Hair loss can be absolutely devastating for self image and emotional well-being which can have a significant effect on the quality of life. How distressing when looking at handful of hair on hand after washing or brushing hair.
In traditional Chinese medicine(TCM), hair loss is often caused by kidney deficiency, blood deficiency or staying up late. Chinese medicine help you to prevent hair loss with 4 tricks, including homemade natural shampoo, diet hair care, acupoint massage and Qixing acupuncture. If you’re struggling with hair loss and looking for remedies you can use at home, try these 4 tips.
How TCM view at hair loss
There are three main reasons on hair loss in view of TCM:
- Wind heat
Most of the reasons for hair loss in young people are staying up late. Thus,the scalp can not get enough nutrients due to virtual fire on the body caused by shift work sleep disorder (SWSD).
- Insufficiency of kidney qi
As getting older, the kidney qi begin to decline and hair become thinner. Chinese medicine believe “kidney qi declines, hair falls off, and hair turns white early”. Young couple consume “Kidney Essence” due to excessive sexual activities, leading to hair loss.
- Blood deficiency
“Hair is the sign of blood condition,” hair loss due to blood deficiency occurs commonly in women. They may lose significant amount of hair loss,if there was heavy bleeding during the period or excessive blood loss after childbirth.
Tip 1: Natural homemade shampoo
Internal and external factors can cause heavy hair loss,such as kidney deficiency,staying up late and improper shampoo. Shampoos on the market generally contain chemical additives, especially cheap products, which not only irritate the scalp, but also affect hair growth and damage the hair roots.
Natural homemade shampoo never damage hair,but also can improve hair loss from the root cause. Based on the three causes of hair loss, the following natural homemade shampoo formulations are recommended:
- Heat-clearing Shampoo
People with hair lose due to staying up late and wind-heat are prone to have oily scalp. They can use some Chinese herbs to clear heat and cool blood to wash their hair.
Shampoo formula: Arborvitae(侧柏叶),chrysanthemum(菊花),Eclipta(旱莲草), Ligustrum lucidum(女贞子), mulberry bark(桑白皮).
- Kidney-tonifying shampoo
People with kidney deficiency can use shampoo with of kidney-tonifying herbs, such as Polygonum multiflorum, mulberry seeds, etc. These herbs with a jet-black color is like natural hair dyes which can make the hair darker and brighter.
Shampoo formula: Polygonum multiflorum(何首乌), mulberry(桑椹子), raspberry(覆盆子), black sesame(黑芝麻), Polygonatum(黄精).
- Replenishing-blood Shampoo
People with blood deficiency can use shampoo with herbs that nourish yin and nourish blood.
Shampoo formula: Angelica(当归), Chuanxiong(川芎), Angelica(白芷), Chixueteng(鸡血藤), Salvia(丹参).
How to use: when making the shampoo at home, firstly take the same amount of the above medicinal materials and mix it with water in the ratio of 1:100. Then, boil over high heat first and turn to medium heat for half an hour.
After the liquid has cooled down, apply a sufficient amount on the hair, soaking all the hair. Then wrap your head with a hot towel, put on a shower cap, and let the hot air fumigate your hair in the towel to help the herbs absorb. After 20 minutes, wash off with water. If you keep washing for four weeks, you will find less hair loss and better hair quality.
Tip 2: To eat hair–nourishing food to treat hair loss
In addition to natural shampoo, it should adjust the diet to improve wind-heat, kidney deficiency and blood deficiency.
- Heat-clearing and hair-nourishingdiet
According to TCM, people who lose hair due to staying up late or wind-heat usually have poor liver and gallbladder.The best working time for the liver and gallbladder meridians is between 11:00 pm to 3:00 pm. The detoxify function of the liver and gallbladder can be damaged, which leads to the waste accumulation in the body,if you stayed up late.
It is commended to eat fresh fruits and vegetables that help your body detoxify, and to drink heat-toxin clearing tea such as chrysanthemum tea, mulberry tea, dandelion tea, etc. In addition, it need to get rid of the bad habit of staying up and go to bed before 11 pm.
