By: Will

Hair loss affects both women and men of all different ages. It can have a serious impact on someone’s self esteem and confidence.
 
You will probably have seen a lot of adverts or spam emails sent to you about all the different pills and miracle ‘cures’ for hair loss. But it is understandable that putting loads of chemicals in your body can seem really off putting and not the right answer for you.
 
Having hair implants is a serious decision and not one to be taken lightly, and you may want to try other less invasive solutions first.
 
Luckily, there are many natural ways to fight hair loss and even to reverse it. You don’t have to sacrifice one part of your health and suffer the side effects of medication to grow your hair back.
 
These natural remedies are not only less invasive and harmful to the body, but they have proven to have successful results. They will help you to take control of your hair loss and even reverse it, giving you that extra confidence boost every day.
 
Why Does Hair Loss Happen?
 
To be able to understand how a natural remedy might work, first we need to understand a little bit about why hair loss, scientifically known as androgenetic alopecia, happens to us.
 
Put simply, there is a naturally occurring hormone within our bodies called DHT that attacks the hair follicles, slowly causing them to wither and die. When the follicle gets too small it eventually falls out and doesn’t grow back. DHT is a normal and healthy hormone that is created from testosterone, which is why men more than women get pattern baldness. Equally, some men get significantly worse male pattern baldness than others, while some don’t get it at all. It seems to be pure luck and a lot do with what we inherit from our parents that determine the level of DHT that we are born with. The fortunate men born with low levels of DHT never go bald.

Home Made Shampoos
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First, lets start with what you put on your hair. Shampoos that you buy in shops, some shampoos are going to contain numerous chemicals and preservatives, even some shampoos which claim to be natural. This is not a good choice for people suffering with hair loss. But do not despair as making an all natural shampoo at home is much easier than you would think. It can really improve the hair’s strength and growth. Why not give it a go yourself using the ingredients and directions below.

​Ingredients:

·       Liquid castile soap (1/2 cup)
·       Maple syrup (1 tablespoon)
·       Carrot seed essential oil (5-10 drops)
        Castor oil (10 drops)  

Directions:

​Combine all ingredients in the container of your choice. Mix well, and be sure to mix thoroughly before each use.

When ready to use, pour over wet hair. Massage into scalp for 2-3 minutes, and then let sit for an addition 2-3 minutes. Rinse thoroughly with lukewarm (or, even better, cold) water.
 
 
Essential Oils

Another natural remedy that can be put on hair to promote growth are essential oils. Evidence does suggest that many essential oils, a few in particular, can promote hair growth. They are a simple and inexpensive remedy to add to your hair care routine, and not one that should be overlooked.

​The best essential oils to promote hair growth are:
        
​        Peppermint essential oil ·      
        Rosemary essential oil
·       Blackcurrant essential oil
·       Evening primrose essential oil
·       Pumpkin seed oil
        Tea tree oil

They can all be found at your local drug or health care store.
 
Scalp Massages & Exercises

Not only do scalp massages feel absolutely great, and are very relaxing, but they can even improve hair growth and prevent hair loss.

A good scalp massage encourages the blood flow to increase around the follicle. If there is not enough blood directed to the follicle then then follicle will eventually die. On the other side, a healthy amount of blood flow to the follicle can even cause the follicle to repair itself and therefore the hair will grow back. A scalp massage has got to be one of the most enjoyable treatments of hair loss, and you can always try out several different types of head massage in the name of ‘research’.

​Eliminating Allergies
 
Next we need to think about what we are putting into our bodies. Everyone knows the old adage ‘you are what you eat’ and it is certainly scientifically proven that what we eat affects how we look and how we feel.
 
The reason that the hormone DHT causes hair loss is because it causes an immune reaction against the actual hair follicles. It mistakenly causes our bodies to attack our own hair as it wrongly thinks it is a foreign invader.
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This is the same process that occurs when we have food allergies. Allergy reactions from food result in the body becoming ultra-sensitive to what it believes is a foreign invader. Not only can food allergies cause untold digestive problems, but they can directly cause the rate of hair follicle miniaturisation to increase.
 
There are many different groups of food allergies and some of the most common are dairy and gluten, although there are many others that you may have never even suspected.
 
There are simple ways to test for food allergies and it is always recommended to speak with your local doctor about your symptoms and suspected allergies.  
 
Natural DHT Blockers
 
There are ways to block DHT from being produced. One of the very best natural DHT blockers you can take is Pumpkin Seed Oil (PSO). PSO is made from pumpkin seeds (no surprises there) and its success is down it producing an enzyme called 5AR that blocks DHT from being produced. Therefore the hair follicle is safe from the damage DHT causes.

Pumpkin seed oil is one of the most effective DHT blockers as it starts working from the inside after being taken orally. This allows it to target 5AR at the source, and prevents DHT buildup from even occurring on the scalp.
 
Microbiome Health
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The human body is full of naturally occurring levels of bacteria, and keeping the balance right is key to a healthy body, also called microbiome health. We are still only just finding out how important a healthy microbiome is for our overall health as well as our hair health. Unfortunately, due to our modern world and our increased use of hand gels, bacteria killing cleaning products and chemically altered foods, our environment is now impacting our microbiome health.

An unhealthy microbiome has been shown to cause inflammation and also increase hair follicle sensitivity to DHT.
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To cure hair loss naturally you will need to stop triggering these autoimmune problems and decrease inflammation as much as possible.
 
