Hair loss, also known as alopecia or pattern baldness, is a common concern affecting a significant portion of adults worldwide. 1
While it is common for everyone to suffer from hair fall for some reason, extreme hair fall that leads to a receding hairline is a matter of concern.
The good news is that there are many ways in which you can stop hair loss and regrow hair naturally.
But before we get into the details of how to regrow hair naturally, let us have a quick overview of the possible causes of hair loss.
Is It Possible to Regrow Hair?
Yes, it is possible to regrow hair and stop hair loss. It depends on the Hair fall cause. Here's a breakdown:
- Temporary hair loss: Hair loss due to stress, nutritional deficiencies, or hormonal changes often responds well to treatment and hair can regrow.
- Permanent hair loss: Conditions like male pattern baldness or scarring alopecia typically cause permanent hair loss. However, medications and hair transplant surgery can sometimes slow down hair loss or promote new hair growth in some areas.
Did you know:
- Up to half of all men experience some degree of hair loss by their 50s. It often shows as a receding hairline or overall hair thinning. 2
- Male pattern hair loss impacts up to 50% of white men aged 50 and 80% by age 70.3
- Around half of women experience hair loss, typically starting in their 50s or 60s, but it can occur at any age due to various factors. 4
What Constitutes Hair Loss?
Regular hair fall is natural for all healthy people. On average, everyone loses between 50 and 100 hair strands daily. When this hair loss becomes extreme or too many hair stands are lost every day, and when these hairs stop regrowing as fast as they did before, the condition is called alopecia or simply hair loss.
The four major types of hair loss include the following:
- Androgenetic Alopecia (AGA): AGA is one of the most prevalent forms of hair loss. It affects around 50% of men and women. 5 The condition, primarily driven by hormonal and genetic factors, becomes noticeable post-adolescence. However, you can suffer from hair loss even when you don't have this disorder.
- Telogen Effluvium: Extreme stress, physical ailments, and hormonal imbalances are the major causes of such hair loss. As a result, you go through heavy hair fall within a short duration.
- Alopecia Areata: Alopecia is an autoimmune disorder leading to hair shedding from your scalp and other body parts.
- Anagen Effluvium: In this type, the person suddenly faces extreme hair loss because of reasons that are related to medical treatment (for example, chemotherapy). 6
Reasons of Hair Thinning in Both Male and Female
The common causes of hair loss in male and female can include the following:
- Genetic factors
- Ageing
- Emotional stress
- Crash diets
- Physical health issues (examples include infections and high fever)
- Medicines like antidepressants, NSAIDs
- Undergoing a major surgery
- Hormonal imbalance in women
- Hormonal imbalance in men
- Use of hair care or styling products that cause damage to the hair
- Radiation therapy
- Thyroid diseases
- Scalp-related bacterial infections
Of the above-stated causes, you can identify hormonal imbalances in both men and women via a Hormone Imbalance Test. The test can help you recognise the problem. It will also help you examine what hormone levels in your body are abnormal and need to be balanced.
Following the test, you can take the required steps to stop hair loss and regrow your hair naturally.
How to Regrow Hair Naturally? 12 Best Ways to Do It
From stress-relieving methods to a balanced diet to natural oils, supplements, and medicines, the section below covers everything you need to know about hairline regrowth.
1. Dietary Changes
Hair growth patterns vary for every person based on individual factors. These can range from your overall health to genetics, age, etc. While there are many aspects you can't control, diet is one of those things that you can change to initiate hairline regrowth.
Moreover, nutrient deficiencies in your diet can lead to hair loss.
Here is a list of such nutrients:
- Iron
- Vitamin B12
- Vitamin D
- Biotin (Vitamin B7)
- Riboflavin (Vitamin B2)
- Protein
Among these, biotin and protein are the most essential nutrients your diet must have to stop hair loss and regrow hair naturally.
