Hormones and Hair Loss

I hope this finds you feeling well, Spring is in the air and it certainly makes a difference to my mood.

Speaking of moods I’m going to be stocking up on my ‘Clary Sage’ this month, 15mls wholesale cost £29.50.. retail £39.33.

I’m not sure how much you know about this amazing plant but it’s great for the hormones and can help support hormone balance; it can help to ease hot flushes (it was used traditionally to treat sweating with TB!), reduce premenstrual problems; moods, cramps etc.. Clary sage is a very calming and relaxing oil, mixed with a little lavender it’s wonderful to use before bed or mixed with some Epsom salts for a relaxing soak in the bath.

Clary sage has antiseptic properties and is commonly used in eye wash so great if you suffer from sore itchy eyes coming into hay fever season. Hair loss particularly associated with hormones can also benefit from.

As with many of the DoTerra oils Clary sage can be taken internally so you can pop a drop into a capsule with a some olive oil or other mixer oil and take it to support hormone balance.

I like to massage a little diluted oil across my abdomen targeting the reproductive area, my lower back, the soles of my feet and the back of my neck.

Avoid Clary sage when pregnant as it can be thought to trigger contractions, just shows how effective it can be with our hormones!

DoTerra also make a Women’s Monthly blend called ‘Clary Calm’ 10mls w/s £22.75 R £30.33 this blend contains Clary sage and comes in a convenient roller bottle; aside from the clary sage it also contains lavender, bergamot, chamomile, cedarwood, ylang ylang, geranium, fennel, carrot seed, palmarosa and vitex (Angus castus) a wonderful blend to promote calm, balance hormones and ease menstrual discomfort and upset.. and it smells amazing too.

I’ve been looking into oils that help with hair loss/ thinning hair for a friend and thought I’d share the information here in case its of any use to you so I’ll add it on at the end.

Hair Loss Alopecia and Essential Oils

One of the most common types of hair loss is androgenetic alopecia, though it can also affect females, is better known as male pattern baldness.

Rosemary oil treats androgenetic alopecia by preventing the cause of this condition, a by product of testosterone attacking your hair follicles . When men with androgenetic alopecia massaged diluted rosemary oil into their scalp twice daily for six months, they experienced the same increase in hair thickness as those who used minoxidil (Rogaine), a common hair regrowth remedy. Those who used the rosemary oil reported less scalp itching compared to minoxidil, which suggests that rosemary may be more tolerable. Other research indicates that rosemary oil may fight patchy hair loss, or alopecia areata, which affects up to half the population below age 21 and about 20% of people above 40. When people with alopecia areata rubbed a rosemary essential oil blend into their scalp each day for seven months, 44% showed improvement in their hair loss compared to only 15% in the control group, who used the neutral oils jojoba and grapeseed.

Lavender has long been used as a treatment for alopecia and baldness and is widely considered one of the most versatile essential oils, being extremely beneficial for numerous issues.

Because of its normalising and synergistic properties, it is considered useful for most ailments. Lavender is also considered one of the most beneficial essential oils for treating hair loss as well. A very soothing and calming oil, lavender can help with an irritated scalp, but it is also regenerating as well. In fact, a study conducted in 2016 found that lavender oil significantly increased the number of hair follicles and hair follicle depth. And since it’s considered one of the safest essential oils, lavender can be used on just about anybody!

 According to a 2014 study, those treated with peppermint oil experienced an increase in follicle count, increase in follicle depth, and a thickened dermal layer after four weeks. However, please note that due to its high menthol content, peppermint oil should not be used on or near the face of young children or infants.

Geranium is another essential oil that is used for hair loss, because it is another regenerating essential oil, it is considered beneficial in stimulating for hair growth, comprised of mostly citronellol and geraniol, geranium has a high count of monoterpenes which are considered to be immune stimulants and general tonics. It is also commonly used in skin care due to its anti-inflammatory properties and its abilities to balance out skin types. This also makes it beneficial to use when dealing with hair loss due to allergic or irritated skin.

Another essential oil to consider when dealing with hair loss is clary sage. Not to be confused with common sage, clary sage is a stimulating oil and can be used to both reduce hair loss and promote hair growth. Because it is commonly used to regulate hormones and stress, it can be especially beneficial for hair loss that is due to stress or hormonal issues. Please note that clary sage should not be used by those who are pregnant or breastfeeding, when drinking alcohol, or if estrogen levels need to be monitored.

Cedarwood A study was published in 1998 regarding patients who suffered from alopecia areata. The patients were treated with an essential oil blend of cedarwood, rosemary, lavender, and thyme. The blend was massaged on the scalp of individuals every day for 7 months. The results showed that 44% of the patients found improvement with their alopecia after using the essential oil blend.

Cedarwood can also be beneficial when dealing with hair loss, and is considered to be useful for multiple skin and scalp conditions, including itchy scalp, dandruff, and oily hair.

Roman chamomile is most known for its calming and gastric properties, chamomile is also used to support hair health. Gentle and calming, chamomile has been used for numerous issues for decades. Because of its ability to help with stress and anxiety, chamomile can be beneficial for hair loss due to anxiety or nervous disorders. It is also very calming to the skin and helpful when dealing with irritated, allergic, or itchy skin and scalp. Chamomile is often used in hair care and is even thought to help lighten hair colour. Like lavender, chamomile is considered a safe oil and can be used on most individuals.

If not diluted properly, essential oils can cause irritation and sensitisation, so make sure to always dilute them accordingly. It’s important to remember that a little goes a long way with essential oils. Because they are highly concentrated substances, only a small amount is needed.

Here are two blends for hair loss:

Growth blend 1

Lavender–12 drops Peppermint–4 drops Rosemary–4 drops

Growth blend 2

Geranium–6 drops Cedarwood–6 drops Chamomile–5 drops Clary Sage–3 drops

Shampoo

Add 1-3 drops to your shampoo each time you wash your hair. Gently massage into hair and scalp and rinse as normal.

Scalp oil

Add 1-2 drops of essential oil blend to 1⁄2 tsp jojoba oil and gently massage into scalp. Leave on scalp or shampoo if needed.

Thoroughly combine each of the blends and store them in a dropper bottle.

Use one or both of them to treat hair loss in one of the following ways...