Mesotherapy (aka Microneedling/Dermarolling)
 
Mesotherapy is a physical treatment where tiny needles are put into the scalp. More commonly known as microneedling, it is a drug-free hair loss treatment that has had significant and proven results for hair regrowth.
 
The tiny needles break the surface of the skin but the procedure should not be painful or cause scarring. The puncture wounds then begin being repaired by our body. As the healing process takes place, this stimulates collagen production. This then leads to the production of new skin cells which contain new and (in most cases) healthy hair follicles.

Alkalisation

​We spoke briefly about microbiome health above, but there are other ways that the body balances itself and this is through our acid and alkaline levels. The foods we eat affect these levels, and a diet with lots of grains, dairy and meat causes the body to become more and more acidic. If the acidic level becomes too high, the enzyme 5AR also mentioned above becomes more aggressive and DHT levels in the scalp go up leading to hair loss.
 
One way to reduce our acidic levels is to eat less acidic foods to shift the body back into its natural alkaline state, although you should always consult a health care professional when considering any significant dietary changes.

On the other side, when your body is alkaline (its optimum state) then the enzyme that produces DHT in the exact part of the scalp where male pattern baldness occurs is inhibited.

This mean lower levels of DHT and remember that no DHT means no hair loss, great!
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As we can see, there are many very effective natural remedies that should be tried before anything more invasive should be considered.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Wow, what a lovely surprise these products from Glamourflage turned out to be!  As  a long time lover of all things retro and vintage, when I checked out their gorgeous 50’s style website, I couldn’t wait to receive my Hola skincare products.​

Glamourflage is a Melbourne based company founded by Imogen Day, she has combined natural based products with vintage style and they are gorgeous.   The packaging is amazing.

HOLA upholds the philosophy “The most simple and effective ingredients, brings you the most natural and healthy skin care”.

​HOLA Seaweed Moisturising Eye Cream

A high performance moisturising eye cream, enriched with seaweed extract.    It has a smoothing and tightening effect under the eyes and also has that soothing ultra cool feel. Offers intense hydration and helps to lighten dark circles under eyes.

Although these aren’t 100 percent natural, they do contain some very high quality herbs and natural ingredients which have been carefully chosen for their skin firming and healing properties.   

Available at Glamourflage.

By:  Angela Gross
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There’s been a real buzz in the beauty industry over the last few years about Rosehip Oil and its popularity has increased phenomenally.
 
So just what is Rosehip Oil and what’s all the fuss about?

​Rosehip Oil, also known as Rosehip Seed Oil, comes from wild rose varieties like Rose Moschata and Rosa Rubignosa (native to the Southern Andes region) and Rosa Canina (found in parts of Europe, South Africa and Asia).
 
Rosehip Oil is extracted from the seeds of the ‘hip’ or fruit of the rose – this is the bulb that replaces the rose flower once it has dropped its petals. The oil is obtained through a process called “cold pressing”. Good quality organic Rosehip Oil does not have added colours, fragrances or preservatives. It has a subtle woodsy scent and a rich red/orange tinge to it. If you find a Rosehip Oil that is a light yellow colour, it may have been refined.
 
Why is Rosehip Oil so good for your skin?
 
Used by the Egyptians and other ancient civilisations for centuries, Rosehip Oil is renowned for its healing properties. The people of those cultures also recognised its skin and hair care benefits. Rosehip Oil’s benefits come from its numerous naturally occurring nutrients like:
 

• Essential fatty acids Omega 3, 6, 9 (linolenic, linoleic and oleic acid) – these can assist in collagen production and help with the repair and regeneration of damaged skin tissue. Linoleic acid is considered to be particularly beneficial in the treatment of acne and blemishes.
• Vitamin C – a powerful anti-oxidant with anti-ageing benefits for younger-looking skin, along with skin brightening properties.
• Vitamin E – another anti-oxidant and free radical fighter to help rejuvenate your skin, reduce the appearance of stretch marks, lighten scars and relieve sunburn.
• Lycopene & Beta-Carotene – powerful anti-oxidants and free radical fighters to help prevent premature ageing.
• Trans-Retinoic Acid – converts to Vitamin A which strengthens the skin’s outer layer, helps reduce fine lines & wrinkles, lighten brown spots and pigmentation and smooth skin texture. It’s also known for its anti-microbial properties.

Not just good for your skin, Rosehip Oil can also be used to moisturise dry hair, help control dandruff and improve the condition of dry, brittle nails.
 
Rosehip Oil usually has a light texture and is absorbed fairly quickly. Make sure you apply it while your skin is still damp. This helps to ‘lock in’ the moisture. While many people like to use Rosehip Oil on its own, it can also be found in the formulations of many skin care products like cleansers, moisturisers and serums. Alternatively, you can add a few drops yourself to your favourite moisturiser.
 
With celebrities like Miranda Kerr and Victoria Beckman praising the benefits of Rosehip Oil and claims that even the Duchess of Cambridge uses it, Mother’s Nature’s best-kept secret is definitely a secret no more.
 
So, why not give it a try and see if Rosehip Oil is a good match for your skin? As with any new product, you should always do a patch test first to ensure you have no reactions.
 
Author Bio:
The author is a lover of natural & organic beauty products and the owner of an online organic beauty store (www.naturallysafe.com.au) where she maintains a regular blog, providing news about the dangers of chemicals in cosmetics, health tips and promoting the benefits of natural cosmetics.
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