Evening Primrose Oil for Hair Loss: A Natural Supplement That Can Help Your Hair
The Premise.
There are three main reasons why your hair is falling out (I will use the generic term 'alopecia' for the purpose of this article): nutritional, environmental and 'genetic'.
Nutritionally speaking, you could be missing essential nutrients for your hair growth or regeneration and you could be in need of a variety of supplements to make sure your hair follicle receives what it needs to stay healthy.
Environmentally, you could be exposed not only to harsh chemicals, drugs with detrimental side-effects but also to stressful situations which, in turn, release harmful hormones and block the healthy flow of nutrients to your follicles.
Finally, genetically speaking you could be suffering from the commonly referred to 'androgenic alopecia' or male-pattern alopecia, where excess production of the hormone dihydrotestosterone on your scalp weakens your hair follicles until they grow really thin or stop growing completely.
The Solution.
There are of course the usual solutions such as Minoxidil, Finasteride, Propecia and similar DHT-targeting drugs.
There are also a number of options if you find a really good dermatologist who is willing to prescribe custom-made topical solutions, which you will have your pharmacist prepare for you.
But these solutions are expensive and, since you will have to continue them indefinitely, it can be a huge burden on your budget.
By all means try them.
This article is however about natural solutions you can try to fight alopecia quite effectively and, in particular, on the usefulness of EPO in this matter.
This oil, available in most pharmacies and health stores as a coated pill supplement, comes from a flower seed which, if mature, contains about 8% gamma-linolenic-acid (a fatty acid, often abbreviated as GLA) and about 70% linoleic acid.
Although it's imperative that these essential fatty acids are taken in a 2:1 ratio with Omega 3 fatty acids, there are several health benefits that these carry to your body, including key benefits to your hair.
These include direct nourishment of the scalp and an overall soothing effect on the skin, allowing a 'fertile soil' for your hair follicles.
It promotes blood flow which is usually very helpful to the hair follicles.
Although, if you follow a balanced, healthy diet you should have enough of this essential fatty acid in your body, it has been reported that its deficiency carries similar symptoms to hypothyroidism.
You may know that hypothyroidism causes a series of mild to severe symptoms such as alopecia, obesity, exhaustion, inability to focus, skin complaints.
Therefore, it is reasonable to assume that making sure you have plenty of good quality essential fatty acids in your system will prevent or even reverse the onset of these symptoms, including alopecia.
Another great property of EPO and similar essential fatty acids is the ability to dilute sebum from your skin and scalp.
Sebum is the 'thick oily substance' which is excessively present in individuals suffering from acne but also those suffering from alopecia (at times presenting a condition called sebhorreic dermatitis, which also causes alopecia).
By diluting the sebum in your skin, EPO reduces pore blockages, pore lesions and, at scalp level, follicle weakness.
You will definitely find that adding a high-quality multiple vitamin and mineral supplement to your diet, especially if the supplements include key hair nutrients, is always useful no matter the specific cause of your alopecia.
But adding EPO to it will be beneficial.
Of key relevance are recent reports that EPO may also inhibit the damaging conversion of testosterone to dihydrotestosterone (DHT), a hormone which, when excessively present in your scalp, will dramatically weaken your hair follicles until, eventually it causes its destruction.
This event takes place in the very common androgenic alopecia, where your hair falls particularly from the top of your head and, sometimes, also from the sides of your head.
Finally, essential fatty acids help the creation of healthy hair strands; thus, if you suffer from brittle, dry hair which is easily knotted, EPO will help you too.
There are three main reasons why your hair is falling out (I will use the generic term 'alopecia' for the purpose of this article): nutritional, environmental and 'genetic'.
Nutritionally speaking, you could be missing essential nutrients for your hair growth or regeneration and you could be in need of a variety of supplements to make sure your hair follicle receives what it needs to stay healthy.
Environmentally, you could be exposed not only to harsh chemicals, drugs with detrimental side-effects but also to stressful situations which, in turn, release harmful hormones and block the healthy flow of nutrients to your follicles.
Finally, genetically speaking you could be suffering from the commonly referred to 'androgenic alopecia' or male-pattern alopecia, where excess production of the hormone dihydrotestosterone on your scalp weakens your hair follicles until they grow really thin or stop growing completely.
The Solution.
There are of course the usual solutions such as Minoxidil, Finasteride, Propecia and similar DHT-targeting drugs.
There are also a number of options if you find a really good dermatologist who is willing to prescribe custom-made topical solutions, which you will have your pharmacist prepare for you.
But these solutions are expensive and, since you will have to continue them indefinitely, it can be a huge burden on your budget.
By all means try them.
This article is however about natural solutions you can try to fight alopecia quite effectively and, in particular, on the usefulness of EPO in this matter.
This oil, available in most pharmacies and health stores as a coated pill supplement, comes from a flower seed which, if mature, contains about 8% gamma-linolenic-acid (a fatty acid, often abbreviated as GLA) and about 70% linoleic acid.
Although it's imperative that these essential fatty acids are taken in a 2:1 ratio with Omega 3 fatty acids, there are several health benefits that these carry to your body, including key benefits to your hair.
These include direct nourishment of the scalp and an overall soothing effect on the skin, allowing a 'fertile soil' for your hair follicles.
It promotes blood flow which is usually very helpful to the hair follicles.
Although, if you follow a balanced, healthy diet you should have enough of this essential fatty acid in your body, it has been reported that its deficiency carries similar symptoms to hypothyroidism.
You may know that hypothyroidism causes a series of mild to severe symptoms such as alopecia, obesity, exhaustion, inability to focus, skin complaints.
Therefore, it is reasonable to assume that making sure you have plenty of good quality essential fatty acids in your system will prevent or even reverse the onset of these symptoms, including alopecia.
Another great property of EPO and similar essential fatty acids is the ability to dilute sebum from your skin and scalp.
Sebum is the 'thick oily substance' which is excessively present in individuals suffering from acne but also those suffering from alopecia (at times presenting a condition called sebhorreic dermatitis, which also causes alopecia).
By diluting the sebum in your skin, EPO reduces pore blockages, pore lesions and, at scalp level, follicle weakness.
You will definitely find that adding a high-quality multiple vitamin and mineral supplement to your diet, especially if the supplements include key hair nutrients, is always useful no matter the specific cause of your alopecia.
But adding EPO to it will be beneficial.
Of key relevance are recent reports that EPO may also inhibit the damaging conversion of testosterone to dihydrotestosterone (DHT), a hormone which, when excessively present in your scalp, will dramatically weaken your hair follicles until, eventually it causes its destruction.
This event takes place in the very common androgenic alopecia, where your hair falls particularly from the top of your head and, sometimes, also from the sides of your head.
Finally, essential fatty acids help the creation of healthy hair strands; thus, if you suffer from brittle, dry hair which is easily knotted, EPO will help you too.
