Well-being Q&A: Hormonal imbalance
Dr VL Shyam, MD (Ay), M Phil,a certified Ayurvedic consultant, answers queries exclusively for readers of Friday
I am a 16-year-old girl and I am suffering from a hormonal imbalance. The condition is causing excessive hair loss - nearly 200 strands every day. Please suggest some home remedies and prevention methods I should try that will stop my hair loss.
A.I; Abu Dhabi
The normal cycle of hair growth lasts four to five years. Each hair grows approximately one centimetre per month during this phase. About 90 per cent of the hair on your scalp is growing at any given time and the remaining 10 per cent is in a resting phase.
After two to three months, the resting hair falls out and new hair starts to grow in its place. It is normal to shed some hair each day as part of this cycle.
As you've mentioned, hormonal problems may cause hair loss, but, details of your hormonal problems are not provided.
If your thyroid gland is over active or under active, you run a high risk of excessive hair loss, which may be causing your problem. This type of hair loss can usually be stopped by treating the thyroid disease.
Hair loss may also occur if male or female hormones, known as androgens and oestrogens, are out of balance. Correcting the hormone imbalance may stop hair loss.
However, if your problem is due to female hormone imbalance, you could try some of the following home remedies:
- Ensure that your food is rich in black sesame seeds and asparagus
- Do regular physical exercise
- Increase consumption of green, leafy vegetables, salads, milk, fruits, fish, wheat germ and soybeans
- Try drinking carrot and lettuce juice
- Soak fenugreek seeds in coconut oil and keep the mixture under direct sunlight for a week. After soaking, gently massage your scalp with the oil. Leave it on for about 30 minutes and then remove it thoroughly with a gentle shampoo.
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