxiety regardless of age.

Hair Loss Causes in Women during Menopause

There can be a lot of different factors that trigger hair thinning during menopause. Added to a deteriorating health, menopausal women particularly lose a significant amount of estrogens, the female hormones.

For this reason, they are quite susceptible to a condition called androgenetic alopecia, an androgen-dependent condition. Hair loss experts believe that estrogens also prevent the excessive accumulation of androgens, particularly dihydrotestosterone (DHT), the key to AGA.

Thus, when estrogens decrease in number, DHT production becomes harmful for the scalp hair follicles in the female scalp. Because the condition is not immediately androgen-dependent, AGA in women is preferably called female pattern baldness.

Hair loss causes, that are health-related, during menopause are (1) hypothyroidism, a condition characterized by the low production of thyroid hormones; (2) diabetes, the condition marked by an increase in the body’s sugar supply. Both of these conditions are age- and hormone-related, and most of these types of conditions alter the hair and hair cycling.

How to Cope with Age-Related Hair Thinning

Low Level Laser Therapy is a safe and effective technique in treating age-related hair loss in women. LLLT is the application of low energy laser on the affected areas in the scalp to stimulate hair growth through photobiostimulation and vasodilation.

Clinical studies show that LLLT is very suitable for hair loss in women as it is characterized by a diffuse pattern (hair loss is spread throughout the scalp).

Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) is another option for women with hair loss during menopause, and it is often the last resort. HRT is the prescription of either estrogen or the combination of estrogen and progesterone.

Usually, physicians would prescribe the combination of both hormones. The prescription of estrogen alone can increase the risk of endometrial cancer. Progesterone reduces such effects of estrogen.

Whether hair loss is in question or not, there are certain foods that will not only help you grow hair but also improve its condition as well as the scalp, of course.

Keeping the hair and scalp well-nourished and well-pampered should let you have gorgeous and luscious locks.

The following foods are ideal in being included in your diet to stop hair fall and grow healthy hair instead:

1. Salmon

Salmon is very high in omega-3 fatty acid, protein, iron, and B-12 vitamin content, making salmon one of the excellent foods to breathe life to brittle, dry, and dull tresses.

Omega-3 fatty acids specifically improve the health of a dry scalp.

If you are not a fan of the actual fish, there are salmon oil supplements which may not be as good as the fish itself although they may still help.

2. Oysters

Oysters can provide an excellent supply of zinc, a naturally occurring mineral in the hair. Zinc helps in the absorption of certain vitamins to keep the hair in its normal cycle and thus, stop hair fall.

The lack and overabundance of zinc can lead to brittle, dry hair, and some cases hair loss.

3. Low-Fat Dairy and Poultry Products

Dairy and poultry products are excellent sources of high-quality protein. Eggs, chicken, turkey, milk, and cheese can provide such protein supply.

Milk and yogurt contain calcium and the necessary B vitamins (e.g., B2, B6, B7, and B12) that are good for the hair.

4. Brazil Nuts

Selenium is a mineral that helps produce certain forms of proteins. Therefore, they can be beneficial to hair growth.

Brazil nuts have high selenium content, making them a good dietary source to stop hair fall. Aside from selenium, they are also good sources of vitamin B-complex, vitamin E, zinc, potassium, and copper.

5. Legumes

According to the American Academy of Dermatology, legumes are very rich in protein to which the hair thrives upon. Beans, mainly, give a good supply of minerals which are good for the hair and hair regrowth, particularly iron, zinc, and biotin.

A deficient supply of any of these minerals can result in hair loss.

6. Dark Green Vegetables

Dark green vegetables such as broccoli, spinach, arugula, and collard greens are mostly rich in vitamins A and C. These vitamins help in the production of sebum, the natural hair conditioner. (Excessive sebum build-up however can lead to oily hair or can contribute to hair loss.)

Dark green vegetables also boost hair health and quality because they are rich in iron and calcium. To stop hair fall while preventing an oily hair or prevent any harmful side effects, do not consume too much.

Among the factors that can contribute to it are stress, medications, illnesses, hormonal changes, aging, and nutritional deficiency. Hair loss in females can either be a symptom of a health condition or a side effect of any of the above-mentioned factors.

The effects of hair loss in women need no elaboration. Regardless of its duration, hair loss is depression to a woman which is why it should be dealt with properly with the right products for hair loss.

Low Level Laser Therapy

LLLT is a good treatment technique that stimulates hair growth at a cellular level. In most cases of hair loss, there is a reduction in size of the hair follicles which explains their incapacity to produce new hair. LLLT is the application of low level laser light on the miniaturized hair follicles and reactivate them by increasing cellular production.

