Hairy
Problems
an article by Susun S. Weed
"Dearest
granddaughter, come close and look into my eyes."
Grandmother Growth beckons and her voice grows deeper
and more resonant. "Look deep into my eyes and acknowledge
the beauty there.
"Yes,
my skin is wrinkled. My face is the face of age,
and to many, that is fearful. But my beauty, like
my wise blood, now resides inside of me. Can you
see it? Can you feel it? Can you look beyond the
hair on my chin?" she says grinning, flicking her
fingers under her chin in a most unladylike manner.
"Can
you forgive the places where my scalp shines through?
Can you find the truth of my beauty, the beauty
of age, which is so different from the beauty of
youth?" Her eyes grow fierce, but sparkle with amusement.
"I know you can, for I know how beautiful I am."
Grandmother Growth takes your chin in her strong
hand and looks at you with eyes so intense you fear
you may catch on fire. She commands: "When you look
into your mirror, I ask you to look deep into your
own eyes and to acknowledge your own inner beauty.
"I
know, I know, metamorphosis is changing you and
you don't like it. Like a teenager, you peer and
peer into the looking glass, noting every new wrinkle,
every hair on your face (and other new places).
Counting each grey hair as it grows. Worrying that
your hair seems to fall out by the handful.
"Dear
one, my most precious child, take care, but do not
fret. And do not tell yourself that you are becoming
ugly. I know it is difficult, in fact it may be
one of the most difficult tasks of your menopause,
but you must recast your own opinion of beauty so
that it includes old women who have hairy problems
and live well with them - like you!"
Too much hair (on the chin), too little hair (on
the scalp), falling hair, thinning hair, greying
hair - no matter what the complaint, many women
notice something happening to their hair during
menopause. As hormone levels shift during the menopausal
years, hair responds to the changing hormones by
changing texture, falling out, or by growing in
"odd" places. Here are remedies for those who want
more hair, and for those who want less.
Hair Loss (Alopecia) & Grey Hair
Step 1. Collect information
Menopause does not cause grey hair; taking hormones
doesn't stop it. Greying, thinning hair is a normal
part of aging. Women whose menopause is induced
in their 20s and 30s do not suddenly go grey.
Hair loss at mid-life (androgenic alopecia) is more
strongly linked to genes than diet or lifestyle.
Those of European origins are far more likely to
experience it than Asians, Native Americans, Africans,
or African-Americans. Hair loss starts earlier and
becomes more extreme on men's heads, but just as
many women deal with receding hairlines and balding
patches. Roughly half of all women experience some
hair loss during their menopausal years. Two-thirds
of post-menopausal women deal with thinning hair
or bald spots. And no one likes it. Americans spend
a billion dollars a year trying to regrow their
hair!
Normal hair loss (50-100 hairs a day) is gradual.
Sudden unexplained loss is not normal. Events which
can trigger hair loss include pregnancy, childbirth,
menopause, severe emotional stress, rapid or profound
weight loss, thyroid disorders, pituitary problems,
malnutrition, iron deficiency, lack of protein,
large doses of vitamin A, chemotherapy, radiation,
general anesthesia, chronic illness, scarlet fever,
syphilis, certain medications (see Step 5), and
hair abuse including bleaching, permanents, tight
braids, tight pony tails, tight wigs, and tight
hats.
(The National Alopecia Areata Foundation, 710 C
St, Ste 11, San Rafael, CA 94901 (415-456-4644)
can help you contact a local hair loss support group,
and gather more information.)
Step 2. Engage the energy
Homeopathic remedies for women with hair loss include:
Lycopodium: loss precipitated by hormonal
fluctuations.
Sepia: especially for menopausal women who
have sweaty flushes and heavy bleeding
Phosphoric acid: loss after grief or extreme
emotion, accompanied by exhaustion.
Step 3. Nourish and tonify
Infusion of stinging nettle, 2-4 cups a day,
strengthens hair and checks falling hair with its
superb supplies of protein, B vitamins, vitamin
E, iron, and other minerals. Regular use restores
thickness, body, shine and sheen to hair. If you
have any infusion left over, pour it on your head
and rub it into your scalp for faster results.
"Every grey hair represents a day with too
few minerals," a wise woman said to me. Actually,
the color of hair is produced by special cells which
gradually die as we age. But it is true that hair
is loaded with minerals, and getting extra minerals
may keep those color cells alive longer. To increase
my mineral intake, and keep my hair healthy, I eat
more yogurt, drink more nourishing herbal infusions,
prepare more mineral-rich soups, use more herbal
vinegars, and increase the amount of seaweed in
my diet.
