Is your skin telling you to Detox?

Is Your Skin Telling You to Detox?

Our bodies are magnificent machines, making sure all of our organ systems, breathing patterns and energy functions are correctly working behind the scenes to keep us alive.  We don’t consciously think about when to breathe, how fast our heart beats or when to filter acidic substances through our kidneys, it’s all part of the built in regulatory system.  So when something is not functioning at it’s highest capacity, compensations are made to make up for it.  It’s survival of the fittest and we have been equipped to overcome some harsh conditions or threats that we expose ourselves to on a daily basis. We have been designed to survive and given the right materials, we have the capability to protect and heal ourselves from the inside out.  What we put in our bodies directly impacts the output.  

You wouldn’t expect a house built of cardboard to withstand the seasonal changes, or provide support and structure for your family, nor would you put sugar water in your car’s gas tank an expect it to take you very far - so why is it the norm to put over processed, sugary filled substances in our bodies and expect it to work?  It doesn’t.  Much like when your house starts showing signs of repairs needed; the roof, the windows, the basement flood, or your car starts telling you that your oil needs changed, your gas is low or the engine light comes on, our bodies have a similar signalling system.  But have you been listening, looking and feeling the signs?  Or are you riding out the light in your car hoping it will go away?

Seven Main Detoxification Pathways

• Liver
• Kidneys
• Lungs
• Lymphatic System
• Blood 
• Bowels
• Skin

If any of the systems are failing to function at its highest capacity, the workload get passed on putting extra stress on the other systems who already have a full daily workload.

The Liver

The liver is one of the hardest working organs in the entire body, and in my opinion, one of the most underrated and highly abused.  It is the most important detoxification organ in your body and performs over 500 functions.  Just re-read that last part and take it in.  Your liver is the most important detoxification organ in your body and performs over 500 functions.  

I hear time and time again from people that they don’t drink so they don’t think they should have to worry about their liver.  Your liver was around long before alcoholic beverages were consumed.  Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease is one of the most common and growing conditions with a 75% risk factor in overweight/obese Canadians.  Not only does your liver filter almost everything you put in your body, it aids in making digestive enzymes, hormones, regulates your energy system, manufactures proteins and produces, stores and transports fat.  If the liver is overburdened, fat synthesis and storage increases and is stored within itself leading to fatty liver disease.  Even people who are not overweight or obese are at risk of developing this if they constantly overwhelm their bodies with toxins, chemicals, preservatives, pesticides, herbicides, synthetics and a lack of nutrients.  Lack of movement and proper hydration will also cause stagnation and lead to the recycling of wastes, not elimination. 

The Kidneys

Wastes are excreted most efficiently from the kidneys and bowels.  Ensuring that we are having a well formed, easy to move bowel movement two to three times a day and our pee is a nice clear/faint yellow colour throughout the day, is a good indicated that we are eliminating properly. In the mornings it is normal to have a more concentrated yellow colour because during the night our body is in recovery mode, but continuing that throughout the day is a sign that we are not hydrated.  The kidneys, along with the lungs are the great acid/base balancers.  Excess acidity in the body leads to degeneration and leeches precious minerals like calcium, magnesium and vitamin D from the bones to aid in repair of tissues.  Gout is among one of the biggest complaints that is plaguing our society today, largely due to our over processed (acidic), over indulgent, over caffeinated and stressful lifestyles.  Consuming adequate water intake and a highly nutritious diet will help improve the elimination pathway of the kidneys.

The Lungs

The lungs are another great pathway to eliminate wastes as we breathe in oxygen rich air, which assists energy production and function and exhaling carbon dioxide, one of the waste products of metabolism.  Constant inhalation of toxic substances such as air pollution, cigarette/e-smokes and recirculated air in planes and office buildings reduce the efficiency of the lungs detoxification. 

The Lymph

The lymphatic system is closely tied to our cardiovascular system, filtering wastes and combating and defending our body against things like bacteria and viruses, but it relies on movement to transport the waste to other lines of elimination.  Exercise, walking, vibrational movement and dry brushing or massage help to get the lymphatic system moving along.  Stagnation in these areas lead to inflammation and the trapped toxins and wastes (similar to the liver) contribute to many disease states, including cancer.

