Hair Loss After Covid, Balding, and Grey Hair Solutions

Balding, thinning hair, receding hair lines, graying hair and hair loss after covid have become major issues for people today.

1. Are you losing hair or have a receding hair line?
2. Have you been experiencing hair loss after Covid?
3. Is your hair graying prematurely?
4. Is your hair thinning?

Chinese medicine has many solutions to combat all these hair issues.

According to Chinese medicine, the health of our hair is directly related to the health of the kidneys, liver and blood.  Beautiful, thick, colored (not grey) hair is an inside job, the result of great internal health. Be warned though, restore hair can be a long process. Often it is going to take more than a supplement for 30 days and then “poof!” everything goes back to normal.

We are going to talk about specific supplements here. However, simply taking a supplement is rarely the full answer. The answer to more robust health is a total and complete lifestyle change.

Things that destroy the health of the liver, kidneys and blood

I go over this constantly with my patients, but there are so many foods and toxins that poison us daily creating the problems we have described above. This has been especially true after having covid or after getting the covid vaccine (which massively stresses our system and causes damage internally).

I have been seeing many people in this clinic that are reporting significant hair loss, thinning hair and graying of hair after having covid or getting the vaccine.

The reality is that covid (or any immune event) or getting the vaccine taxes the body and uses up the body’s resources, which may already be significantly lacking in many people! Your body will neglect your hair in order to deal with more important things internally if it needs to.

The Nasty Nine and Hair Loss

I made a list of the worst foods that contribute to most health problems we have in the world today. You can download the full report on this list HERE. The following foods destroy the function of the liver (your immune system) and kidneys:

• Wheat (gluten): cookies, cakes, bread, pasta, cereal, etc…
• Dairy: milk, yogurt (yes, even the Greek kind), cheese, cottage cheese, kefir
• Refined sugar
• Coffee
• Eggs
• Alcohol
• Corn
• Soy
• Artificial sweeteners

Coffee and alcohol are particularly bad at creating problems with the hair. I have had patients stop drinking coffee and alcohol and see hair regrow substantially. Avoid all of these foods if you want to regrow hair, darken hair or have thick hair once again. Avoid all of these foods if you want to avoid disease and health problems.

Toxins

Toxins are mainly dealt with by the liver in Chinese medicine. A build up of toxins over the decades can lead to hair problems later in life. Almost 100% of new patients I see have never done a specifically targeted cleanse of heavy metals (mercury, lead, aluminum, copper) and chemicals in their life.

The liver has to constantly use resources to deal with such things. If you are deficient in resources (which most are), then it will use them for things that are more important than hair.

These toxins are one of the primary drivers behind most health problems in the world today. I have most of my patients do a very specific metal and chemical cleanse which can help regrow hair. Another option is to do my 10 day (or longer) Detoxification. Standard Process also has a wonderful 21 detoxification program that I highly recommend doing once per year. If you are a patient of mine, you can order direct from Standard Process (contact me for details).

In Chinese medicine that color associated with the liver is green. It is the organ of regrowth, rebirth and renewal (like in the springtime when regrowth happens and things turn green again). Therefore, it is imperative to consume lots of green things (green leafy vegetables and cruciferous).

Chinese Patterns

Chinese medicine treats patterns or groups of symptoms. We don’t treat health problem, we treat patterns. Here are the four patterns that are associated with hair loss in Chinese medicine.

1) Sudden hair loss: blood heat generating wind pattern. Most common in adolescents who may get angry quickly, which generates internal heat resulting in hair loss. But this can also be the case with cold/flu when someone has had severe fever. Modified rehmannia decoction is best for this condition. Please contact me for more information on how to get these Chinese formulas (407-255-0314).

2) Sudden hair loss: qi and blood deficiency pattern.

This is a common pattern after serious illness (like covid) or after pregnancy. Any of your women lose hair after giving birth? Giving birth requires lots of resources, which can get depleted. The treatment method is to strongly build qi and blood. This formula is a wonderful formula for restoring hair after serious illness.

3) Gradual hair loss: Damp-heat steaming upward pattern.

Due to sweet, rich, fatty food, the spleen and stomach fail to transform and transport. This pattern is causes by those foods we discussed that are on my Nasty Nine list.  The treatment method is to manage dampness and clear heat. Treat with long dan xie gan tang with modifications.