Lack of minerals, especially iron, can cause
hair loss. Yellow dock is one of my favorite iron-tonics.
Natural hair dyes can cure the grey blahs.
Henna (Lawsonia inermis) is a plant that is easily
purchased ready-to-use to change the color of your
hair, and you are not limited to carrot-top red.
So long as it is not overused (less than four times
a year) henna is strengthening to the scalp and
hair.
Other natural hair dyes include coffee, black walnut
hulls, or infusions of sage or rosemary herb.
Herbalist Amanda McQuade Crawford suggests
using lemon balm or lemon grass infusion as a hair
rinse to prevent hair loss.
v Burdock seed oil, one of the best selling
hair tonics in Russia, is especially recommended
for those with thinning hair or hair loss. Apply
to your hair and scalp, leave on overnight and shampoo
it out the following day. Repeat as needed.
Just plain olive oil is also a tremendous
hair tonic. So is jojoba oil. Apply a handful of
either to hair and scalp, wrap well and leave on
overnight, washing it out the next morning.
I know you know, but let me say it again,
exercise! Yes, it can make your hair healthier too.
Step 4. Sedate/Stimulate
While some temporary loss of hair at menopause
is considered normal, something worse may be brewing.
Thin, dry hair is one of the first signs of an underactive
thyroid. Hair loss is also an early sign of lupus,
an autoimmune disease.
Chugging down a gulp of cod liver oil or wheat germ
oil every day for six weeks could help your hair.
Menopause sends lots of energy to the crown
of your head. That can overstimulate the scalp and
cause hair loss (and/or headaches). Get your energy
moving with a scalp massage. Let your head calm
down and your hair cool off.
Blow dryers, dyes, perms, and other harsh
treatments damage hair and scalp. Rosemary essential
oil, a few drops rubbed into the scalp several times
a week, repairs the damage, increases hair growth,
and improves hair texture.
Other essential oils which improve hair growth and
reduce hair loss include lavender oil, lemon oil,
thyme oil, sage oil, and carrot seed oil. You can
mix 10-20 drops of any of these into 4 ounces of
plain olive oil, infused burdock seed oil, or jojoba
oil. Other essential oils said to reduce hair loss
include birch, calendula, chamomile, cypress, rose,
and yarrow.
Avoid chlorinated water on your hair. A shower
filter is more important than a drinking water filter.
And cut down on the number of times you wash your
hair. Once every 5-10 days is ideal for healthy
hair.
Avoid cayenne. Heroic herbalists say it increases
hair growth by improving blood circulation to the
scalp. But when there is hair loss, says Janet Roberts
MD, specialist in women's hair loss and member of
the Oregon Menopause Network, there are inflamed
follicles. Cayenne increases inflammation, ultimately
increasing hair loss.
Step 5a. Use supplements
Dry, brittle, thin hair is often due to a
deficiency in one or more of these nutrients: protein,
vitamin A, vitamin B12, vitamin C, iron, zinc, essential
fatty acids. Food and herbal sources of these nutrients
are preferable to pills.
Avoid hair weaving, a cosmetic treatment
that weaves replacement hair in with the still existing
hair; it actually causes more loss (by creating
traction alopecia).
Step 5b. Use drugs
Hair loss can be caused by drugs, including:
birth control pills, anticoagulants, diet pills,
thyroid medications; non-steroidal anti-inflammatory
drugs including aspirin, ibuprofen, and Aleve; cholesterol-lowering
drugs such as clofibrate and gemfibrozil; arthritis
medications such as gold salts (auranofin), indomethacin,
naproxen, sulindac, and methotrexate; beta-blockers
such as atenolol (Tenormin), metoprolol (Lopressor),
nadolol (Corgard), propranolol (Inderal), and timolol
(Blocadren); and ulcer drugs such as cimetidine
(Tagamet), ranitidine (Zantac), and famoridine (Pepcid).
And, of course, chemotherapy.
Minoxidil (Rograine) dilates blood vessels,
encouraging baby-fine hair. Only the 2% solution
is approved for women. Of those who use it only
19% achieve even moderate regrowth; 40% have minimal
regrowth. Meanwhile, 40% of the women using the
placebo had regrowth! CAUTION: Side effects in women
include unwanted hair growth on the face, heart
disturbances, and dizziness.
