SCOPE OF HOMEOPATHIC TREATMENT IN HAIR LOSS

Dr Rangadhar satapathy. BHMS,D.Hon E mail- multicare.homeo@yahoo.com Your Hair A single hair consists of a hair shaft (the part that shows), a root below the skin, and a follicle, from which the hair root grows. Hair is made of a type of protein called keratin. Most people lose about 50 to 100 head hairs a day. These hairs are replaced they grow back in the same follicle on your head. This amount of hair loss is totally normal and no cause for worry. If you're losing more than that, though, something might be wrong. Different Phase of Hair Growth Cycle Anagen Phase it is long growing phase of hair cycle followed by catagen phase Catagen Phase it is the short transitional apoptotic phase followed by telogen phase Telogen Phase it is the short resting phase followed by exogen phase Exogen Phase at the end of telogen phase the hair starts falling out that is called exogen phase. Causes of Hair Fall A single hair consists of a hair shaft (the part that shows), a root below the skin, and a follicle, from which the hair root grows. Hair is made of a type of protein called keratin. Most people lose about 50 to 100 head hairs a day. These hairs are replaced they grow back in the same follicle on your head. This amount of hair loss is totally normal and no cause for worry. If you're losing more than that, though, something might be wrong. Alopecia and hair falling have multifaceted etiological factors. It is normal to lose between 50-100 hairs a day, this is part of the hair renewal process. However most people suffer from excessive hair loss at one time in their life. There are many reasons for hair loss. Many of these causes are temporary and a few are permanent. These are some of the more common reason for hair loss are: Stress: Physical or mental stress can cause temporary hair loss. The reason for this is that the hair follicles enter the telogen phase prematurely, this causes them to stop growing new hairs and to shed hairs. Drugs:Many drugs can also cause hair loss. Here are some drugs which may cause hair loss - Anti cancer drugs, Epilepsy drugs, anti-acne drugs, Lipid-lowering drugs (clofibrate, bezafibrate), ACE inhibitors for blood pressure, Drugs for treating gout , Anti malarials (chloroquine) Skin disorders: Some disorders of the skin, for example psoriasis, tinea infection, lichen planus on scalp may cause hair loss. Aging: Hair loss increases likelihood increases with age. By 35, 40% of men have noticeable hair loss, while by 60 65% do. Also elderly hair tends to be more thin and fine giving more of an appearance of hair loss.

Hormonal: Since hormones both stimulate hair growth and cause hair loss, hormonal changes by far have the biggest impact on hair loss. These can affect both men and women. Men generally have hair loss concentrated in a specific pattern from the front through to the crown. Women tend to have thinning throughout their head without being in any specific pattern. This type of hair loss is caused by the androgen DHT, or Dihydrotestosterone. Since everyone has DHT that is produced by their bodies and only some people suffer from hair loss there has to be another factor involved. This other factor is having follicles that have a greater number of Androgen receptors for the DHT to attach to. This is the component that is inherited through the genes. Deficiency in Diet: If iron in the body is low then this may cause hair loss also, this is generally more a problem with women. Some people who go on low protein diets, or have severely abnormal eating habits, may develop protein malnutrition. To help save protein the body shifts growing hair into the resting phase. If this happens massive amounts of hair shedding can occur two to three months later. A sign of this is if the hair can be pulled out by the roots fairly easily. Thyroid problems: Both an overactive thyroid and an underactive thyroid can cause hair loss. Birth control pills: Women who have a genetic predisposition to suffer from Androgenic Alopecia can have it occur at a much younger age by taking birth control pills. The hormonal changes that occur trigger the onset of the Androgenic Alopecia. Trichotillomania or Hair Pulling: Some children and less often adults play with their hair by pulling on it or twisting it. This can be part of a behavioral problem. If the behavior is not stopped permanent hair loss can result from the constant stress on the hair.