- Kidney–nourishing diet
Kidney-nourishing foods are divided into four categories:
Black food: black sesame seeds, black beans, and mulberries, they can be used to make tea or snacks.
Foods of “You are what you eat”: kidney-shaped beans and fruits, such as cashew nuts, or animal kidneys, such as pork kidneys, beef kidneys, etc.
Bones: the kidneys govern the bones and produce marrow, and the bones can nourish the kidneys.Pork bones with a lot of bone marrow can be used to make soup.
Tails: pig tail, ox tail. People who have excessive sexual activities should exercise restraint and preserve the kidney essence.
- Blood–nourishing diet
These food can nourish blood such as red dates,longan, mulberry, spinach, beef, etc. People with blood deficiency should drink silkie chicken soup. There is another type of food that nourish Qi that cannot be missing.
Many people eat a lot of blood-enriching food, but the problem of hair loss remain the same because of lack of Qi. “Qi is the commander of blood”, which promotes the operation of blood. When both Qi and bloodis are replenished, the effect will be obvious, such food as Chinese yam, japonica rice, Codonopsis, Taizishen,and Astragalus.
In addition to hair loss, gray hair associated with kidney deficiency and blood deficiency can be improved by the same shampoo and diet.
Tips 3: To massage acupuncture points on head to prevent hair loss
Acupressure massage is also a very useful method to prevent hair loss. Using the numbers on the diagram below, learn how acupressure in each of these areas can help reduce hair loss and promote new growth.
Acupressure is a centuries old practice that can improve your immune system and circulation through the massage and stimulation of pressure points. In regards to hair loss, acupressure’s positive effect on blood circulation can increase blood flow to your scalp which can subsequently revitalize the area, control baldness, and promote new hair growth.
Head acupuncture points:
(1) Wangu (GB12)
Calm the mind and reduce stress to reduce hair loss.
Press gently for about 1 minute between the lateral end of the eyebrow and the outer canthus of the eye. You can also press in a circular motion with finger.
(2) Taiyang (EXTRA 5/M-HN-9)
Encourage hair growth and/or improve headache pain.
Use your thumb or forefinger and apply pressure to the zone at the anterior 1/3 of the skull. You can also apply pressure in a circular motion with finger.
(3) Fengchi (GB20)
Improve blood circulation to the neck/head/scalp.
Use your thumb or forefinger to apply pressure to the area behind your earlobe, near the base of the skull, either constant pressure or in a circular motion with finger.
(4) Baihui (GV20)
Improve blood circulation in the head.
Press gently on the acupressure point at the top of your head for about 1 minute. Release your finger for about 30 seconds, and repeat the process for few times.
The whole massage takes about 10 minutes to make the scalp slightly warm.
Tips 4: Seven-star acupuncture – treatment of alopecia areata and receding hairline
The seven-star needle, also known as the plum blossom needle, has a long needle handle, and the head at one end of the needle handle is equipped with several small needles, which are shaped like plum blossoms.
Seven-star needles are often used to treat hair loss. Especially for men with the back of the forehead and the hairline, or the appearance of alopecia areata, they can be treated with seven-star acupuncture.”Insist on doing it for one month, and none of the patients I have seen did not grow hair.” Chinese doctors said.
How to use: first disinfect the needle with alcohol, and then tap lightly on the scalp where hair loss occurs, with moderate force, until the scalp is slightly flushed and hot. Then rub a little safflower oil on it.
The principle of seven-star acupuncture is the same as combing hair and acupoint massage, both of which stimulate and strengthen the blood circulation. But the stimulation of the seven-star array is stronger, and the effect is very obvious. It tell the brain that “the scalp force is insufficient here”, and remind every day, the brain will allocate the force to the hair loss area, and the hair will grow naturally.
Note: Be careful not to push too hard to avoid bleeding. If it bleeds, it can be disinfected with an alcohol wipe.
