“I was away in Kenya until a few months back and since my return, I’ve noticed my hair becoming thinner. I was not losing hair before but I have been since returning to the UK. I am 60 years old and the problem is getting worse every month. What can I do?” Sue, Leicester
Dear Sue,
It is not unusual for women to start losing hair or having thinning hair during or after menopause. This is because the Oestrogen levels in the body decrease and results in hair thinning. It is estimated that we lose 100 hairs daily, on average in any case.
Due to menopause onset or post menopause, you need to increase eating oestrogen rich foods such as soya and tofu or take a food supplement with soya. Also our Pitta energy, the heat energy in the body, increases in menopause causing the body to warm up, resulting in hair loss or hair thinning. Eat ‘cooling’ foods such as salads and yogurt. For a full list of Pitta calming foods feel free to contact us.
It is not clear whether you have changed your shampoo and conditioner either. Either way, use a non – SLS (Sodium Lauryl Sulphate) shampoo which has yeast and fungi clearing ingredients such as tea tree oil and lavender and volumizing ingredients to make the hair look healthier and fuller.
Water in Leicester and most parts of Britain is not mineral-rich
It is possible that the problem here is a mineral imbalance. Water in some parts of Kenya and areas where water is sourced from mountains could be mineral rich. Water in Leicester and most parts of Britain is not as mineral rich. Try increasing your intake of minerals from eating more fruits and vegetables or by taking a supplement rich in minerals, vitamins, protein (after all hair is 97% proteins).
Also, when on holiday people are more relaxed and it is possible that returning to the UK will result in increased stress. Make sure you reduce stress through meditation or yoga.
All the best,
Ravi Bhanot
JP MRPharmS Dip(Nutr) Dip(Hom) Dip(Ayurv) Dip(Stress Manag) Dip(Massage)
Author Hair Today-Hair Tomorrow