Fertile women are not allowed to use (or
even touch) finasteride (Propecia) for fear of the
severe birth defects it causes. This is probably
a blessing in disguise, as the side-effects (loss
of libido, lip swelling, breast engorgement, birth
defects) are not pleasant. Finasteride is completely
ineffective in reversing hair loss for postmenopausal
women. Tell your men friends a dose of 0.2 mg (one-fifth
the normal dose) works just as well, costs less
($10 a month instead of $50), and is gentler on
the liver.
Hormones, including ERT, HRT, birth control
pills, and anti-androgens (cypoterone acetate, spironolactone,
and fluramide) are used singly or in combination
to treat women with androgenic alopecia.
Step 6. Break and enter
Hair transplants can cover a bald spot but
are far less successful on women than on men. Micrografts
do a better job of dealing with women's diffuse
pattern of hair loss.
"Scalp lifts" tighten the scalp, making hair
appear thicker and fuller.
Hirsutism/Too Much Hair
Step 0. Do nothing
A few brazen souls just grin and bear it. Seriously,
does anyone else notice that extra hair? Ask a few
people who will tell you the truth. Perhaps you
are making a mountain (beard/moustache) out of a
molehill (a couple of extra hairs)?
Step 1. Collect information
It is not at all unusual to find extra hairs growing
on the chin, upper lip, breasts, and legs during
or after menopause. It is thought that menopause
makes some hair follicles more sensitive to testosterone's
hair-promoting effects. However, sudden hair growth
can be caused by a tumor on the ovaries, thyroid,
adrenals, or pituitary.
Step 2. Engage the energy
Visualize a large mirror. Look at yourself in this
mirror. When you see something you don't like, ask
the mirror how you can change. Finish by telling
your image how much you love her. Repeat frequently.
Step 3. Nourish and tonify
Oatstraw infusion tends to increase the activity
of testosterone; increased levels of testosterone
contribute to excess hair growth during menopause.
It's a long shot, but avoiding oats, oatmeal, and
oatstraw infusion may help eliminate or reduce those
extra hairs.
Step 4. Sedate/Stimulate
Natural bleaches, like lemon juice or sunlight
(or both together), are generally safe even for
use on the sensitive skin of the face.
Shaving, plucking, and waxing are minimally
invasive means of removing excess hair. Such means
may increase the rate of hair growth, however, or
make the texture of the hair coarser, or cause hair
follicle inflammation and ingrown hairs.
Step 5b. Use drugs
Hirsutism may be caused by corticosteroids
and medications for high blood pressure. (Rograine
was originally a blood pressure drug.)
Drug treatments - which are 80% successful
according to one MD - include the corticosteroids
prednisone and dexamethasone. Hormones, including
birth-control pills and anti-androgens such as spironolactone,
are occasionally used.
Step 6. Break and enter
Electrolysis is expensive, painful, tedious, must
be done several times over, and can cause scarring.
Most sources advise against home electrolysis.
Legal
Disclaimer: This content is not intended
to replace conventional medical treatment. Any suggestions
made and all herbs listed are not intended to diagnose,
treat, cure or prevent any disease, condition or
symptom. Personal directions and use should be provided
by a clinical herbalist or other qualified healthcare
practitioner with a specific formula for you. All
material on this website/email is provided for general
information purposes only and should not be considered
medical advice or consultation. Contact a reputable
healthcare practitioner if you are in need of medical
care. Exercise self-empowerment by seeking a second
opinion.
Susun Weed
PO Box 64
Woodstock,
NY 12498
Fax: 1-845-246-8081
Visit
Susun Weed at: www.susunweed.com and www.ashtreepublishing.com
For permission to reprint this article, contact
: susunweed@herbshealing.com
Vibrant, passionate,
and involved, Susun Weed has garnered an international
reputation for her groundbreaking lectures, teachings,
and writings on health and nutrition. She challenges
conventional medical approaches with humor, insight,
and her vast encyclopedic knowledge of herbal medicine.
Unabashedly pro-woman, her animated and enthusiastic
lectures are engaging and often profoundly provocative.
Susun is one
of America's best-known authorities on herbal medicine
and natural approaches to women's health. Her four
best-selling books are recommended by expert herbalists
and well-known physicians and are used and cherished
by millions of women around the world. Learn more
at www.susunweed.com
This
article is © copyright Susun
S. Weed 2004 - Republished here with kind permission. |