Therefore, here is a list of some nutrient-rich superfoods (along with the essential nutrients that they contain) that can assist you in hairline regrowth:
- Eggs (protein and biotin)
- Berries (antioxidants)
- Spinach (iron, folate, vitamin A, and vitamin C)
- Fatty fish (examples include salmon, which has plenty of omega-3 fatty acids)
- Sweet potatoes (an indirect source of vitamin A)
- Avocados (vitamin E)
- Nuts (vitamins E and B and zinc)
- Seeds (vitamin E, selenium and zinc)
- Sweet peppers (vitamin C and vitamin A)
- Oysters (zinc)
- Beans (protein and zinc)
- Soybeans (spermidine)
- Meat (iron and protein) 7
Research has shown that the most common vitamin deficiency associated with hair loss is the deficiency of vitamin B, particularly vitamin B2 (also called riboflavin) and vitamin B12. 8
2. Stress Management
Managing your stress levels is a great way to regrow your hair naturally and stop hair loss. However, not every hair loss stems from stress.
Medically, three forms of hair loss primarily occur because of high stress. These include:
- Telogen Effluvium (TE)
- Alopecia Areata (AA)
- Trichotillomania 9
Given below are some stress management techniques that can help you regrow your hair naturally:
- Exercises (walking, jogging, playing sports, etc.)
- Hobbies (gardening, painting, reading a book, etc.)
- Writing (journaling is a great way to relieve stress)
- Meditation
- Yoga
3. Aloe Vera
Aloe vera is one of the most popular natural ingredients. It has been used for ages to stop hair loss and regrow hair.
The benefits of aloe vera for hair include:
- Soothes Itchy Scalp
- Deep Cleans Without Stripping
- Strengthens Hair
- Potential Sun Damage Repair
- Promotes Hair Growth 10
Therefore, fresh aloe vera gel (taken from a homegrown plant) is among the top solutions for regrowing thinning hair in both females and males.
Steps to follow:
- Cut the leaf in two halves and extract the gel that is present inside (if you are using natural aloe vera from a plant)
- After this, massage your scalp with the aloe vera gel and spread it evenly throughout your hair length.
- Leave the gel in your hair for almost an hour, and then rinse off with a shampoo.
4. Coconut Oil
Coconut oil is also one of the best oils to stop hair fall and regrow hair naturally. It is because this natural oil helps to:
- Restore sun-related hair damage
- Makes your hair stronger
- Protects your hair from further damage (thus preventing hair fall) 11
You can use coconut oil alone for hairline regrowth or combine it with other ingredients to make a healthy hair mask.
Steps to follow:
- When the coconut oil is heated, it can penetrate the deeper layers of your scalp, thus maximising its benefits. Therefore, it is a good idea to massage your scalp with warm coconut oil.
- Spread the oil evenly throughout your hair and leave it for approximately 30 minutes.
- Wash off with any shampoo. 12
5. Lavender Essential Oil
Lavender oil emerges as a promising natural remedy for hair regrowth. Let's explore its potential benefits:
- Antimicrobial properties
- Antibacterial properties
- Cellular Regeneration (potentially promotes)
- Stress Relief
All of these are good for scalp health, making lavender one of the best essential oils to stop hair fall and regrow hair naturally.
Steps to follow:
- Take any kind of regular hair oil and add a few drops of lavender oil to it.
- Mix thoroughly and apply to your scalp.
- Let it sit in your hair for a minimum of 10 minutes.
- Then, use a normal shampoo to wash it off.
6. Rosemary Oil
Minoxidil is a common medication used in the treatment of severe hair loss. It reduces hair thinning in females and helps men regrow their hair.
Surprisingly, when minoxidil was compared to rosemary oil in research, it was found that rosemary had a similar impact on hair health. It significantly helped in dealing with receding hairline regrowth. 13
Steps to follow:
Since rosemary oil is also an essential oil, you can use it in the same way as lavender oil (mentioned above). Except you only have to use it two times a week for perceptible results.
7. Peppermint Essential Oil
Like rosemary and lavender, peppermint is also one of the best essential oils that can help stop hair loss and regrow hair effectively. Peppermint oil assists hairline regrowth by increasing the hair follicle quantity and depth.
Steps to follow:
- Take your regular hair oil.
- Add a small quantity of peppermint oil (only two drops).
- Massage your scalp gently with this mixture.
