Alternative treatments for hair loss

For some men, conventional treatments for male-pattern baldness simply do not work. Neither Minoxidil nor Finasteride are 100% successful in restoring hair growth. So if you cannot find a few thousand pounds for hair transplant surgery, what can you do instead? Some men take the opportunity to explore alternative treatments for combating male-pattern baldness. These treatments range from herbal remedies to alternative therapies like acupuncture. But do they work? That’s the big question.

In this article, we will look at some of the better known alternative treatments for hair loss. We’ll assess their claims and consider why they may - or may not – work. However, it is important to remember that we do not even know why some of the more established treatments work, like Minoxidil for example. So if you feel comfortable with a certain type of treatment, why not give it a try? One of the great things about alternative therapies is that most of them have a broader positive impact on your health and wellbeing. So even if your hairline remains unaffected, you may still feel the benefit of your treatment in other ways.

Herbal remedies

There are many herbal remedies that lay claim to having a positive effect on your hair. Not every remedy will make much difference if you have male-pattern baldness. However, there are a couple of herbal treatments and branded herbal products that you could explore.

Many herbal remedies are less about combating male-pattern baldness and more about enhancing the overall health of your hair. Therefore, you must be careful what you choose. For example, Jojoba Oil has been promoted in the past as an herbal treatment to promote hair growth. In reality, however, it is only beneficial to your hair and scalp because of its moisturising qualities. People with eczema, psoriasis or dandruff can find it soothing.

Jojoba Oil is traditionally used by Native Americans and probably gained its reputation for promoting hair growth because Native American men do not get male-pattern baldness. Other herbal remedies such as Henna and Aloe Vera are also championed in the same way, and are often used in everyday hair care products such as shampoos and conditioners.

Of course, if you are losing your hair, one of the most important things you can do is keep your remaining hair clean and healthy. So these sorts of herbal treatments can be a valuable part of your overall campaign to combating baldness. However, they will not treat the root cause of the problem.

You can find out more about the causes of baldness in other articles on this site. Here, it is enough to remind ourselves that androgenetic alopecia (a.k.a male-pattern baldness) is caused by high amounts of dihydrotestosterone (DHT). Therefore, are there any herbal remedies that have been shown to counteract DHT?

Saw Palmetto Extract

Probably the most widely-acknowledged herbal treatment that has a measurable impact on the amount of DHT that men product is Saw Palmetto Extract. Like Finasteride, it is also used to combat prostatic diseases and lowers DHT by working as an anti-androgen.

You could also try Polysorbate – 80. Its impact on male-pattern baldness is not proven and it is actually approved by the FDA as a food additive. However, some trichologists and natural therapy practitioners recommend it as a topical application in the belief that it helps to remove DHT from the skin when applied directly to the scalp.

Finally, stinging nettle has also traditionally been used as a remedy for hair loss. It is usually taken as a pill or tablet – don’t apply the stinging nettle directly to your bald head! – and there is some evidence to show that it stops testosterone being converted into DHT.

Many men who are attempting to stop male-pattern baldness or to thicken their existing hair use a number of remedies together. For example, Stinging Nettle is often more effective when used in tandem with Saw Palmetto Extract. An easy way to do this is to take a supplement such as Procerin, which combines natural remedies for blocking DHT into a single product.

Procerin

Procerin is probably the most widely available natural product for treating male-pattern baldness. You can choose to either take Procerin in a capsule form or as a topical lotion that is rubbed directly onto the scalp. Because Procerin is natural, there are no side effects and it has shown to be effective in helping to stop male-pattern baldness and to thicken the existing hair. 

What else can you do?

Some men who choose to try and stop male-pattern baldness via natural means are also aiming to live healthier lifestyles at the same time. For this reason, some people will recommend broader dietary improvements. For example, switching from English Tea to Green Tea can help. It is believed that the catechins that are in Green Tea can help to block the production of DHT. There is also another Chinese herb called He Shou Wu which has traditionally been used to tackle male-pattern baldness and which can also be taken as a tea.

Alternative therapies

Okay, so you’ve got a few ideas on herbal remedies that can help with male-pattern baldness. Now are there any therapies that will help to reduce hair loss or even promote regrowth. As you would expect, there are plenty of therapists who claim to help hopeful men regain their head of hair. But few have any real scientific evidence to support their claims.

Indian Head Massage

Indian Head Massages are said to promote hair re-growth by improving circulation to the scalp. The treatment usually involves massage, shiatsu and acupressure techniques, focusing primarily on the top of the back, the shoulders, the neck, face and, of course, the scalp.

While there is some evidence to show that head massages improve circulation, there is no reason to believe that this improved circulation will help to stop hair loss. The improved circulation may help your remaining hair to stay healthier – but as a technique for stopping hair loss it is doubtful that head massages would be successful on their own. You would probably need to use them as part of a broader programme of hair loss treatments.

Acupuncture

Traditionally, acupuncture practitioners have believed that toxins in the blood were responsible for a variety of conditions including male-pattern baldness. For this reason, they used acupuncture techniques which were designed to direct increased blood flow to the scalp and increase the nutrients to the hair follicles. They believed that this brought vitality back to the hair and stimulated renewed growth.

Of course, as with Indian Head Massages, we now know the improving circulation will not necessarily be enough to slow down male-pattern baldness. What we can say for sure is that, for many people, stress is an additional factor that can cause or speed up hair loss. Massage techniques and acupuncture can be very effective in relieving stress and, therefore, could play a role in hair loss treatment.