Dieting to lose weight can lead to hair loss and gray hair! Chinese medicine doctor Wu Mingzhu: Hair-nourishing eggs, black bean tea, and acupoint conditioning for self-help

Hair loss is a common problem for both men and women. It is shocking to see handfuls of fallen hair on the comb or on the ground! In particular, improper weight loss diet and neglect of starch and protein intake may lead to hair loss due to unbalanced nutrition. Chinese medicine practitioners say that to prevent severe hair loss, or even gray hair, it is recommended to consume hair-nourishing eggs, black bean tea, and there are appropriate hair-nourishing acupoints that must be pressed according to the different parts of the hair loss.

A normal scalp has at least 100,000 hair follicles. Losing 50 to 100 hairs per day is within a reasonable range. If hair loss is too severe, prevention is necessary. The causes of hair loss include seasonal changes, environmental influences, endocrine system, bad living habits, staying up late, frequent hair perming and dyeing, drug effects, and improper weight loss dieting.

Hair loss is divided into physiological and pathological

Physiological causes of hair loss

Physiological hair loss - healthy hair follicles are affected by external factors, causing them to stop growing temporarily, such as postpartum hair loss, vitamin deficiency, excessive stress, family heredity (male baldness), and weight loss.

The theoretical principles of Traditional Chinese Medicine for hair care: nourish the kidney and replenish essence, replenish qi and blood, dredge the liver and gallbladder, harmonize the spleen and stomach, and replenish qi and nourish the lungs.

Causes of Pathological Hair Loss

Pathological hair loss - damaged hair follicles cannot grow hair, such as inflamed hair follicles, pustules, scars, or chronic diseases such as chemotherapy and autoimmune system abnormalities.

Traditional Chinese Medicine: Hair is closely related to the kidneys, liver, spleen and stomach

Hair is one of the fastest growing tissues in the body and any nutritional deficiencies will show up quickly. Similarly, Chinese medicine practitioner Wu Mingzhu said that according to Chinese medicine theory, hair is the "residue of blood" and the "flower of the kidneys", and hair is closely related to the kidneys, liver, spleen and stomach. The liver stores blood. When the liver blood is sufficient, the hair is nourished and not prone to hair loss. The spleen is responsible for transportation and transformation, and distributes the essence of water and grain to the hair. Sufficient kidney qi is the basis for healthy hair.

Long-term picky eating or excessive weight loss can cause nutritional imbalance; because the spleen is the source of Qi and blood, and is the foundation of acquired constitution. If improper weight loss leads to a weak spleen and lack of Qi and blood, the spleen will not be able to take care of the extremities or skin and hair, so the hair will be fragile and easy to fall, and a large amount of hair loss will occur after washing.

How does Traditional Chinese Medicine treat hair loss and graying hair?

The theoretical principles of Traditional Chinese Medicine for hair care: nourish the kidney and replenish essence, replenish qi and blood, dredge the liver and gallbladder, harmonize the spleen and stomach, and replenish qi and nourish the lungs. Only when the kidney essence is sufficient, the Qi and blood are abundant, and the Qi flow in the meridians is unobstructed, can healthy hair be grown.

Some patients with hair loss suffer from excessive consumption of fatty and sweet foods, excessive drinking and eating of meat, or excessive consumption of nourishing foods, which causes their constitution to become damp and turbid, which is the so-called liver and gallbladder fire and damp-heat constitution. This kind of constitution should not be supplemented randomly. For patients with hair loss who have dampness and heat in their bodies, if they take tonics for a long time, not only will their hair not grow, but it will also aggravate oily secretion and hair loss.

Therefore, older people have more white hair, which is the natural depletion of kidney essence and requires regulation of the five internal organs. Young people whose hair turns gray or falls out prematurely have a high proportion of dampness and heat in their blood, so they need to carefully identify their constitution and regulate their hair to avoid excessive gray hair and hair loss, which will become uncontrollable.

Chinese medicine hair care tea, acupuncture points, and medicinal food

Chinese medicine practitioner Wu Mingzhu recommends the following hair care teas, acupuncture points, and medicinal foods, providing people with hair loss and gray hair with a step-by-step guide to help strengthen their hair.

Hair Care Eggs

Ingredients: 1 liang of Polygonum multiflorum, 5 qian of Polygonatum sibiricum, 3 qian of longan, 1 qian of dried tangerine peel, 2 eggs, and appropriate amount of water.

Preparation method: Add water to the medicinal materials and cook together. After the eggs are cooked, peel the eggs and simmer for another 30 minutes. Eat the eggs and drink the soup.

