Healthy Hair with Traditional Chinese Medicine

by Maureen M. Conant, L.Ac

“...The most important thing that I have to say today is that hair matters”— Hillary Clinton, in her commencement address to Yale Law School graduates in 2001.

Hillary is right, hair does matter. The way you cut, color, or take care of your hair says a lot about your personal style and makes a statement to the world. Hair is an accessory. Hair also has function. It keeps us warm in the winter and helps protect our scalp.

Hair is an interesting phenomenon. A bad hair day can literally ruin your day. An awkward haircut lasts even longer and evolves into a horribly slow grow out phase. We are fascinated by hair. Just mention Donald Trump and most certainly the topic of his hair will come up. We spend lots of money on products, services, partial foils, extensions, Rogaine, etc.

Hair trends come and go. Big hair, perms, mullets, bangs, etc. The list of mistakes is endless. Who can forget the unfortunate 'hair band' phenomenon in the late 80s/early 90s?

The stories of Sampson and Delilah, and Cleopatra, illustrate some of the ways hair has influenced us historically. Hair made a political and social statement in the 60s. Long locks meant Freedom, Peace, and Rebellion. Go rent the musical “Hair” and see what you missed out on.

Whether or not the way your hair looks is as important to you as it is to Hillary Clinton, most of us want a healthy, shiny, full head of hair. Often times though, a lot of people suffer from various hair complaints: alopecia (hair loss), dry hair, thinning hair, dull hair, premature graying, and hairlines that creep higher and higher.

Hair quality and quantity are a reflection of internal health. Hair strength, rate of growth, and thickness all depend on the quality of your internal organs and vital substances.

Using the tools that Traditional Chinese Medicine has to offer, (acupuncture, herbal medicine and nutritional adjustments) your hair can be strong, healthy, shiny, and it will grow quickly. In addition, over time, hair loss and premature graying can be minimized.

According to Traditional Chinese Medical diagnosis, the organs that influence the quality of hair are the liver and kidney. Ancient Chinese medical texts state that the strength of your kidneys manifest on the head hair and that the hair is also an extension or surplus of the liver blood.

These terms can be confusing or sound strange and should only be used in the context of Traditional Chinese medicine. If this article is your first exposure to Chinese medicine, you should realize that it has a system of diagnosis and treatment quite different from what you may have learned in anatomy and physiology or from your family doctor.

If the liver blood and kidney essence is plentiful, then the hair is thick, healthy, and retains its color. Symptoms of a deficiency in liver blood can include: pale complexion, dizziness, dry, dull skin and hair, and fatigue. Kidney essence can loosely be translated as our genetic material and our energy reservoir. The kidney system influences metabolism, growth, reproduction, hormonal and nervous systems. Some indications of weak kidney essence are: weak bones, poor teeth, deafness, impotence, infertility, exhaustion, and poor quality hair.

As we age, the energy and vital substances (blood, essence, fluids) of the liver and kidney naturally decline. This causes hair to become thinner, more brittle, lose its color, and recede or fall out. Some of us age faster than others, either due to a congenital weakness or because we live or party too hard and burn ourselves out. In this case, the blood, energy and substances we do have are going to be used to nourish our internal vital organs first, which means there is less left over to nourish our hair, skin, and nails. There are ways to help preserve and increase our energy, blood and essence with acupuncture, herbal medicine, nutrition, and other lifestyle adjustments.

A very famous Chinese herb, Polygonum multiflorum, or He Shou Wu, which literally means, "Mr. He's black hair" is used to keep hair from turning gray and can even reverse the graying of hair. An old tale, which has several different versions, tells the story of old Mr. He who had gray hair and other health problems. He started taking the special herb which grew wild in the forest, near a mountain. After time, his hair had turned from gray to black, his health improved, he fathered many children, and lived to the ripe age of 160 years old. Since then, the herb has been named after him. The reason Chinese herbalists use he shou wu for longevity, hair loss, and premature graying is because the herb is classified in the Chinese pharmacopeia as a kidney, liver, and blood tonic. As always, leave the herbal prescribing to the health care professional, this is just a general discussion and is not to be taken as medical advice.

In addition, there are things in your kitchen cupboard that can help nourish your hair through nutrition. Black sesame seeds and black beans are both considered kidney and liver tonics, used to help 'blacken' the hair. Overall, basic good nutrition is important to nourish your body and improve the quality of your hair.

For some of us, going to get your hair 'done' at a fun salon (heck, make a whole day of it and throw in a pedicure or facial!) is a ritual, a stress reliever, a social gathering with girlfriends, or a way to feel good in times of crisis. Some hair stylists can perform miracles with our hair and we feel great. But you don’t need a miraculous stylist for great hair. By paying more attention to your health, along with the help of Chinese medicine, your hair can look great naturally when you start from the inside out!

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