Fighting Nature, Fighting Balding

Photo by Brian Scott.

I recently got a string of emails from a friend. Each email read as follows and got progressively more urgent. This was the first:

“Dude, I need all the natural suggestions you’ve got for hair loss. ASAP man, it’s getting bad.”

I decided to write a post for my friend. My own dad went bald in his 20s (yikes!). So why do I still have hair? Here are the main reasons for hair loss:

• Male pattern baldness: A generous name for the medical term for baldness due to a genetic variation. Male hormones (androgen hormones and so sometimes called androgenic alopecia) build up in the hair follicle. The follicle will progressively shrink, eventually thinning into oblivion. The hormone responsible is a by product of testosterone – dihydrotestosterone. This is the most common reason for men between 20-50 to to lose hair. There are many people who claim you can look to your mother’s father for a prediction of your genetic predisposition. This makes sense as the gene sits on the X chromosome passed to you from your mother. However anecdotal, this often seems to be true. My maternal grandfather still has a full head of hair, as do I.  
• Under active hypothyroid: An under active thyroid gland will result in hair thinning and loss.  With this also comes a tendency to gain weight and a reduction in energy.
• Follicular damage: from harsh chemicals or tightly bound hair
• Drug side effect: Chemo drugs, steroids
• Iron and Zinc deficiency: 10 foods highest in zinc, meat and green leafy greens are your best sources of iron.

Seeing a doctor is the first step  if you’re noticing excess hair loss to determine the reasons.  DHT (dihydrotestosterone) can be blocked by herbs, reducing the progression of hair loss. Saw palmetto and nettle.  both block the enzyme 5-alpha-reductasewhich is responsible for the conversion of testosterone to dihydrotestosterone. An added bonus is that both these herbs also fend off BPH (benign prostatic hyperplasia)= the gradual enlargement of the male prostate which happens as we age.

So good luck in the uphill battle buddy, I hope this answers your question and remember to give your maternal grandfather some love.

Dr. Nishant Rao is a co-founder of WellWire.com. He is a well-traveled naturopathic doctor and new father, practicing an integrative approach to create wellness in and around Los Angeles. Become a patient or discover his practice.