Koala bears know something we don't.

Koalas consume eucalyptus leaves and bark from 12 different eucalyptus tree species.  According to a study in Japan, applying Eucalyptus extract lotion to the scalp improved hair health. They demonstrated that a long-term topical application of Eucalyptus extract on human scalp has improved physical factors, which determine the appearance, elasticity, luster, bounce and manageability of hair.  Who would have thought!


Since I'm a very curious nerd, I went out and got a bottle of Nature's Alchemy Eucalyptus essential oil and added 15 drops to all of my scalp treatments.  It has a very strong minty/Vicks smell and you have to make sure you dilute it: essential oil should never be put on the skin straight up.


I must say that in 4 weeks, the new hair growing in is much stronger and less peach fuzz looking.   There are some products out there that take advantage of what the cute Koala's already know.  I think the new John Frieda Root Awakening line features Eucalyptus extract and they are offering a 7 day guarantee on their line to "Wake up Tired and Weak Hair."  You can get 3 other free products from the line if the Root Awakening doesn't work for you. 


I have not used them but any of you enterprising beauty junkie's up for the challenge?


http://www.johnfrieda.com/products/ra_guarantee.asp

Shikai Henna Gold Highlighting Shampoo and Conditioner

Drugstore.com reviewers I blame you for making me buy this shampoo. All your glowing reviews and swooning over the "gives me highlights this" and "radiant glow that." This bottle now takes up valuable space in my shower without getting much love from moi. 

I have been trying to use things with less chemicals in general in them, so this is why I sprang for this.  The shampoo is clear and sort of light yellow.  To me it smells like Vaseline... (not good).  While it lathers up fine, the problems start after you rinse out.  No shine to speak of. No body. No highlights seen anywhere. 

The conditioner was not it's shampoo's better half.  Used together it made less of a frizzy mess of my hair but it also is just, well: so, so.

Shikai,  I suggest you change this product's logo from "turn on the lights" to "turn off the lights, please."

DHT is the big bad wolf

I thought I would pass this along to you guys, this doctor really gets into the nitty gritty of it.  I have highlighted some of it, enjoy!

How You Can Prevent Hair Loss

August 25, 2009 by Dr. Al Sears,

copied from http://www.mypureradiance.com/how-you-can-prevent-hair-loss/

Most men and women watch their hair slowly thin with age. It is one of the most apparent signals of your age to people you meet. But you may be in the first generation of men that can actually do something about it.
We do not lose our hair because of wear and tear from the environment. New scientific discoveries have led to a very important revelation about why hair thins with age. Your hair falls out on command – commands from hormones. The secret to keeping a naturally thick, lustrous, full head of hair is to change that hormonal command.

We have known for some time that male hormones were involved. They provide a genetically programmed signal for hair thinning to begin and they control how it progresses as you age. Convention made a big mistake, however, in blaming testosterone. As it turns out high testosterone levels throughout life can protect you from hair loss.

The real culprit has turned out to be a different male hormone called dihydrotestosterone or DHT. This hormone also exists in women where it also causes hair loss. In fact, most women I’ve treated with the pattern of receding hair lines and hair thinning over the crown have high DHT levels in their blood.

I have seen high blood levels of DHT induce hair loss in young athletes who abuse anabolic steroids. In some cases, there was not a genetic predisposition to baldness. When we employ strategies to lower DHT, their hair loss stops.

You can use these same strategies to lower your DHT. They have been recently proven to reduce hair loss, preserve your current head of hair or even induce new hair growth.


You may have seen ads for the prescription drug Propecia. It has been a significant balding treatment breakthrough. Propecia has been associated with a number of side effects though. It’s also very expensive, is not covered by most health insurances and has not been approved for women.

There are safer, less expensive natural alternatives that can do the same thing. In fact, they can work by exactly the same mechanism.  Propecia works by blocking the conversion of testosterone to DHT. This is the perfect point of attack. It has the effect of both decreasing DHT and increasing testosterone. Propecia inhibits the enzyme 5-alpha-reductase necessary for this conversion. A number of plant-based nutrients also inhibit this enzyme.


