Aromatherapy dates back to the Egyptians and has been used for centuries to treat a variety of bodily conditions. Losing hair causes both women and men anxiety and has generated a multi-million dollar industry. But studies show that inexpensive, home-grown remedies might just be the best answer. Aromatherapy consists of concentrated flower extracts, leaves and roots from different plants that aid regeneration.
This kind of hair loss is referred to in medical terms as Alopecia Areata. It's a patchy kind of baldness thought to be related to an autoimmune disorder. Scottish dermatologists, including Isabelle Hay and colleagues from the Aberdeen Royal Infirmary, ran a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial on 86 people with alopecia using the following essential oils:
These oils were mixed in a carrier oil which was a combination of 3 ml of jojoba and 20 ml of grapeseed oil. The control group received unscented carrier oils alone with no essential oils added.
The oils were massaged into the scalp for a minimum of 2 minutes and a warm towel was wrapped around the head to aid absorption of the oils. Patients were advised to use this technique every night.
Professional photographs of each patient's scalp were taken at baseline, three and seven months. Observed changes over this time period served as the primary outcome measure. Outcomes were also measured by mapping bald patches and severity of alopecia with a four-point scale.
At the end of 7 months the results were impressive: 44% (16 of the 35 patients) had noticeable improvement compared to 15% (6 of 28 patients) in the control or placebo group. The average hair regrowth with the essential oils was 104 square cm compared with nearly zero for those in the control group. (see Hay, Isabelle C., et al. ?Randomized Trial of Aromatherapy: Successful Treatment for Alopecia Areata.? Arch. Dermatol. 1998; 134:1349)
Is 44% response rate worth the effort to try these essential oils? It's important to note that according to the authors of this experiment, this percentage is approximately the same response rate dermatologists expect with standard medical therapies.
The results indicate that aromatherapy is a safe and effective treatment for this kind of hair loss. Trying this alternative treatment is a lot less expensive, requires fewer or no doctor visits and has a lower risk of side effects. So what have you got to lose?
Hair transplant is the most popular cosmetic procedure being followed today. Hair transplantation has the potential to produce the most dramatic change in one's appearance. But again, this should be carried out by a competent and experienced surgeon. The procedure involves removing of tiny particulars of hair from areas where the hair is growing [donor area] and by placing them in areas that are balding.
The physician literally makes a tiny incision into the donor area, generally from the back of the head, and removes follicles, inserting them into the top of the scalp, again with a tiny incision. This may result in minor scarring and infection in the donor area.
This process is quite time-consuming as it requires multiple transplantation sessions. Moreover, it can work out to be expensive. The success of the procedure lies in the quality and quantity of the donor hair. It has been a noted fact that hair transplantation has been more successful on men than in women
Follicular-Unit Extractions:
Follicular-unit extraction is a new type of hair transplant that is helping thousands of men and women today. It is a highly advanced micro-surgery treatment.
Grafting:
The process includes removal of a portion of the hair-bearing scalp from the back of the head and cutting the removed scalp into small segments. This consists of varying amounts of hair in each graft to achieve a thick and natural look with this technique. With each session hundred to thousand hair-bearing segments are transplanted. The donor sites are usually concealed by the surrounding hair. Basically there are three types of grafting:
- Micro grafts contain only 1-2 hairs per graft, - Slit grafts contain between 4 - 10 hairs, and - Punch grafts contain between 10-15 hairs.
Scalp reduction:
Scalp reduction is generally done to cover areas on the top and back of the head and not beneficial for the frontal hairline. This includes the removal of non-hair-bearing skin from the scalp. The surrounding skin is then loosened and stretched so that it fills the bald area of the head. Scalp reduction can reduce as much as half of the bald area.
Lasers and laser combs:
Lasers have been used to successfully treat many dermatological conditions. Many claim them to be effective in stopping hair loss and in some cases, growing new hair.
Laser combs which are considered to be a 'low level laser therapy' are believed to stimulate hair follicles at the cellular level. These hand-held devices help in the re-growth of hair. The advantage is that the laser combs can be treated by men and women in the privacy of their own homes. It can be used just ten to fifteen minutes, three times a week
Make a Critical Observation
Though there are various options you need to find out exactly why you're losing your hair, learn about all your options, and then create your own power-packed treatment regime.
Both Cathy Taylor & Timothy Garth are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Cathy Taylor has sinced written about articles on various topics from Yoga Practice, Pregnancy Problems and Food And Drink. Cathy Taylor is a marketing consultant and freelance writer and can be reached at . Cathy Taylor's top article generates over 22200 views. to your Favourites.
Timothy Garth has sinced written about articles on various topics from Hair Care, Woman Menopause and Hair Care. After trying many Timothy Garth finally found one that worked for him and would like to share his. Timothy Garth's top article generates over 14800 views. to your Favourites.