Can ginger, Polygonum multiflorum and black sesame really help grow dark hair?

“People born in the 1990s have already started losing their hair!”

Regardless of how much joking and exaggeration this sentence contains, the heavy pressure of working during the day and paying off the final payment at night has made the generations born in the 1970s to 1990s pay more and more attention to their hair. At the same time, the age of gray hair is constantly moving forward in sync with the receding hairline.

Many people expect to rely on the wisdom of their ancestors to relieve and deal with the troubles caused by the three thousand strands of hair. Ancient methods such as "rubbing ginger on the scalp can promote hair growth, soaking Polygonum multiflorum in wine, and two spoons of black sesame seeds a day can turn gray hair back to black" have directly boosted the sales of related ingredients. However, from the perspective of modern science, are these "folk remedies" really effective?

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01

Why does one's hair turn gray prematurely overnight?

The appearance of physiological gray hair is related to age. It is due to the degeneration and disappearance of melanocytes in the hair follicles where gray hair grows. The ability of melanocytes to produce melanin also decreases, so the hair growing from this hair follicle will not contain melanin. Generally speaking, gray hair will begin to appear in the temporal region at the age of 30-40, gradually spreading to the top and occipital region. By the age of 50, at least 50% of the hair of 50% of the population will turn gray. The premature appearance of gray hair in adolescents is a pigment disorder, and its exact cause is still unclear. Studies have shown that some patients with premature gray hair have a family history of similar diseases.

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Although hair can regenerate, melanocytes that have died or lost their activity in hair follicles cannot regenerate, so once gray hair begins to appear, the already formed gray hair cannot be turned black again by drug treatment. Human hair is based on a single hair follicle. Plucking the white hair from the hair follicle can only make it temporarily invisible to the naked eye, but the hair follicle can regenerate new hair. When the new hair grows out, it will still be white hair without melanin.

The saying "If you pull out one white hair, ten will grow back" has no scientific basis. The number of white hair increases year by year because with age, more and more melanocytes in the hair follicles begin to age and lose the ability to produce pigment, which is why you have a head full of silver hair.

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02

It is a bit difficult to turn the black sesame and Polygonum multiflorum back to black

Gray hair is a physiological phenomenon that causes hair to turn white or gray due to the loss or loss of pigment in the hair. It is a manifestation of the aging and loss of activity of melanocytes. In addition to hair dyeing, there is no clear experimental evidence that any food or drug can increase the content of melanin in hair follicles, so whether black sesame and Polygonum multiflorum can really turn gray hair black remains to be discussed. However, black sesame is rich in unsaturated fatty acids and proteins required for hair growth. Like other foods rich in unsaturated fatty acids and proteins, it helps hair growth.

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03

More than 100 hairs are lost per day

It's time to sound the hair loss alarm

Hair has a growth cycle, including three different stages: growth phase, regression phase and resting phase. In a normal scalp, 90%-95% of the hair follicles are in the growth phase, while the remaining (5%-10%) are in the resting phase. These resting hairs will eventually fall off after a period of time. Under normal physiological conditions, the rate of hair loss is about 50 to 100 strands per day, and this number will also vary due to individual differences and seasonal differences. If you find that you are losing more than 100 strands of hair per day, you need to pay attention.

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In fact, there are many different reasons for hair loss, mainly telogen effluvium, androgenic alopecia, alopecia areata, etc. In addition, different changes in metabolic states, such as pregnancy, excessive dieting, and long-term mental stress can cause a large number of hairs in the growth phase to abnormally enter the resting phase at the same time and fall off from the scalp.

0 4

What to do if you suddenly become bald?

See a doctor first

If the hair loss is small and lasts for a short period of time, we can try to improve it by adjusting our lifestyle and diet. However, if the hair loss continues for a long time and gradually worsens, it is recommended to go to the hospital and ask the doctor for a clear diagnosis so that symptomatic treatment can be given to avoid delaying the disease.

In clinical work, the most common type of hair loss is telogen effluvium, which is often related to systemic diseases (major surgical operations, severe infections, systemic lupus erythematosus, endocrine diseases, etc.) or changes in physiological status (such as pregnancy, hunger, dieting, low-protein diet, severe and long-term mental stress, etc.). If the patient's telogen effluvium is caused by changes in physiological status, the hair loss situation can be improved by finding the cause of the disease that suits them and changing their lifestyle. In addition, some patients suffer from androgenic alopecia, which is more common in men. Most of these patients have a family history of genetic diseases, and they cannot stop the course of the disease by simply changing their lifestyle and eating habits. They still need to go to the hospital for formal treatment.

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Some rumored hair growth secrets should be treated with caution, such as the well-known "rubbing ginger on the scalp", which is actually very unreliable. Scientific research has confirmed that 6-gingerol, an extract of ginger, inhibits hair growth. Foreign studies have also tried to add this ginger extract to depilatory creams, so rubbing ginger on the scalp will actually reduce the amount of hair.

05

The details are done to make the hair black and thick

Hair follicles are the only organs in mammals that can regenerate permanently. In addition to protecting the scalp and resisting heat loss, hair also has important social functions. Hair damage or loss can lead to depression, sadness and social dysfunction, so people are willing to spend a lot of energy and money on hair decoration and maintenance.

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In fact, we can prevent hair loss from daily life. In daily life, we should pay attention to the combination of work and rest, relax our mood, try to avoid staying up late and long-term mental stress, and avoid excessive physical exercise. We should also pay attention to the maintenance and care of hair. Avoid combing too tight braids for a long time and frequent perming and dyeing. The temperature when using the hair dryer should not be too hot. Use conditioner on the ends of the hair after shampooing, pay attention to sun protection of hair, and use a comb with sparse teeth and round head. In terms of diet, we should take in a balanced intake of various nutrients, do not diet to lose weight, and eat more foods rich in unsaturated fatty acids, protein, iron, zinc, calcium, copper, and iodine. All aspects have been noticed. In fact, it is not too difficult to have black and thick hair.

Author | Chen Xue, attending physician at Beijing Tongren Hospital, Capital Medical University

Review | Cheng Fang, Deputy Chief Physician, Dermatology Department, Xingtai People's Hospital

This article is produced by the "Science Rumor Refutation Platform" (ID: Science_Facts). Please indicate the source when reprinting.

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