Baldness Baldness or loss of hair is referred to as alopecia.  Factors that are involved in hair loss include heredity, hormones, and aging.  All women experience some hair thinning as they grow older, especially after menopause, but in some in begins as early as puberty.  In addition, most women lose some hair two or three months after having a baby because hormonal changes prevent normal hair loss during pregnancy. In addition to heredity, factors that promote hair loss include poor circulation, acute illness, surgery, radiation exposure skin disease, sudden weight loss, high fever, iron deficiency, diabetes, thyroid disease, drugs such as those used in chemotherapy, stress, poor diet, ringworm and other fungal infections, stress, chemicals such as hair dyes, and vitamin deficiencies. Recommendations Eat a diet high in fruits and vegetables and low in starch.  This may help to slow down the process of hair loss.  Fruits and vegetables contain flavonoids, many of which are antioxidants that may provide protection for the hair follicles and encourage hair growth. Eat plenty of foods high in biotin.  Biotin is needed for healthy hair and skin, and may even prevent hair loss in some men.  Good food sources of biotin include brewer's yeast, brown rice, bulgur, green peas, lentils, oats, soybeans, sunflower seeds, and walnuts. Include soy foods such as soybeans, tempeh, and tofu in your diet.  Some foods appear to inhibit the formation of dihydrotestosterone, a hormone implicated in the process of hair loss. Lie head down on a slant board fifteen minutes a day to allow the blood to reach your scalp.  Message scalp daily. Be careful of using products that are not natural on the hair.  Allergic reactions to chemicals in these products occur frequently and clog follicles literally drowning the hair causing hair loss or slower hair growth. Hair is fragile when it is wet.  Gently pat your hair dry and squeeze out remaining moisture with a towel.  Cover your hair when it is exposed to sunlight.  Long exposure to sunlight and seawater can damage the hair. Avoid rough treatments.  Do not use a brush or fine toothed comb, or towel dry your hair. Use a pick to put wet hair in place.  Do not wear tight ponytails, cornrows, or other styles that pull on the hair. Avoid crash diets and diets that neglect any of the food groups.  These can cause deficiencies in nutrients that are detrimental to the hair. If you are losing large amounts of hair, see a physician.  Healthy hair follicle Dandruff Dandruff is a common scalp condition that occurs when dead skin is shed, producing irritating white flakes.  Some people tend to generate and discard skin cells at a faster rate than others.  Recent research shows that sever cases of flaking scalp, usually associated with seborrhea (a type of dermatitis), and may be caused by an overgrowth of the yeast pityrosporum ovale, which lives naturally on the skin. Dandruff can be triggered by trauma, illness, hormonal imbalances, improper carbohydrate consumption, and the consumption of sugar.  Deficiencies of nutrients such as the B-complex vitamins, essential fatty acids, and selium have been linked to dandruff as well.  Dandruff is normally worse in the winter months. Dandruff is an annoying and embarrassing problem, but is rarely serious.  There is no cure for dandruff, but the condition can be minimized. Recommendations Eat a diet consisting of 50 to 75 percent raw foods.  Eat soured products such as yogurt. Avoid fried foods, dairy products, sugar, flour, chocolate, nuts, and seafood. Do not pick or scratch the scalp.  Use natural hair products that do not contain chemicals.  Massage your scalp first before washing your hair. If dandruff is persistent or symptoms seem to be getting worse, or if it appears in areas other than the scalp, consult your health care provider. Eczema The distinction between the use of dermatitis and eczema to describe skin disorders can be confusing.  Often, the terms are used interchangeably, although many people use the term eczema to refer specifically to atopic dermatitis.  The inflammation of the skin that accompanies eczema produces scaling, flaking, thickening, weeping, crusting, color changes, and often, itching. Many cases of dermatitis are simply the result of allergies.  This type of condition is called allergic or contact dermatitis.  Skin inflammation may be linked to contact with perfumes, cosmetics, rubber, medicated creams and ointments, latex, plants such as poison ivy, and/or metals or metal alloys such as gold, silver, and nickel found in jewelry or zippers.   Some people with dermatitis are sensitive to sunlight.  Whatever the irritant, if the skin remains in constant contact with it, the dermatitis is likely to spread and become more sever.  Stress, especially chronic tension, can cause or exacerbate dermatitis. Recommendations Add brown rice and millet to your diet. Avoid sugar, chocolate, white flour, fats, fried foods, and processed foods. Try a gluten-free diet for six weeks, then add gluten containing foods back to the diet one at a time, and see if the condition changes.  A gluten free diet is often the therapeutic benefit in controlling dermatitis. Do not eat foods containing raw eggs, which contain avidin, a protein that binds to biotin and prevents it from being absorbed.  Biotin is needed for skin and scalp disorders. Use perfume-free moisturizing lotion daily. Balch, A. Phyllis, CNC, Nutritional Healing.