Advice for Inflammitory Hair Loss

Hi All,

So, I had a scalp condition that was causing lots of my hair to fall out... I had inflamed, rather painful zit-like bumps, hair falling out, etc. It was hard for me to even lay down on a pillow, and I had to wash my hair all the time. It was absolutely horrible.

I tried everything... Fungicide, Antibiotics, Anti-bacterial shampoo, tar shampoo, etc... etc...

Since I am an ethical vegan (see www.VegAnswers.com) and eco-minded, I decided to try diet, excercize and natural remedies... This is the only thing that has worked!!

My vegan diet helps A LOT! Vegan foods are much healthier and better for your hair because they do not have the chemicals, hormones, and stress chemicals that meat/dairy products do. Also milk products are horrible for your body! So, that is step numero uno!

Second, I realized that I am sensitive to gluten (wheat and some other grains. Once I gave up all gluten products, I noticed a dramatic reversal of my hair loss.

Third, I have been eating more greens (spinach salads, organic vegetables, wheat grass shots, etc.) This is incredibly important. It boosts your immune system.

Fourth, I gave up sugary and refined products... This is so good for you. Only shop at your local natural foods store! Just buy fruits, vegetables, sweet potatoes, brown rice, beans, oats, nuts, rice cakes, nut butters, natural popcorn, trail mix, etc. These foods are good and wholesome for you. You don't need anything else. When you are out to eat, you can get all fruit smoothies, salads, vegetable dishes, brown rice based dishes, etc.

Fifth, take a natural, vegetarian multivitamin/multimineral. This will make sure that you are getting all of the nutrients, which are vital to hair growth.

Sixth, get a bottle of organic flax seed oil from your local health food store. Do not cook with this oil. Just use a couple tablespoons over toast, in smoothies or on salads. This helps to clear up the skin and hair. Do not use any other oils (or at least keep other oils to a minimum).

Seventh, get regular excersize... Try yoga... Yoga is great because it increases bloodflow to your head, which stimulates hair growth. Also, make sure to get sweaty regularly. This will flush toxins out of the pores/hair follicles. Shower after excersize.

Eighth, try natural shampoo/conditioners on hair... This is a great one that I have been using lately...

Shampoo = natural shampoo from health store (make sure it doesn't have sulfites/wheat proteins)
Conditioner = 1/2 bottle of natural conditioner + equal parts unrefined apple cider vinegar + peppermint oil + tea tree oil

(Shampoo thoroughly, making sure to clean scalp. Rinse. Work the conditioner concoction into scalp with nails. Leave in for a few minutes. Wash out.)

I only wash my hair every other day (sometimes every two days).

Okay, that's all I can think of right now...

Hopefully this helps someone... Also, do look into going vegetarian/vegan... It is an ethical/healthy choice!

Take care,
Kath

(I read all of these postings, and it looks like the capsicum shampoo at hair-alive.com may have some promise as well, but I would use it along with the remedy I listed above... Also, make sure to get enough zinc, iron and biotin).
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Go Vegan! (www.VegAnswers.com).

Call to Action

There is no effective treatments for scarring alopecias. Please, visit the Cicatricial Alopecia Research Foundation (www.carfintl.org) and learn more about registering with CARF today.

Remember, there is strength in numbers!

Burning Scalp

Early this month I had an episode of burning scalp that nearly cost me my sanity! I was ready to have my daughter tie my hands up and stuff a rag in my mouth! I have several neurological things going on;one of them involves inflammation.I had decided to try a chiropractor and see if that would help since waiting on the the medical world seemed to be taking too long! I think possibly that as much as it has helped my chronic pain,etc.,that the burning scalp episode might have been part of the healing process.....BUT IT WAS MEAN!

Another piece of advice!!!

Hi guys,

This is Kath again (the one who posted the long article about how being healthy and excersizing and using vinegar and tea tree has helped my painful hair loss).... Well... I have a couple more suggestions for everyone...

So, I have been thinking about this a lot, and doing a bunch of research, and it looks like what I have (and what all of the inflamed hairloss people have) is an autoimmune disorder that probably has something to do with alergies and toxins. I recommend getting ride of gluten, dairy, meat, sulfites and sulfates from your diet and products. These are common allergies (and meat is just bad news in general).

In addition to being extremely healthy, I recommend using "chlorella". You can purchase this from a health food store like Whole Foods. It binds to toxins and such, and gets them out of the body. Also, I recommend using anti-histamines as well.

That's all for now... Chlorella is soooo awesome!

--KAth
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Go Vegan! (www.VegAnswers.com).

