Friday, August 04, 2006
iN THE MAiL: HAIR LOSS
Dr. Zhang,
I'm currently studying physical therapy. My question is - can you recommend anything that ACTUALLY WORKS for men with thinning hair? I haven't seen my Chinese doctor in a long time, he told me the source was my stomach. "Fix your stomach and you will fix your hair" he told me in his limited English. I am also apparently very heated. I have faith in him but it couldn't hurt to get some further input on the matter.
Here's what I (think I) know about it according to the Chinese school of thought:
-fatty and processed foods are bad for healthy hair growth
-too much sexual activity causes premature balding
-It is directly linked to the kidneys
-coffee is also terrible for someone in my condition
-I also occasionally give my scalp a papaya puree treatment from time to time to "restore the acid mantle of my scalp"
I am only 28 and I really think I'll lose it if I go bald before 40. Should I give up the natural remedies and go for something like propecia? Do I stand a chance? I have to admit, I look around outside and see how many men are losing their hair and it’s not very encouraging. Thanks for taking the time to read this. I hope all is well with your business.
your friend,
Nate
Dear Nate,
I understand your feelings. Hair loss is not even considered an illness but is one of the most common health problems for men. I believe genes are the biggest factor in young age hair loss. Next come stress, skin allergies, parasites and unhealthy diet and lifestyle, such as a frequent consumption of fatty and sugary foods, alcohol and cigarette smoking, all of which lead to nutritional imbalance.
Not all hair loss is hard to restore. If you lost hair due to stress, germs, allergies, viruses or a nervous system disorder you may regain it with proper treatment. Sometimes hair will even re-grow by itself after the problems are fixed.
In traditional Chinese medicine it is believed hair is nourished by blood and jing. Jing is the basic matter of life which formed during the time of sperm and egg fertilization. Jing is stored in the kidneys (which are thought of as jing organs). On the other hand, the liver is viewed as a blood organ. It is believed that when the body is calm, blood flows into the liver. Conversely, when the body is active, blood flows out of the liver. When the liver is not healthy, that results in blood deficiency or heat in the blood. Hair will lack nutrients and will lose its roots when there is heat in the blood. Traditional Chinese medicine theorizes that hair loss is directly linked to the kidney and liver functions. And because jing and blood are nourished by food, it follows that the stomach and a healthy digestion also become factors in hair loss.
Please note that Traditional Chinese medicine has a history of over five thousands years and its theory is based on ancient Chinese philosophy. The terminology regarding liver and kidney in Chinese medicine is not exactly the same as the one in modern medicine. In Chinese medicine, each organ holds a group of body functions and any kind of dysfunction in the body can be linked back to a certain organ. In other words, the terms for specific organs in Chinese medicine are used to refer more to functions rather than the actual physical organs. This means that people who lose their hair do not necessarily have liver or kidney disease.
You can do many things to help stop, slow down, postpone or prevent hair loss. Acupuncture directly promotes blood flow to the top of the head. Some herbs such as Red Sage and Paeonia suffruticosa are good for reducing the heat in the blood. Other herbs such as Honeysuckle flowers and Forsythia are good for cleaning parasites and germs. Herbs such as Polygonum and Angelica are good for nourishing the blood. Semen Cuscutae Chinensis and Radix Morindae Officinalis are good for promoting healthier kidney function.
There are plenty of old and new remedies out there. Many herbal and pharmaceutical medications actually claim to help stop and prevent hair loss. In reality, few of them are effective or only work to a certain degree. Of course, when you look for hair growth products, you should do some research first to make sure that the products will do what they actually claim they’ll do and that they are safe.
Yours and Dedicated to Your Health,
Dr. Zhang
Dr. Zhang,
I'm currently studying physical therapy. My question is - can you recommend anything that ACTUALLY WORKS for men with thinning hair? I haven't seen my Chinese doctor in a long time, he told me the source was my stomach. "Fix your stomach and you will fix your hair" he told me in his limited English. I am also apparently very heated. I have faith in him but it couldn't hurt to get some further input on the matter.
Here's what I (think I) know about it according to the Chinese school of thought:
-fatty and processed foods are bad for healthy hair growth
-too much sexual activity causes premature balding
-It is directly linked to the kidneys
-coffee is also terrible for someone in my condition
-I also occasionally give my scalp a papaya puree treatment from time to time to "restore the acid mantle of my scalp"
I am only 28 and I really think I'll lose it if I go bald before 40. Should I give up the natural remedies and go for something like propecia? Do I stand a chance? I have to admit, I look around outside and see how many men are losing their hair and it’s not very encouraging. Thanks for taking the time to read this. I hope all is well with your business.
your friend,
Nate
Dear Nate,
I understand your feelings. Hair loss is not even considered an illness but is one of the most common health problems for men. I believe genes are the biggest factor in young age hair loss. Next come stress, skin allergies, parasites and unhealthy diet and lifestyle, such as a frequent consumption of fatty and sugary foods, alcohol and cigarette smoking, all of which lead to nutritional imbalance.
Not all hair loss is hard to restore. If you lost hair due to stress, germs, allergies, viruses or a nervous system disorder you may regain it with proper treatment. Sometimes hair will even re-grow by itself after the problems are fixed.
In traditional Chinese medicine it is believed hair is nourished by blood and jing. Jing is the basic matter of life which formed during the time of sperm and egg fertilization. Jing is stored in the kidneys (which are thought of as jing organs). On the other hand, the liver is viewed as a blood organ. It is believed that when the body is calm, blood flows into the liver. Conversely, when the body is active, blood flows out of the liver. When the liver is not healthy, that results in blood deficiency or heat in the blood. Hair will lack nutrients and will lose its roots when there is heat in the blood. Traditional Chinese medicine theorizes that hair loss is directly linked to the kidney and liver functions. And because jing and blood are nourished by food, it follows that the stomach and a healthy digestion also become factors in hair loss.
Please note that Traditional Chinese medicine has a history of over five thousands years and its theory is based on ancient Chinese philosophy. The terminology regarding liver and kidney in Chinese medicine is not exactly the same as the one in modern medicine. In Chinese medicine, each organ holds a group of body functions and any kind of dysfunction in the body can be linked back to a certain organ. In other words, the terms for specific organs in Chinese medicine are used to refer more to functions rather than the actual physical organs. This means that people who lose their hair do not necessarily have liver or kidney disease.
You can do many things to help stop, slow down, postpone or prevent hair loss. Acupuncture directly promotes blood flow to the top of the head. Some herbs such as Red Sage and Paeonia suffruticosa are good for reducing the heat in the blood. Other herbs such as Honeysuckle flowers and Forsythia are good for cleaning parasites and germs. Herbs such as Polygonum and Angelica are good for nourishing the blood. Semen Cuscutae Chinensis and Radix Morindae Officinalis are good for promoting healthier kidney function.
There are plenty of old and new remedies out there. Many herbal and pharmaceutical medications actually claim to help stop and prevent hair loss. In reality, few of them are effective or only work to a certain degree. Of course, when you look for hair growth products, you should do some research first to make sure that the products will do what they actually claim they’ll do and that they are safe.
Yours and Dedicated to Your Health,
Dr. Zhang
