To explore products that I recommend and have shown to also help natural hair growth. Join my VIP club and learn more about a company I have partnered with to increase access to safe and natural hair products, here.

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Healthy hair, skin, and nails are essential for optimum health. We can learn a lot about what we see happening with our hair, skin, and nails with what may be happening on the inside. This article will focus on hair health.

Is hair loss a bad sign?

Normally, we do lose about 50-150 hairs per day. It becomes a cause for concern when there is excessive hair loss or breakage or even more diffuse hair loss. Often there is some trigger leading to the hair loss (UpToDate).

What can trigger hair loss?

Below is a list of the common triggers that lead to hair loss:

• Stress
• Certain medication (lithium, hormones, heavy metals, valproic acid, propanolol, cholesterol-lowering drugs, anticoagulants, colchicine)
• thyroid
• iron deficiency
• significant weight loss
• major illness
• childbirth
• arsenic poisoning
• major psychologic stress
• Poor diet

How can poor diet and digestion lead to hair loss?

With any inflammation occurring in the GI tract anywhere from the stomach to the small intestine it can interfere with the absorption of nutrients needed for hair and skin health. This can lead to nutrient deficiencies and thus hair loss. Most common nutrient deficiencies associated with hair loss is iron, selenium, niacin, fatty acids, vitamin D, zinc, biotin, and Vitamin E (Guo, 2017). Certain medications including PPI’s like Prilosec or Omeprazole can lead to nutrient deficiencies.

With so many possible triggers and the prevalence of the flight or fight “stress” response, it is also important to decrease the toxic burden on the body to also help prevent hair loss and improve overall health. This could be as simple as switching to more natural and safe cosmetics and body products. Products that can help the health of the hair and skin. To lessen the toxic burden on your body and to decrease the likelihood of development of chemical sensitivity or allergens it is best to use safe and natural hair products and other cosmetics. Ideally, products that state their “no list” and are more about promoting health than cheaply made products. Look for brands that use essential oils, are gluten-free, contain no harmful fragrances, colors, sulfates, DEA, parabens, ethanol, phenoxyethanol, or petrochemicals.

 

What are some ingredients that are safe and help to promote healthy hair?

There has been an increase in research and development of products to help rejuvenate hair and for the treatment and prevention of hair loss (as well as be safe and non-toxic). Some compounds to note are Capixyl, Procataline, and Crodasorb. Capixyl is a blend of acetyl tetra peptide-3 and extract from red clover, Trifolium pratense. Red clover contains a phytoestrogen flavonoid, Biochanin A, which can inhibit 5-alpha-reductase which when activated leads to finer hair. Biochanin A can help to promote hair growth (Prospector). Procataline Is a pea extract that is designed to help hair combat the effects of oxidative stress. Studies have shown it may help the scalp to limit hair cell death in stress conditions and preserve hair color. Crodasorb is a patented UV absorber that protects hair from damage by the sun.

 

Strong and healthy hair is not only a sign of internal health but can lead to more self-confidence. When we look good, we feel good about ourselves and are more likely to be confident in our job and our life.

 

So, let your hair shine!

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To explore products that I recommend and have shown to also help natural hair growth. Join my VIP club and learn more about a company I have partnered with to increase access to safe and natural hair products, here.

 

***Please note that if you are experiencing hair loss, please follow-up with your doctor to examine possible causes and get appropriate treatment.***

 

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About the author:

Ellie Heintze, ND, LAc, is a naturopathic doctor, licensed acupuncturist, and author with a private practice in Bothell, WA. She specializes in pain management, migraine prevention, and digestive health. She is also the founder of the Pain Relief Project, a nonprofit acupuncture clinic serving low-income individuals. She is the creator of The Food Allergy Formula, an online course, as well as the author of “A Starting Point Guide to Gluten-Free Living and Healthy Digestion” on Amazon.

 

Sources:

Guo, E. e. (2017). Diet and hair loss: effects of nutrient deficiency and supplement use. Dermatol Pract Concept. , 7 (1), 1.

Monat. (n.d.). The science of Monat. Retrieved Feb 13, 2018, from Monat: https://www.monatglobal.com/the-science-of-monat

Prospector. (n.d.). Capixyl. Retrieved Feb 13, 2018, from Ulprospector: https://www.ulprospector.com/en/na/personalcare/detail/4501/191081/capixyl

UpToDate. (n.d.). Evaluation and diagnosis of hair loss. Retrieved Feb 13, 2018, from UpToDate: https://www.uptodate.com/contents/evaluation-and-diagnosis-of-hair-loss