- Let it sit in your hair for only 5 minutes.
- Wash off with a shampoo and follow up with a conditioner. 14
8. Onion Juice
One remedy commonly used for years by females to stop hair loss naturally and regrow thinning hair is an onion juice hair mask. That is because it offers several benefits, ranging from hairline regrowth to dandruff treatment.
A 2002 study proved that using onion juice on hair led to better hairline regrowth for both men and women. 15
Steps to follow:
- Mix three teaspoons of onion juice with two teaspoons of lemon juice.
- Spread the mixture on your scalp and remaining hair and let it sit for ½ an hour.
- Wash your hair thoroughly to ensure that a minimum onion smell remains behind. 16
9. Geranium Oil
Several laboratory studies suggest that geranium oil not only promotes healthy hair regrowth but can also help stop hair loss naturally.
Steps to follow:
You can add a few drops of geranium oil to your shampoo and wash your hair normally with this mixture. You can even add it to your regular conditioner.
10. Natural Hair Growth Supplements
Do you wish to know how to regrow hair with supplements? Below are two supplements that can help:
- One supplement that can help you regrow hair naturally is Viviscal. It works well for females who are trying to regrow thinning hair and stop hair loss. Therefore, you can also use it to treat female pattern baldness.
- Red ginseng supplements can stimulate the hair follicles, ultimately resulting in hairline regrowth. 17
11. Proper Hair Care
Excessive use of hair care and heat-styling products can sometimes lead to hair loss. It happens because of the hair damage that these products cause. The damage can range from dryness to burns.
Taking good care of your hair and avoiding certain hairstyles and products can help restore the health of your hair, ultimately resulting in hairline regrowth.
12. Medications
Since men are more susceptible to hair loss than women, finding a good solution for male hair regrowth can help improve the quality of life. If the natural methods for regrowing hair are not working, opt for a medical solution.
Some examples include:
- Minoxidil: It offers convenient options for addressing hair loss, with readily available forms ranging from shampoos and foams to liquids. Hence, it is possible to regrow hair on a bald spot by using minoxidil.
- Finasteride: It is a prescription drug that works well for regrowing thinning hair for both females and males. 18
How To Regrow Thinning Hair in Males?
While the above methods work well for people of all genders, some methods to regrow hair perform especially well in the case of men.
These include:
- Topical hair loss treatments like Minoxidil or Rogaine
- Scalp massages
- Essential oils like rosemary oil
- Anti-thinning shampoos
Additionally, many vitamin supplements are available. If you're unsure whether multivitamins work for you, consider taking a vitamin test package. This can help identify if your hair loss is linked to any vitamin deficiencies.
How To Regrow Thinning Hair in Females?
When you want to stop hair loss and regrow your hair naturally (especially for females who have thinning hair), it is vital to avoid the following:
- Too-tight hairstyles
- Vigorous brushing
- Hair dyes
- Blow-drying your hair regularly
Apart from this, you can opt for supplements, dietary changes, and stress relief techniques to regrow your hair naturally. 19
Sometimes, hormone imbalance in women can also be a reason for hair loss. You can take a female hormonal profile test to identify if that is the case and then take the necessary steps to regrow your hair.
Prevention And Management of Hair Loss
If you have a bald spot, managing hair loss involves practical and emotional strategies. It's crucial to consult a dermatologist early to explore treatments that might slow or reverse hair thinning. Emotionally, it's vital to communicate openly with loved ones for support and to engage in activities that boost your overall well-being and confidence.
Simple steps that you can take to prevent hair loss include:
- Choose loose hairstyles
- Avoid twisting, pulling, and rubbing your hair, especially with a towel.
- Have a nutrient-rich and balanced diet
- Incorporate good sleep
- Avoid excessive use of hair styling products, including hair straighteners, dyes, bleach, and blow dryers. 20
Surgical interventions like hair transplants should be considered a last resort to treat permanent hair loss.
Moreover, get expert advice before using supplements or medicine to regrow your hairline. Likewise, booking a full body checkup can help you identify your vitamin deficiency symptoms, following which you can take the required steps to stop hair fall and regrow hair on a bald spot.
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