Testosterone: Notice the 4,5 double-bond on the A (leftmost) ring.

Testosterone Changes to DHT: Notice the double bond is missing…

The most powerful nutrient to block the conversion of testosterone to DHT is beta-sitosterol. Beta-sitosterol has been proven to inhibit 5-alpha-reductase from converting testosterone into DHT.

A study published by the Journal of Alternative and Complimentary Medicine examined beta-sitosterol’s effectiveness in blocking the production of DHT. The study analyzed men between the ages of 23 and 64 with hair loss.

The participants either received beta-sitosterol or a placebo. The researchers found that 60% of the men receiving beta-sitosterol had an improvement in hair growth. They also lost less hair than the placebo group.¹ A softgel containing B-sitosterol 50mg and saw palmetto 200mg extract versus placebo in treating hair loss was used.

You can also find beta-sitosterol in a few herbs at health food stores: saw palmetto, pygeum bark extract and in pumpkin seeds.

Another important nutrient is gamma linolenic acid (GLA). It is an essential fatty acid found in natural plant oils. It is difficult to obtain healthy amounts through diet alone.

Gamma linolenic acid is a proven 5-alpha-reductase inhibitor.  


The Journal of Investigative Dermatology published one well-known study, researchers tested GLA’s efficacy on hamsters. GLA successfully inhibited the 5-alpha-reductase  converting testosterone into DHT.²
Like most health issues, good nutrition serves as the foundation. Stress, drugs of abuse, bad health habits and prescription drugs aggravate the problem and can accelerate the loss of hair.

6 Tips For Keeping Your Hair Youthful

• Eat a healthy, high protein diet
• Avoid too much stress
• Do not use illegal drugs
• Avoid prescription drugs
• Limit hat wearing
• Take a multivitamin

New technologies are rapidly emerging that will change the way older men look.  better hair grafts to hormonal manipulation to new prescription drugs, the options have changed useless, vain and troublesome snake oils to a powerful armamentarium that can have a real effect.

Growing real hair takes time. There are no immediate solutions for a return of natural hair growth. But, if you have patience, you can expect to make a difference by sticking to a well thought out strategy.

  
 Do guys have any questions?
                                      

So you want to grow hair?

If you are nodding your head yes at the computer then keep reading. The first thing I will say is that there are literally 100's of reasons you could be losing your crowning glory and being informed is the first step. There's the "H" word you thought you left behind in high school: Hormones. Let's talk about women first. Our hormones tend to do a more complex dance in our bodies (think reproduction). Yet, the top reasons for female and male hair loss are the same: Testosterone.

Androgen hormones include testosterone, androsteinedione, and dihydrotestosterone (DHT) -- all of which are made in a male body in large amounts, and in a woman's body in small amounts. I'll spare you the nerd soapbox explaining these in detail. But one thing we know for sure testosterone in both sexes breaks down to DHT that attaches to the hair follicle and causing it to shrink and then perhaps die.

The next hormone that significantly influences hair growth is our thyroid hormones (T3+ T4). If you have hair loss, fatigue, cold intolerance and brittle hair you could have a thyroid problem. Studies already led to the belief that hair loss is the result of decreased metabolism in the scale follicles of people with low levels of thyroid hormone, resulting in early release of the hair shaft and root. Hair that is brittle, has split ends and breaks has been observed to correlate with low thyroid levels. Many physicians and dermatologists diagnose low thyroid based solely on early graying of the hair and the loss of hairs from the outer ends of the eyebrows.

Females should also make sure all their other hormones are in balance like Estrogen, Progesterone and DHEAS. The first step is to get tested for all of the above and make sure than even if you given medication that you work up to a level that is effective. You may want to look into seeing an Endocrinologist, they specialize in the study of hormones and metabolism in our bodies.

I spent three years researching all of this so I could be informed about how to help myself. I will be posting my regimen on how I helped myself tackle these things and more. I hope this helped!