The Blood

The blood is your life force, it carries nutrients, transports substances, protects you against foreign invaders and repairs physical attacks (clotting) to name a few.  Lack of blood flow to an area will cause necrosis, or death to a tissue.  Many of us has experienced the bitter cold leaving our faces, finger tips and tootsies feeling numb or white during the cold months of the year with the lack of blood flow (or maybe all times of the year in many women with the cold hands and feet).  This is a preservation method we’ve come equipped with to protect the inner organs.  Unfortunately, stagnation or lack of circulation in our body will reduce the ability of our blood to carry waste products to areas like the liver, lungs, kidneys for filtration and excretion. It is incredibly important to keep your blood circulating and flowing properly.  Things like oedema (inflammation) and varicose or spider veins are signs that your blood flow and cardiovascular system is not working well.  In Traditional Chinese Medicine, poor blood circulation to the scalp is associated with thin, lifeless and dull hair. 

The Bowels

As mentioned previously, the bowels are the best lines of detoxification.  How is it do you think you lose weight when you go on a diet or exercise?  Weight doesn’t just magically disappear, the excess waste products made from shrinking fat cells and energy production are eliminated through places like your bowels and kidneys.  It is crucial to take care of your digestive system, and especially to make sure that you’re having proper, bowel movements.  Digestive disorders  such as IBS, Crohn's, Colitis and food sensitivities have been exponentially increasing in recent years and will continue to ride if we don’t address some of the issues supporting their proliferation.  

If we are not ridding our body of the waste products, they will recirculate and cause havoc.  Think about it like cleaning your dishes in the sink, and having a drain that is partially clogged (house repair sign).  You keep adding plates and bowls, but the stagnant water gets dirtier and even adding some good clean soap only masks the dirt underneath.  Maybe you give up and leave it for a day or two, letting the water sit in its own filth. Soon enough when the drain finally empties, you’re left with film and sludge that wasn’t washed away and you have more to clean.  This is what’s happening in your bowels.  If the lines were open and you could wash the dirty water away 2-3 times when doing your dishes for the day, there would be no build up, no film, no extra work for you after it was done.  Focus your attention on opening your bowels 2-3 times a day.  High fibre and pre/probiotic friendly foods like vegetables, berries, kefir, sauerkraut, nuts, seeds and fresh lemon or lime water help to facilitate movement.

The Skin

This bring us to the skin, one of the last lines of detoxification, the skin. The skin’s job in detoxification is to perspire.  Perspiration includes water as well as salts, ammonia and uric acid to name. few.  Not only is it our way of cooling down, it also is alkalizing.  Running a fever and sweating during the flu is one of the ways our body eliminates toxins automatically, but stepping into an infrared sauna or essential oil infused steam room also help our body eliminate.  Sweating increases blood flow as well as assists in the transportation of nutrients and oxygen to our skin.

If any of the lines of elimination are not working properly, the skin is the last ditch effort to purge out wastes.  That person with excess body odour may have a build up of bacteria and a blocked/stagnant lymphatic or blood system.  The red spots that look a lot like razor burn on your legs may indicate kidney issues as the blood is not able to eliminate. (apply a slight downward pressure with your fingers to the area and if the red spots clear and then come back after the pressure subsides, you may want to look at kidney drainage remedies).  Dry/Oily skin may be a lack of proper hydration, lack of omega 3 essential fatty acids or stagnant blood flow. Acne is one of the most life altering conditions, leading to emotional upset.  Acne is a clear indication of inefficient waste elimination and is largely connected to the bowels.  A lot of my clients who suffer from skin issues also suffer from digestive issues; especially constipation, gas, bloating and overall irritability.   

Where to Go Now?

Have you been ignoring the signs your body is trying to tell you?  It may be time to tune up, reset and restore yourself.  As a Certified Holistic Nutritional Consultant(TM) my focus is to help guide you through a detoxification program no matter where your starting point is and get you feeling more energetic, sleeping better and having a better quality of life through healthier living. 

Are you feeling the end of August Ugh’s? Maybe it’s time to Detox!

