Evidence for and against Homeopathy as a Treatment for Hair Loss

Homeopathy falls under complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) as opposed to modern medicine. And there has been a lot of debate on which is better for what, which is more effective, and so on. Before we get into the effectivenes of homeopathy in treating hair loss, it is important to point out for the sake of fairness that there are two opposing views regarding the efficacy of homeopathy as a whole. Believers swear by it, and there are others who think it’s a sham. This is an attempt at putting down some facts that might help you decide for yourself.

Homeopathy falls under the Alternative Medical System of CAM. Ayurveda, naturopathy and acupuncture are the other three. Now, the question of does homeopathy work for hair growth or not can also be argued by drawing conclusions. For instance, a medicine system, if it was not effective, wouldn’t have lasted 200 centuries and survived the modern, scientific world. The most frequently complementary medicines used by patients to treat their dermatological diseases in UK have been reported as homeopathy, herbalism, diets, and food supplements. In a research conducted in the UK, approx. 87% of respondents with skin and hair-related issues claimed improvement with homeoopathy use.  Allopathy uses chemicals like minoxidil and finasteride for treating hair loss. But CAM like homeopathy do not contain chemicals and relies on plant extracts and minerals to treat a problem. 

Now, the important question to ask here is can hair loss be treated naturally? 

Many plants or their extracts are widely used to prevent hair loss and treat alopecia (e.g., androgenetic alopecia, alopecia areata, or traction alopecia) worldwide. And it’s not without a reason. A 2018 study revealed that a diet containing raw vegetables and fresh herbs, like the Mediterranean diet, may reduce the risk of androgenic alopecia (female pattern baldness or male pattern baldness) or slow its onset. Additionally, multivitamins like vitamins A, B, C, D, and iron, selenium and zinc, known to promote hair growth, are found in natural ingredients. Speaking of natural ingredients, Aloe vera, tea tree oil, arnica, shea butter etc promote scalp health and help hair follicles. And these are widely used in homeopathy formulations. For instance, Founders Homeopathy has a range of hair-care products that are made from all-natural ingredients like Argan Oil, Rosemary Oil, Calendula, Aloe Vera etc. You can check it out here https://www.foundershomeopathy.com/collections/shop-now/products/fall-regrowth-full-package

Homeopathic medicines are individualized, and selected based on the individual case history of the patient, by taking into consideration the cause like hormonal imbalance, nutritional factors, emotional stress, the nature of the patient, and other factors which may be acting as a cause in hair loss. Besides the ingredients, it’s the approach to the treatment of homeopathy that makes it work. Hair loss can be genetic, lifestyle-related, or from other illnesses or treatments like radiation therapy. Thus, the solution or the mode of treatment needs to vary as per the cause. Instead of a one-size fit solution, homeopathy treatment is often highly individualised. Because of its holistic nature, a homeopath takes into consideration various internal and external factors of the patient before prescribing a formulation, thus getting to the root of the problem.  Having said that there are obviously counter-views that claim that homeopathy is ineffective. The big bone of contention is that homeopathy fails the Evidence-Based Medicine (EBM) criteria. As an alternative medicine, it’s safe to say that the parameters of judgement will differ from that of allopathy. Secondly, homeopathy posits that substances diluted beyond Avogadro’s limit can have therapeutic effects beyond placebo, a statement contradicted by the scientific world. There are modern/allopathy medicines for hair loss and they work fine. Except for the fact that they come with side effects, whereas homeopathy medicines do not have any side effects but the trade-off is, it’s not a proven science.

So pick your side or try out both and see what works for you.