Today we can see advertisements showcasing the information about the products and centres providing the har loss treatment or movies, awareness programs etc. showcasing information about the problems faced by men and women due to hair loss. Is hair loss as big a problem as they are showcasing? Why is Hair loss treatment becoming so important? Let us try to understand about the right hair loss treatment and the significance of hair fall in the health of men and women. 

It is believed that 40% of the men faces noticeable hair loss within 35 years of age whereas 25% of the women faces noticeable hair loss around the age of 49.  This amounts for a very big number around the world hence we can conclude that this problem prevails in a significantly large population of the world. Today due to the sedentary lifestyle we can see noticeable hair loss and greying of hair in younger generations of age 18-25 years as well making hair fall a problem for all age groups. 

We lose 50-100 scalps on a daily basis but when this number starts increasing and we can notice a pattern of increase in hair fall, we should be able to accept the need of a hair fall treatment. We at SSANH have been advising patients to start observing their body closely and notice the signs it is showing i.e. If the spicy food is not comfortable for the body, the person will start feeling burning sensation in stomach for long or face acidity etc. This pattern of increasing hair fall is termed as a noticeable condition of hair fall, you can try pulling tuft hair and checking if small amount of hair comes out or the whole tuft to confirm noticeable hair loss.  

The hair has tendency to lose its natural colour with advancing age, although aging is genetically predetermined but lifestyle, mental health, social health and many other environmental factors also influence the aging process causing premature aging. In a survey study, 81.66% 1 patients of premature aging of 30-40 years age had complaint of hair fall. 

Khalitya is mentioned in ayurvedic texts as hair loss involving the entire scalp, a medical condition with the vitiation of doshas in the body. 

• Pitta is the fire element, its vitiation will lead to the thinning or discolouration of hair and as pitta imbalance increases. 
• Vitiated Pitta is carried into the pores of hairs (hair follicles) by the vitiated vata(air element) hence leading to hair loss at different site of the head. 
• Vitation of kapha in the blood (Rakta) obstructs the pores of the hairs making it impossible for the hairs to grow

Vitiation of dosha does not destroy the hair follicles hence the potential for the re-growth is maintained for many years, which is why Ayurveda can provide natural hair loss treatment with complete cure. 

Other than the natural cause of hair loss there are other causes of hair loss in men and women, majority of these causes point to the fact that hair loss treatment can be performed at home in early stages. Some of the causes of hair fall are:

• Hair disorders such as androgenetic alopecia (Hereditary thinning or baldness), Alopecia areata (an auto-immune condition), Cicatricial alopecia (Inflamed hair follicles) and Central centrifugal cicatricial (scarring) alopecia
• Stomach related issues like IBS, Chron’s disease, Gastric ulcer, Acid reflux etc. 
• Frequent use of synthetic haircare products for bleaching 
• Vitamin D deficiency
• Frequent use of a blow dryer, curling iron or hair straightener etc. tends to damage hair by making them brittle as they use heat to solve the purpose. 
• Rubbing wet hair dry with a towel or combing wet hair

NOTE*For most people the elasticity of the hair is high when they are wet hence breaking off more easily than dry hair.

• Use of caps, hats etc. to cover the hair 
• Pre-mature aging of the body
• Medicines like blood thinners or medicines treating arthritis, gout, depression, and heart problems.

Even though most causes of hair loss in men are similar to that of women but there are some factors which only increases the risk of hair loss in females such as:

• Post Pregnancy, some women observe noticeable hair loss due to the decreasing estrogen levels.
• Diseases such as PCOD and hypothyroidism 
• Hair loss is common during menopause 
• Stress increases the vata imbalance leading to hair fall from a larger area.
• Dieting and poor nutrition is common among housewife’s, they often are busy taking are of others so much that they forget taking care of themselves  
• Birth control pills are synthetic form of hormones and estrogen which can affect hair growth. 

At SSANH hair loss treatment for men and women is administered according to the procedure mentioned in the classical ayurvedic texts. 