I'm on a very tight budget,but do try to do what I can reasonably do to be healthy and help myself live a better life.I haven't yet found a shampoo with tea leaf extract,but I find alot of relief with the use of Scalpacin,which is found among hair care products.It has tea leaf extract in it.

Cicatricial Alopecia

Kath,
I almost forgot,but there's a name for the scalp condition we have;it's the subject of this post. Someone else had mentioned this website and I checked it out.The FAQ page is a good starter. www.carfintl.org/faq.html

Chronic Folliculitis

Hello everyone. Im a 26 yo female who has been dealing with this for almost two years now. I have a beautiful 9 yo daughter and a terrific supportive boyfriend. However I have not been able to enjoy them for quite some time. Ive been in alot of pain. Pain where I never thought I would have pain before. On my scalp. I go to a new Derm on Monday the 25-Sept-06. No doctors have been able to help me thus far. They even go as far as to say no pain should be associated with the condition and dont believe me. I have had this discomfort on my scalp for a year and a half and only recentely started to see pimples/ sores whatever you want to call them and now the discomfort has turn to burning/itching/pain. I have taken all the meds like everyone else. Will it ever subside? Its been constant for about two and a half weeks. Really hurts. My biggest fear is passing it onto my family.I have to sterilize everything on a constant basis. Always living in fear that my daughter might get it or my boyfriend or to anyone else. Im so glad I found others and dont feel so alone. But it took me a long time to find this particular website. Thank you everyone for taking time to write. You can always contact me at EH84325@aol.com. Please dont hesitate. I welcome anyone who needs to talk and try to find some cure for this.
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Please contact me @ eh84325@aol.com

I found something that helps!!

Hi Ya'll,

So, I found a couple things that really help with the painful scalp/hairloss...

Take a bunch of acidophilus (sp?)... Make sure it's non-dairy. Probiotics are the good kind of bacteria, and they counteract the yeast that our scalps are allergic to. Also try to work out and get sweaty as often as possible to get the toxins out through your pores.

Also, cut ALL meat, dairy and sugar from your diet!

Eat mainly fresh raw fruits and veggies... Lots of salads.... Only whole grains like brown rice, quinoa, wild rice, etc.

Good luck!
--Kath
www.veganswers.com
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Scalp pain hurts like hell - there is no pain worse then pain in the scalp. I have encountered numerous painful events in my life including three labors of babies - none which can compare to the pain in the scalp.

I have tried gluten free diets, with no help, cutting out junk foods, no help -cutting out sugars, nothing

The only thing that helps my pain is some form of tranquilizer like * or valium. I have switched to organic shampoos, to just shampooing with warm water, again nothing. If I take a hot bath it seems to calm down the violent pain but it gets so bad I get nauseated as well. My neck will stiffen durring a bad attack, scalp will look pinkish and I have diffusly lost 1/4 of my scalp hair. I went on lexipro for like 7 days just to see if this was something more mental, well the pain amplified 4x's stronger like all my nerve endings were more alert - I flushed that drug -

I have been tested for every disease, disorder had over 30 viles of blood taken the past 12 months - everything is normal. I will let you all know what I find - seeing derm soon and probably will get biopsied. Don't quite fit any particular inflamatory alopecia that I at least can read about no patches etc. If anyone else is cursed by this rotten beast get in touch with me saksthriftave at sbcglobal dot net. I have had this now for 12 months - and it waxes and wanes at times - seems to peak right after my period and get its worse right before, then those 7 days of my cycle I am feeling great, then it picks back up again. all hormone testing is normal. What a mystery. If anyone has won the fight with this beast please email me. By the way my thyroid is just fine -

Tips!!!!

I have FINALLY cured by scalp pain and hairloss after a few years...

I wrote an earlier posting about it, but recently I also started eliminating rice from my diet, which has helped substantially... Here's the deal:

-eat a vegan diet (no meat/dairy... they make your body toxic!)
-go gluten free
-eliminate rice
-use a sulfate free shampoo
-elimate anything else you think you could be allergic to!
-eat mostly RAW foods!... Salads, smoothies, fruits, etc...
-supplement your diet with acidophilous.
-shopping at your natural foods store makes this WAY easier!

If anyone else has the self discipline to do what I did, please POST ON HERE ABOUT IT! I will be checking in! I want to see if anyone had the same results as I did!!!

This type of diet/lifestyle is difficult at first, but very healthy and rewarding. Plus, it will fix your hair!

Take care!

--K
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Go Vegan! (www.VegAnswers.com).