4) Gradual hair loss: Liver and kidney deficiency pattern.

More common in middle-aged people (over 40) who overthink things, work excessively, experience stress and have created nutritional deficiencies over decades of time. Other liver and kidney signs can be headaches, depression, sleep problems, sore/weak/painful back or joints, poor memory, poor concentration, high blood pressure, impotence, and low sex drive. The treatment is to nourish the liver and kidney. Two Solstice Pill is a wonderful Chinese herbal tonic that helps blacken and regrow hair. Contact me to order. Polygonum Pill (shou wu pian) is also another wonderful herbal formula for hair that works wonders.

The color of the kidneys in Chinese medicine is black. Therefore, things black in nature are very helpful for the health of the kidneys and adrenals. Those foods are blackberry, wild blueberry, raspberry, goji berry, acai, black sesame seeds (freshly ground), black lentils, black quinoa, black rice, black beans, kidney beans, Spanish black radish, dulse flakes, dark mulberry, plum, green leafy vegetables, black grapes with seeds, flax seeds (freshly ground), chia seeds, pumpkin seeds, bone broth, sunflower seeds, walnuts, spirulina, and barley grass juice extract powder.

Steps to regrowing, thickening and darkening hair:

1. Avoid foods on The Nasty Nine list. Eat lots of veggies and fruits. I suggest juicing every day.
2. Detoxify the body regularly.
3. Eat lots of green and black things.
4. Get your vitamin D levels tested. You can get this checked yourself, without the permission of a doctor. Vitamin D in the blood is measured in nanograms per milliliter. Low levels are under 30 ng/ml. Optimal levels are between 60-95 ng/ml. Personally, I would shoot for a little higher, around 95 ng/ml. NOW 5,000IU is good to take daily. I had one younger patient take 30,000IU per day for 2 months straight and still only had a blood level of 73. It is very important to have adequate vitamin D levels.

How can you check your vitamin D levels yourself?

• Go to ultalabtests.com, with the direct link here for vitamin D​
• Add this test to your cart, checkout and pay ($39 right now)
• Print out the receipt/order
• Go online to Quest Diagnostics or any other lab company, set up an account and set up an appointment. Your state may not have Quest, so find a lab that is nearest to you.
• Go to the lab with your printed order and have your blood drawn.
• Wait 2-4 days and you will get an email with instructions on how to log in and check the result.