• Analyzing prakruti: Ayurveda treatment for hair fall depends on the type of vitiated dosha hence It is very important to understand the patient’s current condition and prakruti to design the treatment plan.  Information is collected in order to understand the nature of patient’s body and hair. 

• Analysing medical reports: In order to understand if there is any vitamin deficiency if there is any inflammation in the scalp or any auto-immune condition which is the leading cause of hair fall, medical reports like CBC, ESR, CRP are requested for submission to Dr. Sanand. 

For female patients, information about menopause, pregnancy and thyroid profile are required. It is very important to mention if a patient is on any current medication or under any type of treatment before requesting for an ayurvedic hair loss treatment. 

• Designing treatment plan: Once all the needed information is collected, Dr. Sanand will analyse the patient’s condition and design a treatment plan to balance the dosha. According to the stage of the condition i.e., Starting stage where the patient has recently started noticing some hair loss or Later stage where the patient is having some bald; Dr. Sanand will decide if the patient requires an in-patient treatment or just the medicine and lifestyle changes will be enough for the hair loss treatment. 

This is how a hair loss treatment plan at SSANH looks like: 

1. Ayurvedic medicine for hair loss includes rasayanas, kesh vardhak dravyas, application of specially formulated oils/powders/packs for external use. 
2. Lifestyle changes are suggested according to the dosha imbalance but it is always requested to follow light, warm and seasonal diet. 
3. In-patient treatment will include Panchakarma for detoxification & Kaya kalpa therapies for rejuvenation. These therapies will not only help in preventing hair fall but also help unclog the hair follicles facilitating the hair growth. 

Yes, hair fall or greying of hair is a big problem affecting the mental health of the patients whereas internally it is a sign of a bigger problem. Hair loss treatment is as important as the treatment for any well-known disease such as back pain, eczema etc. According to Ayurveda “Hair is basically the excreta of the bones” and unhealthy excretion is a sign of a problem in the tissue metabolism related to bones. 

There can be external factors like fungus, infection etc. and if such factors are not addressed as a disease and taken care in the early stages, they can create various skin problem not just for the patients but for the people around them as well. Body has its own way of signalling that something is wrong and we need to address it, hair fall is one such signal, it is wise to treat hair fall as a medical condition until and unless the doctor confirms about the natural cause of hair fall. 

Synthetic products will not help cure the problem and sometime the chemical might obstruct the hair follicle stopping hair growth. Some of the chemical in these hair products might induce inflammation or increase pitta leading to adverse effect hence increasing hair loss and discolouration of hair. Some hair oil can help in hair growth the other wont suit for one person, until and unless the person finds the hair oil suitable to his body type and dosha imbalance, there will not be any improvement. 

Yes, in early stages where you have started noticing hair loss within a duration of 1-2 month, you can treat hair fall at home with natural home remedies and lifestyle changes. 

The best home remedy which will help reducing hair fall are: 

• Eating light, warm and seasonal diet which will help balancing the dosha
• Using less chemical based products on hair and switching to natural products 
• Avoid covering head with cap, clothes hats etc.
• Exposing body to enough sunlight 
• Not exposing the head/hair to salty or hard water

Discoloration of hair is the sign of pitta imbalance in the body and once its balanced the discoloration will stop. If we start nourishing the hair and reducing Kapha from the hair follicle we can stop greying and restart the healthy hair growth. 

Yes, Ayurveda can also help bald patients to regrow hair though the process will be slow in the initial period as the time of treatment progresses, the hair growth will also progress. Before starting the hair loss treatment, patients need to make up their minds to follow the treatment plan without making excuses. It will take 1-3 years to see any significant hair growth of hair on a bald head. 

1. Agnivesha, Charaka Samhita, English translation, vol. I, Dr. Ram Karan Sharma and Vaidya Bhagwan Dash, Sutrasthan, Kiyantahshirashiya adhyaya (17;67). Varanasi: Chowkhambha Sanskrit Series office; 2006. p. 324.