Low level laser therapy acts on the power plants of the cells, the mitochondria to increase ATP (adenosine triphosphate) production, the major source of energy for cellular reactions. In addition, it improves the blood circulation to the follicles. Both of these events contribute to hair growth. LLLT has no known side effects. It is indicated in men and women as well.

Topical Minoxidil 2%

One of the FDA-approved products for hair loss, topical minoxidil 2% has been well-documented to improve thinning hair in 80% of cases. Topical minoxidil is a vasodilator so it widens the small blood vessels in the cells, allowing entry of more food and oxygen for the follicles.

Topical minoxidil is usually applied twice a day. Its side effects include scalp irritation, swelling, forehead wrinkles, contact dermatitis, and reversible hypertrichosis.

Oral Finasteride

Oral finasteride is a DHT inhibitor (thus, it only works on DHT-induced hair loss). It inhibits 5-alpha reductase enzyme from metabolizing testosterone into dihydrotestosterone (DHT), the key to hair loss.

Because hair loss cases affecting women are less likely to be androgen-dependent, oral finasteride may not be of any use. As a matter of fact, oral finasteride is actually contraindicated in women in general. But exceptions are made to post-menopausal women and women who are determined to use powerful oral contraceptives during treatment. Finasteride can cause birth defects on the sexual characteristics of a male fetus.

Cyproterone Acetate

Cyproterone acetate is one of the anti-androgen products for hair loss. A daily dose of 25–50 mg cyproterone acetate can be useful in women with hirsutism and hair loss.

Contemporary administration of estrogen may also be necessary. The most serious side effect of cyproterone acetate is liver toxicity.

Spironolactone

Spironolactone contains powerful anti-androgenic properties as well. It destroys the androgen receptors before testosterone could even attach to them. Spironolactone can cause breast enlargement and impotence in men.

Menstrual disturbances, fatigue, gastrointestinal bleeding, and nausea are common side effects of spironolactone.

Hair loss is depressing, frustrating, and everything else but ego-boosting to a woman regardless of its attributes.

There are several possible causes of hair loss in women such as post-traumatic stress, medications, nutritional deficiency, illness, among others.

It is therefore essential for women to seek professional help to be properly diagnosed and be able to know the right hair growth remedies.

Patterns of Hair Loss in Women

1. Christmas tree pattern - This is the term coined in 1994 by the Dr. Olsen who described a woman’s pattern of hair loss with frontal accentuation without affecting the hairline.
2. Ludwig Scale of Diffuse Hair Loss – Women who are in their premenopausal and postmenopausal stages may experience the Ludwig pattern of hair loss. The Ludwig scale describes the three stages of hair thinning which is basically a diffuse pattern of thinning that gets worse in the long run.
3. Norwood-Hamilton Scale of Male Pattern Baldness – While very rare, male pattern baldness may also occur in women. Male pattern baldness is characterized by the recession of the hairline and then progresses into a horseshoe-shaped pattern, only leaving a band of hair in the sides and the back of the scalp. But then again, it is indeed rare because of two assumptions: (1) the female scalp has a natural presence of aromatase, the enzyme that helps fight the build-up of DHT and (2) the female scalp has a different distribution of DHT-sensitive follicles.

Remedies for Female Hair Loss

Fortunately, most cases of female hair loss are temporary, that is, except for those influenced by genetic tendency. In all hair loss cases, there are general recommendations to cope with hair loss.

These hair growth remedies include the following: reduction of stress, scalp massage, proper selection of foods, and proper hair and scalp care habits and choices.

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However, there is a less discussed issue that women, both in the ancient and modern world, are still a slave for — the socially-induced pressures to conform to the  definition of physical beauty. There is no wonder why hair loss causes depression more to a woman than to a man.

Unfortunately, women tend to experience various forms of hair loss throughout their lifetime. One of these conditions is called telogen effluvium, a stress-related hair loss.

According to the National Institute of Mental Health, women are twice more prone than men to developing depression and stress disorders. Experts explain that women tend to concern themselves about other people besides their selves. Additionally, they struggle to prove themselves in arenas where men mostly rule without compromising their roles in the household.

Traumatic stress can greatly affect anyone physically, emotionally, and psychologically. But how does traumatic stress trigger hair loss?

Vitamin and Mineral Absorption

Proper vitamin and mineral absorption is important to make metabolic processes possible. When the body is under stress, however, the absorption of vitamins and minerals changes in a way it can cause shock to the hair follicles. Stress factors constrict the small blood vessels in the hair follicles, thereby causing malnutrition to the latter.

