Indian medicine and hair growth

Hi all,

I've been interested in traditional Indian medicine (Ayurveda) since visiting India last year. I recently asked an Ayurvedic doctor about hair loss, and this was his response. He wasn't trying to sell anything and had no money to make from this.

"We are suggesting some Ayurveda remedies and approach as follows. It will first prevent your further hair loss and later there is a good chance for again re-growth after continuous and religious following of the treatment for long time.

Apply plain (No nonstick, only pure natural) coconut or sesame oil on the fore night of washing hair.

Wash hair by the decoction made from the equal quantity powders of Amla, Shikakai and Ritha or plain Amla powder + curd or use our Herbal Hair Conditioner . It will make your hair healthy.

Try Shavasana (a type of Yogasana) for 5-10 minutes everyday.

To enhance the effect of above measures, take 5 gms. of a compound named Rasayana Churnam made from the powders of Amlaki, Guduchi and Gokshur * 2 times daily and tablets of Laghu Sutashekhar in the dose of 2 tablets * twice daily after breakfast and dinner with water. It is having proven rejuvenative effect on hair.

Do not consume in excess fast foods like bread, pizza, Chinese dishes, sandwiches, biscuits, fried diet etc. for some time.

Kindly follow the recommendations religiously for long time."

Interesting but not exactly OTC products

I wonder what Laghu Sutashekhar contains.

Coconut oil is certainly seen as a cure for early stage hairloss in my local Sikh community, but only among the 60+ people. I know quite a few middle aged Sikhs who have lost a lot of hair and regret not trying the coconut oil that their parents suggested. I've no proof of any success or legitimacy though ....

As always, all of this stuff is available on the internet (cheaply I think).

I think most of the herbs he mentions have other names that we may have heard of - e.g. I think Goshkur is better known as Tribulus Terrestris.

If it was 17 years ago when I started losing hair and there were very few options, I would have been ecstatic to have this information. But these days when there are so many things that (may) help, it is harder to decide what to use.

Would be very interested if anyone decided to try this, but I suspect that few would take the risk over more proven, or at least talked about, options.

I know that sesame oil is used in hair treatment. I've been using it for a while, I mix 1 teaspoon of sesame oil and 1 teaspoon of almod oil and appy it to my scalp and my hair, 30 min before I go to bed. I wash my hair in the morning.
Result : I get a dry scalp, for 2 days even If I don't shampoo my hair(it is believed that sesame oil has some antibacterial properties, it might be the reason) And my hair seems more thicker and shinier. So far, I haven't observed any regrowth or any major hairloss prevention though. But for cosmetic purposes, it is definitely usable.

In regards to the coconut oil, are you guys suggesting rubbing it straight into the scalp?

Socceroo - Yes, that's what he is saying.

This is some other stuff I've just read after doing a search on coconut oil. Most seems the sort of common sense 'lifestyle' stuff that we're familiar with. But a couple other interesting points.

Ayurveda is a very old and well respected form of traditional medicine, so chances are these guys know what they're talking about.

"Always use a natural shampoo or soap to clean the hair. As most soaps and shampoos have chemicals, they might be the cause of your problem. Usually the chemicals have a heating effect, and increase Pitta locally. Amala (embilica officinalis), Shikakai (Acacia concinna) are very commonly used in India for washing the hair.

Oiling and massaging of scalp is very beneficial for stopping the hair loss. Use coconut oil or mustard oil at least three times in a week. Certain medicated oils like 'Mahabhringraj oil', 'Amala oil', and 'Arnica oil' are very useful. Put oil on the scalp, and massage gently in the roots of the hair.

The diet should contain more green leafy vegetables, salads, milk, fruits and sprouts. Take more proteins, milk, buttermilk, yeast, wheat germ, soybean and vitamin A.

Regular physical exercise is very beneficial as it helps in balancing the aggravated doshas.

A special Ayurvedic preparation made from Bhringraj (Eclipta elba), Amala, corals, iron and black sesame seeds is very useful, and even stops the graying of hair.

Rub your scalp vigorously after washing the hair. It increases the blood circulation, and activates the sebaceous glands.

A mixture of lettuce and spinach juice is good to drink to induce hair growth. The juice of alfalfa mixed with that of carrot, and lettuce juice is also good to take.

Daily application of coconut oil mixed with lime juice on the hair is also beneficial. Applying juice of green coriander leaves on the head is also good.

Washing the hair with a paste of cooked Urad dal (black beans) and fenugreek (methi) 2-3 times a week, is also good.

A paste of licorice made by grinding it in milk can be applied in the bald patches. It induces hair growth. A paste of seeds of lemon and black pepper may also be applied on the bald patches.

I always wanted to try this indian herbal formula in which a study showed to grow hair better than 2% minoxidil. http://regrowth.com/hairloss-forums/viewthread.cfm?f=1&t=21592 Any clues on where to buy any of these powders online?

I think a number of places will sell them. Google as always is a good bet.


e.g. Amla powder: http://www.mehndiskinart.com/amla_powder.htm

Brahmi powder: http://www.indigo-herbs.co.uk/acatalog/Bacopa_monniera.html

Fenugreek powder: http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/METHI-%2f-FENUGREEK-POWDER-100g---Spice-%2f-Spices_W0QQitemZ360101003518QQcmdZViewItem

Neem: http://www.pukkaherbs.com/file/043ec823af72f977d5980b7f571f4027/neem-capsules.html?gclid=CMT0_qbSjJsCFaAA4wodu0-FoQ


...you get the idea.