Effective Natural Solutions for Hair Loss
Hair loss (other than the 50 to 100 hairs that we all lose daily – at any one time, some hairs are dormant, some growing and shedding) has created a multi-million pound industry full of drugs, ‘hair-growth’ shampoos and supplements along with hundreds of thousands of people even undergoing hair transplants.
Over 15 million people in the UK have some type of hair loss. There are many reasons, but you don’t have to resort to chemical ointments or toxic drugs for hair loss.
Male Pattern Baldness
This is typically genetic and affects many men as they age. Around 80% of men experience some kind of hair loss by age 70). The science reason is DHT, a chemical produced by testosterone (which men have more of).
Male pattern baldness nearly always affects the crown of the head and the temples. We don’t care, and love you just the way you are!
Female Pattern Baldness
This is far less common, affecting around 30% of women by age 70. This usually is also hormone-related and tends to happen after menopause.
Again it’s caused by DHT (but because women have less testosterone, it’s less common in females). Unlike in males, female pattern baldness tends to affect the top of the head.
Alopecia
This quite rare condition affects around 100,000 in the UK and is an auto-immune condition when someone loses all their hair (usually also including their eyebrows, eyelashes and body hair).
It’s sometimes genetic but nearly always due to other conditions like lupus, thyroid or other conditions. There are two types of alopecia, one is nearly always incurable, the other has some possible chance of hair regrowth.
Common Reasons for Hair Loss
Traction Alopecia
This is when people scrape their head back into tight ponytails (say ballet dancers or ballroom dancers) leading to temporary baldness at the front hairline. Too much stress is placed on the hairline. It’s important not to do this, as it can lead to permanent hair loss over time.
People with African-American (more brittle) hair can particularly suffer from this condition, due to trends of tight braids and dreadlocks etc.
If you like these styles, ask your hair salon to offer looser styles, shorten the amount of time that you have hair weaves etc, and reduce the use of heat-styling tongs etc. Or cut it off and start again and wear a beautiful Afro style!
Kooshoo (Canada) is a one-time purchase from over the pond, where you can buy organic cotton & rubber hair ties that not only stop plastic waste if they fall off your head down drains, but are 2.5 times stronger than average hair ties, and can cope with very thick hair and man-buns!
Dyed with low-impact colours, just cold wash and lay flat to dry. The scrunchies are also made from organic cotton and rubber (twist Headbands are not biodegradable, they contain spandex).
Stress
A lot of hair loss these days is caused by stressful lifestyles. The science is that feeling stressed can ‘push the hair follicles’ into the resting phase, where they stay on your head before falling out.
The growing hairs slow down, so you may lose up to 300 hairs a day (rather than the average 100) showing thinning hair. This condition can also occur in people who’ve had COVID-19.
Pregnancy
Many women experience hair loss after childbirth, known as postpartum hair loss, due to the hormonal shifts during pregnancy.
Medical Conditions
:Some medications can cause hair loss (the most common types are anti-depressants). So you could ask to be switched to another kind or even better, look at long-term solutions to help deal with depression (lifestyle changes etc) so you can eventually safely come off them, in cooperation with your GP.
Health issues like thyroid problems can directly impact hair health, leading to thinning or loss.
Smoking and Alcohol
Smoking cigarettes can double your chances of early-onset alopecia, mostly thought to be due to increasing free radicals in the body, and removing vitamins and minerals. This can deprive your hair follicles of oxygen (as can drinking excess alcohol). Read our post on how to give up smoking.
It’s common sense that if hair growth supplements can work (due to loading your body with nutrients), using substances that remove these nutrients will have the opposite effect.
Natural Remedies for Hair Loss
A plastic-free comb and hair brush will circulate oils in your scalp, without tearing the hair shaft. Jungle Culture bamboo hairbrush is has a pressured paddle surface and soft bristles to brush hair wet or dry.
There is evidence that massaging your scalp (no oils needed) for around 5 minutes a day can help to stimulate hair follicles, but this should be done in conjunction with the solutions above.
Many natural hair experts believe that modern foaming agents (mostly sodium lauryl sulphate found in nearly all chemist shampoos) can cause brittle hair, due to stripping your scalp of oils.
This can cause hair follicles to eventually die as the ingredient is too harsh (it’s used as engine de-greaser).
Awake Organics Caffeine Shampoo is a water-activated powder containing ingredients to stop hair loss.
Overprocessed hair can cause breakage, especially for permanent dyes of any colour. Obviously the ‘answer’ is to visit the salon for a professional to give hi-lights or low-lights (so you don’t keep dying the same hair strands over and over).
