Homeopathy treats patchy hair loss safely

Homeopathy treats patchy hair loss safely

Alopecia areata, or patchy hair loss on the scalp, can affect people at any age — from infants to old people. It can also trigger emotional and psychosocial distress. In some cases, it can extend to the eyebrows, eyelashes, facial hair, such as the beard and moustache, and activate bald spots anywhere. It can sometimes progress rapidly, leading to a complete loss of scalp hair in quick time, or limit itself to one small permanent patch.

I often diagnose alopecia areata by way of a physical examination and thorough case-analysis, while looking at every possible angle for its onset. This includes one’s lifestyle and stress, or the use of certain medications. For example, anti-microbials, pain-killers and certain blood-thinning drugs. The condition is also sometimes diagnosed by a history of a preceding illness — for instance, the immune disorder, lupus.

A close examination of the scalp by a homeopath, who is a trained trichologist — trichology is the scientific study of hair and scalp — can, in cases of alopecia areata, reveal a smooth bald patch. In some cases, certain tests may be required to find out the probable cause. This could be blood tests to rule out anaemia, diabetes, lupus and thyroid disorders, or folliscope (PC-based video microscopy) study, which analyses the condition of the scalp and the pattern of hair thinning. This procedure can magnify the hair follicle over 200 times. TrichoScan is another sophisticated test, available at our clinic. It measures and analyses hair loss, with digital imaging. Sometimes, a biopsy may be performed in suspected cases of scarring alopecia areata.

Sakshi (40), an overanxious housewife, with diabetes, presented with thinning of hair and hair fall — a problem she first noticed a year ago. A folliscope study at our clinic revealed an increased number of thinned-out hairs on her scalp, with significant changes in the ratio of thick-to-thin hair. On case-analysis, I found that emotional stress had played a major part in the onset of her diabetes. She also complained of “worried exhaustion.” I prescribed her Acid Phosphoricum, which gradually controlled her hair loss and also stabilised her blood sugar levels. You’d call this the natural, cumulative double-benefit of holistic homeopathic healing.