Efficacy: Suitable for people suffering from premature graying of hair, excessive hair loss, and premature aging due to blood deficiency and physical weakness.

Hair-nourishing black bean tea can nourish hair and help hair growth. For those who suffer from excessive internal heat, insomnia, weak waist and knees, and weak muscles and bones, it can increase kidney yin, clear blood heat and qi stagnation to nourish kidney yin and help hair growth.

Hair care black bean tea

Ingredients: 1 liang of black beans, 5 qian of Poria cocos, 3 qian of wolfberry, 3 qian of Eclipta prostrata, 3 qian of Ligustrum lucidum, 1.5 qian of licorice, and 5 bowls of water.

Method: Boil for about half an hour and eat with the soup residue. Take once a day for 60 days.

Efficacy: This product can nourish hair and help hair growth. For those who suffer from excessive internal heat, insomnia, weak waist and knees, and weak muscles and bones, it can strengthen kidney yin, clear blood heat and qi stagnation to nourish kidney yin and help hair growth.

Hair care points

Premature graying of hair and hair loss in different parts of the head indicate different health problems:

1. Top of the head - related to the Jueyin Liver Meridian and Governor Vessel

Select acupoints: Baihui, Sishencong, Sanyinjiao, Taichong.

Baihui: Sitting upright, located at the intersection of the midline of the head and the line connecting the two ear tips;

Si Shen Cong: On the top of the head, 1 inch in front and behind Baihui, left and right, a total of four points;

Sanyinjiao: On the inner side of the calf, 3 inches above the tip of the medial malleolus, behind the inner edge of the tibia (the point is 4 horizontal fingers directly above the tip of the medial malleolus). Taichong: on the dorsum of the foot, in the depression behind the first metatarsal space.

Acupoint manipulation: Use finger kneading or finger pressure method, use the tip of your thumb to knead or press the above-mentioned acupoints, press each acupoint 20 times, until you feel soreness and swelling, 2-3 times a day.

2. Forehead - related to Yangming Meridian and spleen and stomach

Select acupoints: Zusanli, Hegu, Shenting, Touwei.

Zusanli: On the front and outer side of the lower leg, 3 inches below the outer kneecap, one horizontal finger (middle finger) away from the anterior edge of the tibia.

Shenting: On the head, 0.5 inches directly above the center of the current hairline.

Touwei: On the side of the head, 0.5 inches above the hairline at the corner of the forehead and 4.5 inches away from the midline of the head.

Hegu: On the back of the hand, between the 1st and 2nd metacarpal bones, at the midpoint of the radial side of the 2nd metacarpal bone (put the thumb and index finger together and locate the acupoint at the highest point of the muscle).

Acupoint manipulation: Use finger kneading or finger pressure method, use the tip of your thumb to knead or press the above-mentioned acupoints, press each acupoint 20 times, until you feel soreness and swelling, 2-3 times a day.

3. Temples - related to the Shaoyang Gallbladder Meridian

Selected acupoints: Luegu, Yanglingquan, Zhongzhu.

Yanglingquan: Located on the outer side of the calf, obliquely below the outer knee pit, in the depression slightly anterior to the head of the fibula.

Zhongzhu: On the back of the hand, behind the metacarpophalangeal joint, in the depression between the 4th and 5th metacarpal bones.

Shuigu: Located on the human head, 1.5 inches directly above the hairline from the tip of the ear, directly above the corner of the eye.

Acupoint manipulation: Use finger kneading or finger pressure to knead or press the above-mentioned acupoints with the tip of your thumb. Press each acupoint 20 times until you feel soreness and swelling. Do this 2-3 times a day.

4. Occipital region - related to the bladder meridian and closely connected to the kidneys

Select acupoints: Shenshu, Taixi, and Fengchi.

Taixi: Sit upright or lie on your back, at the middle of the posterior edge of the medial malleolus and the anterior edge of the Achilles tendon, level with the tip of the medial malleolus.

Shenshu: On the waist, below the spinous process of the second lumbar vertebra, 1.5 inches (about two horizontal fingers) to the left and right.

Fengchi: On the neck, below the occipital bone, in the depression between the sternocleidomastoid muscle and the upper end of the trapezius muscle.

Acupoint manipulation: Use the finger kneading method to press and knead the above-mentioned acupoints with the tip of your thumb. Press and knead each acupoint 20 times until you feel soreness and swelling. Do this 2-3 times a day.

Chinese medicine practitioner Wu Mingzhu finally reminded that there are many causes of hair loss and gray hair. The above introduction is not applicable to all people with hair loss and gray hair. You still need to seek professional Chinese medicine diagnosis, find the source and prescribe the right medicine.