5. Decrease stress. Stress causes your body to use up more resources. I highly recommend a regular meditation practice. Download Insight Timer or do the Guided Mindfulness Series 1, 2, 3 from Dr. Jon Kabat-Zinn. You can also release negative emotions with Tapping or The Sedona Method.
6. Ensure you have enough minerals. Trace minerals are very important for the body to have for hair to grow. Clinically, I encourage patients to use Dulse Flakes every day (1-3 teaspoons daily) or Vimergy Dulse (30 drops per day). Another product is Ionic Trace Minerals (30 drops per day).
7. Other nutrients that help hair grow.
   • Zinc – After people go through having a cold, flu or other immune challenging event, it is imperative to have enough zinc. Zinc helps hair to grow. I have come to believe that a zinc deficiency is one of the main reasons people lose their sense of taste and smell during infection. The recommend daily amount (RDA) for zinc is 11mg. I have frequently see people need 40mg daily to restore zinc levels and to deal with immune related issues. It is imperative to get liquid zinc sulfate and not other zinc products.
   • Iron – Iron deficiency anemia is one the most common deficiencies. It is behind why so many people feel fatigued and tired in the world. It is important to have your blood tested. Iron needs vitamin C to enhance absorption. Two good products are Opti-Ferrin C and Ferrofood.
   • Vitamin C – This nutrient is needed to produce collagen that prevents hair follicles from getting damaged. If you are not deficient in iron, but want to just take vitamin C, I suggest Now C Complex Powder. Vitamin C is water soluble, so it is very safe to consume. During a cold or flu, one can take upwards to 30,000-50,000 milligrams (2,000-5,000 every hour). If you start to get loose stools or diarrhea, you then are saturated and should back off. I take about 5,000mgs every day.
   • Vitamin A – This nutrient also helps new hair to grow. You can get beta carotene (which converts to vitamin A in the liver) by eating orange or yellow things. I highly suggest juicing carrots. Have a 16 oz glass of organic carrot juice every day for a month to boost up vitamin A levels. Carrot juice can be made and consumed every day if your wish. Vitamin A is very important for immune health.
   • Vitamin E – This powerful antioxidant protects hair from damage. The best place to get this nutrient is from Wheat Germ Oil (which is gluten free). I suggest 2 per day. I do not suggest taking synthetic vitamin E. Get it from natural sources.
   • Biotin (and other B vitamins). Help with hair growth. I suggest getting this in a B complex with methylated forms of B9 and B12. Pure Encapsulations is a great brand (1 per day).
   • Omega 3’s. They prevent the hair from drying and getting brittle. Freshly ground golden flaxseeds, chia seeds, hemp seeds, walnuts and EPA/DHA is what can help with this.
   • AF Betafood. This is a natural liver and gallbladder decongestant, which also has the nutrients needed to help hair grow.
   • Xun Ma, also known as Nettle Leaf, is a herbaceous perennial flowering plant. In Chinese medicine it is thought to be effective in treating male and female pattern baldness. 2 dropperfuls per day is recommended.
   • Hibiscus rosa-sinesis is marketed widely in India for hair growth. An older 2003 study on mice showed positive effects on hair follicles, but no studies have been done in humans. I regularly make hibiscus tea (2 teaspoons) in the morning.
   • He Shou Wu (Fo Ti) – This is the most well known tonic for regrowing hair, making hair black again and supporting the liver and kidneys. It can be consumed in tincture (2 dropperfuls per day) or powdered form (1 tsp daily).
   • Shu Di Huang (Rehmannia). This is one of the most revered Chinese herbs. Together with He Shou Wu, they can be very powerful for helping hair. Alcohol free glycerin form (2 dropperfuls per day).
8. Get regular acupuncture. I cannot stress this enough. Acupuncture helps to stimulate new growth and promotes the proper functioning of the organs.
9. Use a 7-star needle or derma roller on problem areas. Here is a video on how to use the 7 star needle on the head. 3-5 times per week can be very helpful for helping new hair grow.
10. Hair and scalp massage. This is similar to the last one. In a small 2016 study, healthy Japanese men who received 4 minutes of scalp massage each day for 24 weeks had thicker hair at the end of the study. Research from 2019 also found that scalp massages were associated with self-perceived improvements in hair density.
11. Red light laser hair treatment has been approved by the FDA for stimulating new hair growth. This works very well in conjunction with making sure the body has the right rebuilding materials (minerals and vitamins).
12. Essential oil blend. Essential oils can be very helpful for stimulating new hair growth. In 1999 a team of researchers at Aberdeen university discovered that an essential oil blend applied to the scalp can help to regrow hair.  86 patients were divided into two groups and over a seven-month period, one group massaged an essential oil blend onto their scalps daily for two minutes while another group did the same thing with only the carrier oils jojoba and grapeseed. At the end of the study, 19 of the 43 patients in the active group demonstrated significantly improved hair growth while only six of the 41 patients in the control group showed improvement. One man in the active group grew a full head of hair after being completely bald. The recipe used in the study is as follows.

• cedarwood essential oil – 2 drops
• thyme essential oil – 2 drops
• rosemary essential oil – 3 drops
• lavender essential oil – 3 drops
• frankincense essential oil – 4 drops
• jojoba carrier oil – ½ teaspoon
• coconut or olive carrier oil – 4 teaspoons ( I prefer coconut or olive to grapeseed)

13. Onion juice – A 2014 study showed that the use of onion juice as a topical treatment resulted in significantly more regrowth than just tap water in people with patchy alopecia areata. You can do the same with ginger oil or cinnamon oil. Just rub it in once or twice per day for a good while.
14. Stop smoking. A 2020 study of 1,000 men found that the majority of those who smoked had some amount of hair loss, compared with less than half of the participants who didn’t smoke.
15. Be aware that certain medications contribute to hair loss. Examples include:

• chemotherapy and radiation treatments
• blood thinners (anticoagulants)
• depression medications
• medications used to treat high blood pressure
• heart medications
• gout medications
• isotretinoin (Accutane), an acne treatment

These things above should go a long way towards helping to restore hair loss after covid, build back thicker hair and make the hair darker again. People are so deficient in nutrients these days, which contribute to all kinds of hair issues. I hope this helps and feel free to reach out if you have any questions.