Although it may not feel like summer’s quite over with the incredible weather being in the 30’s, the first leaves have fallen, the days are getting shorter and this is about that time where the summer blues start to kick in.  It’s back to school, back to work and back to reality for most, with all those BBQ’s, festivals, patio drinks and camping trips a distant memory, but is there something lingering from all that overindulgence?  If you’re feeling more brain fog, sluggish, headaches and mood swings lately, or skin issues, muscle aches and gas and bloating, it may be your body telling you to start detoxing! 

Let’s get back to the classroom and learn the 5 W’s of Detoxing.

What is Detoxification?

Detoxification is a process where your body eliminates a build-up of wastes (or hot dogs and beer).  It may seem like a very intimidating word, bringing up associations like starvation, low energy, and feelings of the dreaded ‘hanger’, but have no fear, there are gentle detox solutions.  Simply by drinking an extra glass of water, you are helping flush toxins out of your body, while also keeping yourself hydrated.  In general, there’s two simple ways of detoxing.

Passive detoxification occurs without your conscious awareness.  Your body has come equipped with 7 systems of elimination.

1)      Liver

2)      Lungs

3)      Lymphatic system

4)      Blood

5)      Colon

6)      Kidneys

7)      Skin

Problems arise when one or more of these organs/systems are not working properly.  If our body cannot eliminate wastes/toxins, they will recirculate. 

Active detoxification occurs when you participate in a short of long term change in diet and/or lifestyle to address your body’s needs and focus on improving the function and quality of the systems of elimination.

Why Should I Detox?

As mentioned above, when wastes/toxins are not eliminated properly, they are recirculated in your body and that’s where problems may arise.  Let’s use an example; if you were to leave your garbage bags in your house instead of removing them, there would be a build up of unpleasantness to say the least.  The trash would start to smell, maybe leak out the bottom, soon enough you’ve attracted bugs, bacteria, mold and mildew in.  When enough bags start to accumulate, you are not able to navigate around your house as easily as before and soon enough, you might not be able to breathe properly and your own hygiene and personal health and wellbeing starts to diminish.  Soon enough you may start avoidance behavior where you don’t want to invite people over, or put a blanket over garbage bags and learn to move around them. 

Similarly, this can happen to our bodies.  By not eliminating wastes properly, we allow the build up to occur and attract bacteria and viruses and fungus, maybe we begin to accumulate symptoms of our environment and develop arthritis, allergies, IBS, and use blanket strategies such as anti-depressants, anti-anxieties, pain medications to mask the issues.  We may develop justifications for doing this, as there’s just too much work to be done.  There will always be garbage, no doubt, but let’s open the lines of elimination to where we can live comfortably in our skin and in our homes.  Were there’s no burden of working around our symptoms and we can live and move freely.  Strive to take the trash out before it overflows and you have a bigger mess to clean up.

Do you relate to any of these symptoms? 

Headaches/Migraines, Can’t Lose/Gain Weight, Depression, Loss/Increase in Appetite, Constipated/diarrhea, Skin Issues (Dry/Oily/Eczema/Psoriasis/Acne), Insomnia, Lethargic, Recurrent Cold/Flus, Arthritis, Teeth Problems, Hair Thinning/Loss, Bad Breath, Increased Body Odor, Bloating/Gas/Cramping, Aching Joints, Sinus Issues (Watery or dry, itchy eyes, swelling), Allergies

If you answered yes to 3 or more of these symptoms it may be time to participate in active detox.

When Should I Detox?

Just like getting an oil change for your car or spring cleaning your house, it is important to have regular ‘tune ups’ on your self, in body, mind, and spirit.   

I recommend actively detoxing twice a year, usually in the fall and then spring.  These are times of the year where your digestive system switches from consuming more vitamins and enzymes in the summer like fresh fruit to fuel your activities to the mineral based, grounding foods like root vegetables in soups and stews to conserve energy and heat during the winter.  Evolutionary speaking, our bodies are designed to eat seasonally with this cycle in mind, because that was the food available at the time.  It is only with our modern technology and transport that we can have kiwis and honeydew melons in December.  If you’ve had more bloating/gas/cramping or digestive upset around this time, like most people do, it’s because we’re in a transition of eating habits.  To help the process and ease the discomfort choosing to actively detox during these months where it’s not too hot and not too cold will be much gentler on your system. 

