Hair and homeopathy - part 2

With soaring summer temperatures, sweating and irritability, what could be more depressing than noticing more hair on your brush, in your drain and everywhere around your house?

34-year-old Sunil, a marketing executive, came to us with hair fall since one or two years. He said he had lost almost 25% hair with balding patches at the sides and vertex. He recalled that his father and uncles were in a similar state when they were around 40 years. Sunils lifestyle was quite hectic, with him skipping meals often. Smoking and drinking alcohol were part of his daily routine, with him smoking as many as seven cigarettes a day for the last two or three years. Balding was affecting his confidence and his work performance. With unemployment increasing due to recession, he was apprehensive of losing his job, in which appearance and personality mattered a lot.

Diagnosed to be suffering from Androgenetic Alopecia [AGA], his detailed case history was taken and, on the basis of his symptoms, Lycopodium 200 was prescribed, along with a soya-rich diet. He was advised to modify his lifestyle and quit smoking, if possible. Regular follow-ups saw a marked reduction in his hair fall and maintenance of his condition.

Hair loss can be of more than 40 different types, and nearly 400 lakh men and 200 lakh women suffer from it. In adults, the most common type of hair loss happens to be AGA, a progressive disorder that worsens with age. It manifests typically as a receding hairline and balding over the crown area. A combination of various factors such as hormones [DHT-dihydrotesterone], heredity, smoking, stress and the intake of body-building steroids or creatin is known to cause it. It is also found to be associated with several medical conditions like coronary heart diseases and enlargement of the prostate.

International studies have shown that the ingredients that certain homoeopathic medicines are made from are very useful in hair loss treatment. Homoeopathic medicines like Thuja and Sabal Serrulata act as natural DHT inhibitors and therefore help to control hair loss.

Article by Dr Mukesh Batra
L.C.E.H., F.H.M.A. (U.K.), F.R.S.H. (Med) P.(Lon), M.D.H. (U.S.A.), F.B.I.H.(U.K.)
Published in Times of India on 16 May 2009