But if you find this too expensive, then at least only use these dyes on the roots or choose a natural hair dye that won’t damage the hair (but you then can’t be blonde!)
Or the other option is to again chop your locks off short and either keep the hair short (if dying hair blonde yourself) or chop it off and then save up to have hi-lights at the salon every few months (some local salons and colleges offer cheap ‘model prices’ for trainees to practice on).
A Sustainable Supplement to Prevent Hair Loss
Feel Hair Support is a sustainable supplement, clinically proven to reduce hair loss in 90 days (not for alopecia or male pattern baldness). Also good to promote thick healthy hair, it’s also vegan, not tested on animals and sold in plastic-free packaging.
Use code partner20 for 20% discount (not bundles or subscriptions). If you do subscribe, sign up for an account to earn discount rewards.
Whether you use our code or the subscription discount, it works out around just over £40 a month (no more than other quality hair health supplements, and more effective).
Consult your GP if you are pregnant/breastfeeding or have any medical condition, before taking this supplement. Store in a cool dark place, away from children and pets.
Just take 1 capsule daily with food, for at least 3 months to see results.
Feel Hair Support is made with Keranat™ (made from plants including millet seeds and lipids from sunflowers, safflower, rosemary and wheat kernels).
It’s the first scientifically proven ingredient to enter the hair bulb to stimulate hair growth, and can also strengthen hair from root to tip.
91% of women taking this supplement noticed a difference, compared to a placebo group. The outstanding results have been validated by 6 years of research, and 2 human clinical trials.
The supplement also contains biotin (vitamin B7), known for helping healthy hair. Thinning hair in women is often associated with lack of this vitamin.
How Long to Feel the Benefits?
It’s important to take Feel Hair Support for at least 3 months. This is because hair on our heads has growth cycles, with everyone losing 50 to 100 hairs a day.
So as the healthy new hair grows and old hairs fall out, you may feel that the supplement is having no effect. But it is!
After 12 weeks of consuming this supplement:
- 85% noticed a decrease in hair loss
- 85% noticed an increase in hair health
- 78% also noticed benefits to nails
Hair Saviour (for hair growth and restoration)
Hair Saviour by DR.VEGAN sets out to support growth, thickness and a healthy sheen using a clean, plant-based formula that suits both women and men.
This multi award-winning supplement combines botanicals, minerals and vitamins chosen to back normal hair growth, root strength and pigmentation. It is made with 14 active ingredients, with four in five users reported it helped. You can search online to find newspaper interviews with hair salons amazed by customer results.
Check with GP before taking supplements, if pregnant/nursing or on other medication (like blood thinners, due to saw palmetto) or supplements. Not for anyone history (or risk) of oestrogen positive breast cancer. Keep away from children and pets.
The strength of Hair Saviour rests on its well-chosen actives. Here is how the standouts contribute.
- AnaGain (Pisum sativum): derived from pea sprouts, rich in phytonutrients. Clinical research on AnaGain shows an improved ratio of active to resting follicles, which translated into a 78% rise in the propensity for hair growth over three months.
- Saw Palmetto (Serenoa repens): widely used to support hair health in adults. It is included to help maintain a healthy scalp and support normal hair maintenance.
- Bamboo Silica and Horsetail: both provide silica, a structural mineral linked with stronger-feeling hair and reduced brittleness.
- MSM: a source of sulphur, an essential element in keratin. It supports the integrity of hair strands.
- Biotin and Folate: support normal hair, skin and nail health, and contribute to energy metabolism and cell division.
- Zinc, Iron, Copper and Iodine: minerals that support normal hair, pigmentation and thyroid function. Copper contributes to normal hair pigmentation. Iron supports normal oxygen transport, which is important for growing tissues.
- Alfalfa: a traditional botanical that provides a natural base of micronutrients.
- Black Pepper: included to help with absorption of certain nutrients.
- After around 4 weeks: many people see less shedding and signs of thinning may drop by about a third.
- By 6 to 8 weeks: you may notice baby hairs at the hairline, stronger nails and hair that feels less brittle and easier to manage.
- At 12 weeks: hair often looks thicker, smoother and glossier. Benefits can extend to healthier-looking skin and nails.
Media feedback has echoed the early gains. Vogue praised the supplement for helping hair look fuller and shinier. That’s Life magazine shared that after five weeks of use, hair looked more voluminous and glossy. Professional approval also counts. Hairdressers have backed its use as part of a holistic hair routine.