How do I Detox?

One of the simplest ways of encouraging the detoxification process is by having a glass of lukewarm, fresh squeezed lemon (or lime) water in the morning.  It starts the digestive process off and immediately hydrates and wakes you up in the morning.  Lemons and limes are extremely alkalizing to the body and full of antioxidants designed to neutralize toxins, they’re kind of like the superhero of fruit.  On the outside, it seems like an average fruit, but on the inside, is an incredible crime fighting force.  Continuing with fresh squeezed lemon or lime water throughout the day greatly enhances your anti-tox powers!

For a more active program, you can go through the shelves at any health food store and find tons of books, boxes, and pills designed to detox your system.   Programs may last a couple days to months and can range from beginner to The Master Cleanse, but how do you know what is right for you?  When choosing to actively participate in a detox program it is important to have a plan and guidance.  Although there are many fantastic detox kits on the market, what is right for one person, may not be for the next.  Consulting a nutritional healthcare professional is extremely important to get the best results.  The Natural Art of Skincare is launching their 10 Day Fresh Start Detox Program in October.  It has been designed to use nutritional and supplemental therapies and personalized counseling to help detox your body, mind, and spirit.  Most people find that after detoxing not only do their bodies feel better, their attitudes are different, moods have improved and they have more clarity of mind. 

Where Can I go for Help/Support?

Like any change in diet and lifestyle, to be successful it is extremely important to have a good network around you for support.  It appears as soon as you start a detox program, that is when temptations are at their height.  That’s where the “I can’t have this, do that, go there” thoughts develop and the restrictions settle in.  This is where a lot of people fail to follow through with their goals and you open your vitamin drawer four months later to find the box half taken.  To help stay on track with your goals and succeed, make sure that the detox plan is for you, about you and right at the time.  Detoxing your body is meant to bring yourself into focus and become aware of what’s going on inside of you.  It’s meant to ground you and bring to light the things that are negatively impacting you and start the process of release.  This time is all about what is best for you, for reflection, for empowerment and ultimately for growth.  When you think of it as a restrictive process, you’re creating a need to hold on tighter to the very things that may be holding you back from living your best self. 

The 10 Day Fresh Start Detox Program recognizes the impact of encouragement in successfully achieving your goals and has created a support system to guide you every day as well as answer any questions you may have along your journey. 

Contact The Natural Art of Skincare for more information on the program, enrollment and how we can help you start feeling, thinking and looking better.

Health, Joy & Gratitude,

Written by Janna Hattingh - BKin, CHN

Acne and TCM Treatment

Acne is a very common condition manifesting as blackheads, whiteheads, pimples and cysts, caused by inflamed sebaceous glands.  Although acne is most prevalent in pubescent teenagers, it is not unusual to see it at any age, from newborns to menopausal women.  Acne is not a serious disease, and is often considered a normal part of life, but it can be very difficult to deal with psychologically.

Most often, acne is caused by hormonal imbalances, improper diet, insufficient sleep, or harmful cosmetic and cleansing products.  Other factors that can impact the skin are drug use, pollution, smoking, poor digestion, irregular menstruation or improper epidermal shedding.

It is important to properly diagnose acne, as in any other disorder, before a treatment plan can be devised.

It's necessary to look at the location of the problem - face, back, neck, arms, etc., the type of blemish - blackhead, pimple, erythematous papule, etc., and to look at the body as a whole.  Some factors that aggravate bad skin are spicy food, chocolate, fats, dairy, coffee, or external environmental factors, such as hot and humid, or very dry climate.

It is also very important to distinguish between other similar presenting issues such as Rosacea, herpes, allergies, keratinous cysts and milia.

Before we get into understanding the Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) treatments for acne, it is important to first treat with proper cleansing, healthy balanced diet, and adequate vitamins.

TCM & Acne

There are TCM records dealing with acne cases and treatments dating back over 2000 years ago. Of course, many of the causes have changed over the years, but the internal environment created, and the treatment plans to correct that environment are still the same as they were so long ago.

