I never suffered from thin hair until I menopaused…

47year old Rekha complained that her hair had become dry, limp and her scalp was more visible since a year and she suffered from hot flushes too. She had menopause since 2 years. She then visited her family doctor and was given vitamin supplementation and some hair oil to stop the hair thinning. It did not help much. Then she visited a homeopathic doctor on recommendation of a friend. Rekha’s mother too had suffered from thin hair when she had menopause and Rekha used hair dye very frequently since a year. She did not suffer of any other major ailment though. She was given homeopathic medicines on the basis of her case study. The hot flushes had reduced in a month’s time. Her hair over a period of 6 months had stopped thinning and looked healthier. She continued taking treatment for almost 2 years and her condition had stopped deteriorating.

The word ‘menopause’ refers to the permanent stoppage of monthly menstrual cycles which occurs between age of 45 and 50. Some women accept this change of life without worries. Some women owing to myths attached to the expected process and hormonal changes develop anxiety and also emotional upheaval. They experience mood swings, hot flushes, irritability and unusual levels of stress with loss of sleep. Thyroid problems and menopausal symptoms tend to overlap. By doing simple blood tests for thyroid the doubt can be resolved.

Hair loss in Menopause

Over 50 percent of women going through menopause experience significant hair loss. There is a noticeable frontal thinning of scalp by the age of 50. Emotional and psychological effects of hairloss, leading to lowered self-esteem, social anxiety and also reduced work performance. Hair thinning is evident in menopausal females because of changes in hormone levels (loss of oestrogen and progesterone), increased testosterone, stress (physical or emotional), and certain medications, hereditary and usage of hair dyes frequently. The drop in the oestrogen and progesterone levels during menopause tends to put hair into a prolonged resting phase. Hair loss at menopause tends to get worse for women who have a family history of hairloss.

Homoeopathy for Menopause and Hairloss

Homoeopathy is a holistic system of medicine. A woman suffering from menopause related problems for example hot flushes is not only treated for hot flushes but the homoeopath will look at the person as a whole and prescribe the medicine. This is called a constitutional medicine. If a homoeopathic remedy is prescribed in this way it will treat the overall imbalance and there will be great improvement of overall health.

HRT (hormone replacement therapy) have known side-effects like bloating, breast tenderness or swelling, leg cramps, headaches and vaginal bleeding. Homeopathy is free from any side-effects.

Not only do homoeopathic medicines reduce hairloss but they also protect the body from harmful side-effects that are common with conventional drugs.

Underlying other hormone problems like thyroid problems can also be effectively treated with homoeopathic medicines. Homoeopathy is a mind-body medicine. Homoeopathy treats not only the physical complaints, but also targets the mind and gently restores mind-body equilibrium- thus it treats the patient as a whole. This makes homoeopathy an excellent solution for hair problems related to the mind such as stress related hairloss or stress induced massive hair shedding.

Self Help

Having green tea gives enough Vitamin B6, helps to lose weight which is a common problem during menopause.

Add soya foods to your diet. Soy isoflavones have oestrogenic effects, without the risk or side-effects of synthetic hormone replacement therapy.

Good intake of fruits and vegetables will help maintain the calcium and protein levels in the body.

Drink adequate water.

Taking a pinch of turmeric daily before bed-time helps to keep joint pains away and keeps the immunity optimum.

Beat stress. Get adequate sleep, exercise regularly and use relaxation techniques, such as meditation and deep breathing. They can help ease your hair loss and other menopause related symptoms, such as anxiety.

Use henna preferably but if the red color of henna bothers you then use ammonia free hair dye. Using a color protection shampoo post coloring the hair is necessary to prevent the hair shaft from damage caused by the hair dye. At least once a week wash hair with color protect shampoo. Conditioner should be applied only in the length of hair and not from the scalp as it tends to make hair more elastic and it can easily break.