ALOPECIA Alopecia can be divided into two varieties I) Focal hair loss II) Diffused hair loss. It can be focal or diffused hair loss with the presence or absent of scarring Classification Non-scarring diffuse hair loss Anagen phase disorder the growing phase of hair cycle is disrupted by some agent Chemo therapy Poisoning mercury ,thallium , boric acid Radiation Homeopathy treatment will give very good result in this type of hair fall. The proper homeopathy treatment can be helpful to neutralize the toxic effects of various drugs on hair follicle. A right homeopathy treatment can accelerate the bodys auto detoxification process, thus will be helpful to fix the problem at its root level. The percentage of cure rate in this type of hair falling is MAXIMUM Androgenic alopecia or male/female pattern of alopecia is a hereditary disorder. In this type of baldness any type of treatment including homeopathy treatment will not be so much helpful except hair transplant. In this type of hair fall the cure percentage is MINIMAL Cause Scope of Homeopathy

Androgenic alopecia male pattern or female pattern alopecia

Androgen hormone Hereditary Pathological Hyperandrogenism

Congenital

Congenital hair loss

As it is congenital in nature so the homeopathy treatment will not give expected result The cure percentage is MINIMAL in this type of hair loss In this type of hair loss you can find multifaceted etiological factor. A proper homeopathy treatment can be proved very effective in this type of hair fall. The toxic effects of various drugs which are one of the causes of hair follicles destruction can be neutralizing by homeopathy treatment. The various hormonal disorders responsible for the hair loss can be effectively treated with proper homeopathy treatment. The various stress factor both of physical and psychological which are one cause of hair loss can be well treated by our both constitutional and clinical homeopathy. So In this type the percentage of cure rate is MAXIMUM

Telogen phase disorder more and more hairs get into resting phase

Drugs Chemotherapy agent Oral contraceptive ACE inhibitor Beta blocker Antithyroid drugs Anti seizure drugs Anti coagulant drugs Lithium Hormonal disorder Hyper and hypo thyroidism Menopausal Nutritional deficiency Stress

Non-scarring focal hair loss Alopecia areata Auto immune disorder This type the hair loss is due to the auto immune reaction. In any auto immune disorder including alopecia areata homeopathy can be helpful if treated in a proper systematic way. Here in this type of hair loss the percentage of cure is MODERATE This type of hair loss is occurred due to tinea infection. Homeopathy has a very good fame in treating al tinea infection. Thus in this type of hair loss or alopecia problem Homeopathy will be proved very beneficial. So In this type the cure percentage is MAXIMUM Here the cause should be avoided. With addition to that if treated with homeopathy the success rate is maximum. So in this type of alopecia the percentage of cure rate is MAXIMUM In hair loss due to hair pulling, twisting the cause should be avoided and with addition of homeopathy treatment can give a very good result. In lipedematous alopecia the subcutaneous fatty layer get thickened and diffuse hair loss occurred. With proper homeopathy treatment it can be cured completely. In Hair shaft abnormalities a patient complains of hair breakage rather than the hair falling out at the roots, one may be dealing with a shaft problem.

Tinea capitis

Microsporum audouinii Microsporum canis Trichophyton schoenleinii Trichophyton tonsurans

Traction Alopecia

Traction from rollers, ponytails

Others

Hair shaft abnormalities Hair loss due to hair pulling, twisting (tricotillomania) Lipedematous alopecia Secondary syphilis

The most common cause of a hair shaft abnormality or hair fragility is trichorrhexis nodosa, with node-like swellings through which the shaft readily fractures. This usually appears as a result of trauma. A proper homeopathy treatment can regain back the hair texture by treating the cause of hair fragility. During the course of treatment the nodular swelling on hair shaft can be permanently removed. So here in over all the cure percentage is MAXIMUM Scarring focal hair loss Folliculitis decalvans Folliculitis over scalp area that turn to fibrosis in course of time The Folliculitis if treated at the beginning stage with proper homeopathy can prevent the follicles from fibrosis. Here the cure percentage is very good. But once the fibrosis developed there is minimal chance of cure by any treatment. So in the beginning stage the cure percentage is MAXIMUM, but in later stage where fibrosis has already developed the cure percentage is MINIMAL. Follicular hyperkeratosis is characterized by excessive development of keratin in hair follicles, resulting in rough, cone-shaped, elevated papules whose openings are often closed with a white plug of sebum. It can be caused by vitamin A deficiency or chronic exposure to arsenic. With proper homeopathy treatment it can be corrected permanently before scarring developed. With addition to that a balanced nutritional habit of natural fruits and green leafy vegetables will be very helpful So here the percentage of cure is MAXIMUM in beginning stage before scarring occurred Tufted hair folliculitis is a progressive pattern of scarring alopecia. Its characteristic feature is the presence of groups of 10-15 hairs emerging from a single follicular opening. The cause of this disorder is unknown. It is probable that tufted hair folliculitis represents an advanced stage of follicular injury seen in several types of scarring alopecia. Here the homeopathy treatment may help if treated with constitutional way of homeopathy treatment. The cure rate depends from person to person So here the percentage of cure can be MODERATE.