Prolactin and Testosterone Production

The hormone prolactin in women usually increases when stress levels increase. Prolactin is a hormone that may assist in the production of testosterone which is the core of hair loss. Testosterone is converted into dihydrotestosterone (DHT), the most common cause of hair loss, through the enzyme 5-alpha reductase.

Stress Hormones

Although cortisol reduces stress levels, its overproduction and underproduction in the adrenal glands can lead to hair loss. Corticotrophin-releasing hormone (CRH) is another stress hormone that can trigger hair loss. When the body is under stress, CRH stimulates the sebaceous glands to produce excessive sebum,  a hair loss–causing agent.

Fortunately, telogen effluvium is only temporary so treatment is not really necessary at all. But when its physical damages are unbearable, there are a lot of hair loss treatment techniques such as topical minoxidil, laser treatment, or herbal medicine which can help.

Basically, relieving stress is the direct approach to the condition. Exercise and relaxation lower stress levels, apart from being beneficial to the body in a lot of ways.

Drug-Based Approach

Minoxidil, spironolactone, and finasteride are common drug-based approaches for hair loss.

Minoxidil works to improve the blood circulation to the scalp, thereby inducing hair growth. However, it doesn’t remove the cause of the condition. Men and women can receive minoxidil but in different concentrations.

Spironolactone is considered as the king of anti-androgens but is only mostly prescribed to women due to its feminizing effects. Spironolactone is to women while finasteride is to men.

Finasteride is the most popular hair loss pill, only prescribed to men. It blocks the production of DHT, the main cause of hair loss.

Nonsurgical Hair Restoration

Laser treatment for hair loss uses low level laser that has been proven to produce several benefits to the living cells. Through biostimulation, laser treatment improves the blood circulation to the scalp, thereby increasing the nutrients to the hair follicles. Laser treatments involve no medication and has no side effects.

Surgical Hair Restoration

For severe cases of hair loss, hair restoration is the best answer. When the hair follicles are entirely dead, they can no longer respond to treatment, so they will need to be replaced. Although hair restoration cannot be all-perfect, it can still produce natural-looking results but at a huge price.

Additionally, it is not entirely a long-lasting solution since transplanted hairs can degrade and thus, prone to breakage overtime.

Alternative Medicine

According to Chinese medicine, hair loss occurs because of poor nutrition and of liver and kidney dysfunctions. Practitioners advise using He Shou Wu, Dabao, and Gotu Kola herbal tonics that are also known to improve the body’s blood circulation.

Ayurvedic remedies for baldness are based on the constitutional makeup of a person. Herbs used in Ayurveda include bhringaraj, brahmi, ashwagandha, and amla.

Saw palmetto is the main ingredient of some hair loss treatments. Because it contributes to prostate health, it is believed to block the formation of DHT without interfering with any androgen activity. Basically, it works like finasteride but without the side effects.

Female hair loss is characterized by a long-term diffuse hair thinning. Trichologists reported that the most common causes are mineral deficiencies. By looking at other signs and symptoms, running blood tests, and conducting mineral analysis, trichologists can specify the deficiency.

The most common deficiency is iron followed by other minerals — zinc, calcium, magnesium, and chromium.

Iron plays a significant role in hair growth. Iron assists in the production of healthy red blood cells and transportation of oxygen to all parts of the body. The hair follicles require adequate nutrients to keep it in good condition for producing healthy hair. The blood contains these essential nutrients.

High copper level is also another problem. In most of the cases, tap water mainly increased the copper content in the body since tap water passes through copper pipes. High copper content can lead to dry hair and hair loss. When the copper level increases, zinc decreases. Zinc is an important mineral for hair growth. In fact, it is a naturally-occurring mineral in the hair.

Poor protein consumption and the deficiency of essential fatty acids can also contribute to diffuse hair loss. Protein is an essential element for hair growth. As a matter of fact, hair is essentially protein. A person who lacks essential fatty acids may experience inflammation and scaling of the scalp and eyebrows.

Treatment for Hair Loss Due to Nutritional Deficiencies

You may have to need the help of a dietitian or a nutritionist to help you with your diet plan. A proper nutrition intake will determine the fate of your hair.

Aside from essential minerals, include vitamins in your diet such as vitamin C, B complex vitamins, and biotin. These vitamins are very beneficial to the hair and its growth.

Reduce your intake of sweets and fatty foods. They can hasten the hair loss process since they increase levels of insulin and insulin-like growth components that are harmful for the hair follicles.

It needs no stressing that nutritional imbalances do not only cause diffuse hair loss but also other serious health conditions such as anemia. Hair loss triggered by nutritional problems is only mostly temporary when there is proper intervention, of course. It may continue in another 3 months even after treatment.