Natural Therapies For Alopecia
Acupuncture treatments sometimes produce dramatic improvements in alopecia universalis. In successful acupuncture treatment, hair usually returns the same way it fell out, in clumps. it may be necessary to take acupuncture treatments for 6 months to a year to get results. An argument could be made that hair might return on its own during that period, but acupuncture has been used to treat cases in which hair loss has been total for as long as 7 years.
Steroids such as cortisone are often effective but carry the risk of serious side effects, such as lowered immune resistance and weight gain. If you choose to take cortisone injections, a licorice extract called glycyrrhizin will slow the rate at which your body breaks down the cortisone, extending its healing effects but also increasing the risk of side effects.Take 250-500 mg of glycyrrhizin 3 times per day.
Do not use deglycyrrhizinated licorice (DGL), since it does not enhance the effects of steroids. Discontinue the supplement if you observe slow healing of a cut or scrape or unexplained weight gain, or if you develop an infection. Do not take glycyrrhizin if you have high blood pressure.
Many doctors treat alopecia areata with minoxidil. An alternative to minoxidil is diphencyprone (DPC), a chemical also used in developing film. Workers at Kodak found that it caused hair to sprout in unwanted places if they failed to wash after using it. while DCP is not a prescription drug, it is in no way a natural treatment, and applying it requires the use of protective garments and special ventilation under professional supervision.
The advantage of DCP is that hair does not fall out immediately when treatment is discontinued, as is the case with minoxidil. In alopecia universalis (total hair loss), DCP produces cosmetically acceptable results only about 17 percent of the time, but when hair loss is less than 50 percent, DCP is 100 percent effective. Hair typically begins to reappear after 3 months of treatment, but it is sometimes necessary to take the drug for as long as 2 years before hair regrowth occurs.
When hair loss is less than 50 percent, hair restoration typically takes about 10 months. side effects are common, including blistering (45 percent of users), freckling (12 percent), vitiligo (2 percent), and swollen lymph glands (2 percent). Hair that grows back during DCP treatment usually lasts 2-3 years before resumption of treatment is necessary. DCP must be applied weekly to be effective. it is available from dermatologists.
Several treatments attempt to change the immune balance of the scalp by inducing skin allergies, including topical applications of nickel sulfate or primula leaf oil. In this method, irritation to the skin is essential to stimulating hair growth. Small-scale studies suggest this method may help most people with alopecia, but dosages have not been established.
Zinc supplementation does not help most cases of alopecia areata. However, when alopecia follows extreme low-calorie diets or gastroplasty, a surgical shrinking of the stomach to treat obesity, zinc may be very helpful. In one study, all gastroplasty patients who had experienced hair loss regained their hair after taking 200 mg of zinc sulfate 3 times a day for 6 months.
This dosage of zinc is potentially high enough to interfere with the immune system's resistance to infection, so it is essential to treat infections promptly.
Sometimes alopecia areata is a symptom of otherwise-undetected celiac disease. A simple saliva test can tell you whether a gluten-free diet is likely to help symptoms. Laboratory studies with mice suggest that soy foods and soy isoflavone supplements may be helpful in some cases.