Discoid lupus of the scalp

Follicular hyperkeratosis, atrophy and scarring present

Tufted folliculitis

This can occur after scarring alopecia of any cause. Fibrosis of the follicles can cause tortional changes so that more than one hair can grow from the follicle

Secondary scarring alopecia

Burns Radiation Sarcoidosis Skin cancer Trauma Lichen planus of the scalp

In secondary scarring alopecia where the hair follicle has been totally or partially destroyed can not be regenerated by any sort of treatment except hair transplant. So here the cure percentage is VERY MINIMAL Here the cause of hair loss is lichen planus over scalp. It is thought to be due to an abnormal immune reaction. Follicular lichen planus, also known as lichen planopilaris, results in tiny red spiny papules around a cluster of hairs. Homeopathy has immune modulatory effect. So any disorder arising from abnormal immune reaction can be well treated with proper homeopathy medicines and thus in lichen planus homeopathy has a very good cure percentage. So here the percentage of cure rate is MAXIMUM.

Follicular lichen planus

HOMEOPATHIC TREATMENT Treatment of alopecia or hair loss is directly related to its cause. A healthy hair follicle can produce a healthy hair. So in regards to treatment of hair loss or alopecia the treatment which treats the causative ailments can give a long standing and established result. A proper homeopathy treatment can be proved most beneficial for the treatment of any type of hair loss as homeopathy treats the root cause of any health disorders. Hair loss due to any mental and physical stress can be well treated by proper homeopathy treatment as homeopathy medicines gives good impact on psychological and spiritual level thus helps to maintain a healthy mental condition and indirectly regulate to maintain a healthy balance of stress hormones in our body. Over secretion of stress hormones can put bad impact over the hair follicles. Many drugs like anti cancer drugs (chemo therapy) and so many other drugs have strong side effects on the body including hair follicles. So they destroy the healthy atmosphere of the hair follicles and cause the immature massive hair loss. A proper homeopathy treatment can neutralize the toxic effects of those strong chemical drugs and also helps to accelerate the bodys auto detoxification process thus can be proved beneficial to check such type of drug induced hair loss. The homeopathy treatment not only check the hair loss ailments but also treats the person as a whole so make the person healthy as well. Many health disorders likes tinea infection on scalp, lichen planus of scalp, psoriasis can causes hair loss. A proper homeopathy treatment can cure such diseases permanently and as well helps to treat the hair fall effectively. The important point in homeopathy treatment that it treats the person as a whole so make the person healthy not only to any specific body part but to the whole person and more over without giving any drug side effects. But homeopathy does not have any specific medicines for any specific ailments. The medicines are selected on totality of symptoms basis. So a well qualified and experienced homeopath can give a better treatment for any health issues. Some women after child birth or during approach of menopause experiences of massive hair fall result from hormonal changes. Any hormonal treatment in those cases will not give the satisfactory results to check the hair loss. But well selected homeopathy medicines in this case not only be able to check the hair loss problem but also be helpful to cure all other associated problems as well.

In addition to a good homeopathy treatment a healthy nutrition habit is also highly required for a healthy hair and hair follicle. A low protein and iron deficient diet can make your hair weak and thin. So a well balanced natural diet is strongly advisable for healthy hairs