Hair loss can affect anyone, but it’s most common in men, and there are many reasons why someone would lose their hair, ranging from short-term side effects of stress to genetics, to over-processing hair. Male pattern baldness is most common among men over fifty, but it can affect men of all ages. If you notice your hair is starting to thin, there are ways you can start to regrow your hair and get back some of its luster. Of course, natural remedies might not solve all of your problems, but they can improve hair health. Here are a few treatments to help you regrow your hair.
1. Onion Juice
Sulfur in onions may help hair grow, but unfortunately, there isn’t a ton of research on the topic. A study on alopecia areata, which is patchy hair loss, demonstrated that it could be effective in helping hair regrow. However, don’t get your hopes up because it hasn’t truly been proven effective by science. Still, it can’t hurt. If you want to give it a try, put half water and half onion juice on your scalp every day. After a few weeks, you may start seeing more hair regrow, or your hair may become thicker and healthier. But, of course, onion juice smells, so if you give this a try, you may not want to leave your house.
2. Iron
Iron supplements are good for improving blood flow, and your scalp needs proper blood flow to grow hair. Iron-rich foods, such as meat, fish, and poultry may help improve your overall health, which can promote hair growth. However, talk to your doctor before taking any iron supplements, as too much can have unpleasant side effects.
3. Biotin
Biotin is a popular supplement everyone has heard of, but you may not know that you can get biotin in your daily diet. Biotin is vitamin B7, and it’s good for hair and skin health. While biotin is safe, you probably get enough from your regular diet, so there’s no need to worry about taking a supplement unless you’re deficient. However, if you know that you aren’t getting your daily intake of biotin and other nutrients that help strengthen hair, tons of hair growth products offer the necessary nutrients to promote hair regrowth. Also, instead of worrying about putting biotin directly on your scalp like you would another type of treatment, there’s no reason to as long as you’re consuming enough. However, if you do want to try putting it directly on your hair and scalp, there are many biotin products for hair health.
4. Zinc
Zinc is necessary for most of your bodily processes, so it can help strengthen your hair follicles. Unfortunately, the human body doesn’t store zinc, so anything that’s not used is wasted. If you have low zinc levels, taking a zinc supplement could aid in hair regrowth, but more research is needed to study the impacts of zinc supplements on balding.
5. Aromatherapy
Believe it or not, many people have used essential oils to help regrow their hair. Depending on the cause of your hair loss, essential oils may help reduce the stress that causes hair loss. While stress-induced hair loss is typically short term and your hair will start to regrow as soon as you’re no longer stressed, aromatherapy is a great way to teach yourself how to calm down to prevent balding.
Unfortunately, aroma therapy doesn’t work for all types of balding. If you’re balding due to genetics, some essential oils, such as peppermint oil, can stimulate your hair follicles, but it hasn’t been a proven strategy for regrowing hair.
6. Green Tea
Green tea is a health and wellness tea with scientifically proven benefits. Green tea contains a compound called EGCG that may help with hair growth. A study on rats demonstrated that green tea extract given for six months resulted in a slight improvement. However, EGCG hasn’t been tested on humans. So, even though the use of green tea for hair loss treatment hasn’t been proven, drinking it for hair loss treatment can’t hurt. Plus, green tea has other benefits for your health, so why not give it a try?
7. Proper Hair Care
There are some types of baldness you can’t prevent, such as male-pattern baldness. However, you can prevent other reasons for your hair thinning by taking proper care of your hair and scalp. For example, when washing your hair, always be gentle and invest in quality hair care products designed to improve hair health. Additionally, don’t wear hats because they can suffocate the hair follicle and lead to oil build-up.
8. Platelet-Rich Plasma
Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP) is a treatment given by doctors in which you are injected with PRP from your own blood. PRP is typically given to patients to aid in healing after surgery. However, it might also be effective in growing hair. Ultimately, after you give blood, a lab will create a PRP protein that will be injected into your scalp. Many people have had successful PRP treatments with hair that grows back even thicker than before.
9. Get Prescription Care
If you’ve tried every natural remedy in the book and still can’t regrow your hair, consider getting a Finasteride spray designed to help you regrow your hair at home with a few sprays every day. There are tons of medication options to help address your hair concerns. Finasteride is a common ingredient in many hair loss products, and it has been proven to block the enzyme that weakens hair follicles and leads to balding. With a spray, you can easily prevent hair loss after every shower with no mess and no need to remember to take a daily pill.
Final Thoughts
There are many different types of baldness, and each has different causes. Whether you’re balding due to genetics, age, or stress, there are treatment options for you. Depending on your type of balding, you may not be able to prevent hair loss. However, you can treat your hair and your scalp with different techniques that can help hair regrow faster and healthier. If you’re not sure why you’re losing hair, consult a doctor. While there are many things you can do at home that might promote hair growth, a doctor can help you uncover different treatment options to help your hair grow back.
Megan Isola
Megan Isola holds a Bachelor of Science in Hospitality and a minor in Business Marketing from Cal State University Chico. She enjoys going to concerts, trying new restaurants, and hanging out with friends.