There are various imbalances believed to lead to acne appearing on the skin in TCM theory, which fall into two categories:

1. External Factors - including improper diet, external environment, and lifestyle choices.  Smoking, drinking alcohol, eating spicy, greasy or too much sweet food will all lead to dampness accumulating internally.  When dampness forms it slows the flow of Qi and blood, and sometimes stops it completely.  When the Qi, blood and/or dampness slow too much, friction is created, warming the area, sometimes to the point of toxic heat forming.

2. Organ Imbalance - There are five most common organ imbalances that lead to problem skin.  These can be caused by many factors, and usually, acne clients fall into more than one category.

- Lung Heat - this is usually characterized by papular whiteheads and blackheads which appear on the forehead, around the nose and on the upper back and chest.  A person with lung heat will also usually present with a feeling of heat, maybe a dry cough, sore throat, and may often feel quite thirsty for cold drinks. 

- Stomach Heat - this will generally appear as whiteheads and blackheads around the mouth, and upper back and chest.  When there is heat in the stomach a person can feel excessively hungry, often get canker sores, heartburn, and may notice bleeding gums when they brush their teeth.  They may also have indigestion and be very thirsty.  They will often feel very hot and sweat profusely. 

- Blood Heat - red papules will usually appear around the nose, mouth, and eyebrows.  Hormonal acne most often fits into this category, which gets worse around menstruation.  Many skin rashes and disorders are due to blood heat.  This can be accompanied with mental restlessness, poor sleep, or nose bleeds.

- Toxic Heat - Characterized by pustules which are often painful.  Inflamed cysts may be present, and often present on upper back and chest as well as any location on the face.  When the heat becomes toxic, swelling, redness, and pain are always present.  Dandruff and strong smelling sweat may also present.

- Damp Heat with toxic heat and blood stasis - there will be deep, painful and very red, pus filled cysts and nodules.  Often pitting and scarring occurs at this stage.  This will present with purplish looking lesions, and often leave dark scabs.  The skin is usually quite oily, and although the acne can appear anywhere, it's tends to be in the detox zone, around the mouth, chin, and neck.

- Lung and spleen Qi deficiency - this condition is often underlying, which is combined with or leads to a dampness accumulation.  The papules are often long lasting and are slow to resolve.  This person may have a weak cough, low immunity, and be often fatigued.  Someone may present with a blocked nose, constipation, frequent urination, snoring, or a nasal sounding voice.

TCM Acne Treatments

Acne, like most diseases or disorders, are treated with more than one branch of TCM.  Acupuncture would be administered, and acupoints would be chosen depending on the differentiation that patient presents with.  

Although very useful, acupuncture alone is not usually enough to treat acne.  A herbal prescription is often used along with regular acupuncture sessions, and are made specifically tailored to each patient to deal with the acne, as well as other symptoms they may be experiencing.  

Lifestyle choices would be considered, as well as an examination of the diet.  It is common to remove all fatty, fried, greasy foods, dairy, chocolate, sugar, caffeine and/or sometimes shellfish from an acne clients diet.  It is often recommended to add in more cucumber, watermelon, winter melon, pears, mung beans, raspberries and cabbage to the diet.

Along with some of the more commonly mentioned TCM treatments, acne can be treated by more powerful heat clearing techniques.  Wet cupping is a technique used widely to clear heat from the blood and body, treating a wide range of issues, including acne.  This is done by breaking the skin through the use of a lancet, or 7-star needle, and drawing out blood using a suction cup over the lesion.  This can be done on the face, but it much more common to be done on the back of the patient.  There are special acupuncture points located on the back called back-shu points, each corresponding with a related organ, which can be chosen for wet cupping depending on the diagnosis of the patient.

Bleeding of the ear apex, or very tip of the ear is another commonly used technique to expel heat from the body.  A lancet is used to poke the top of the ear, and the practitioner squeezes the ear to allow a few drops to escape.  Patients often report an instant cooling effect.

Acne can be a frustrating part of life that is often treated with harsh cleaning solutions, or even harsher medications that can lead to really complex and devastating side effects.  With proper nutrition, cosmetic products, regular facials to clean the skin and regular acupuncture/TCM sessions, it is absolutely possible to achieve and maintain beautiful and blemish-free skin.

Written by Dr. Amy Nykoluk, DTCM at The Natural Art of Skin Care

Vitamin A, Eh?

Written by Janna Hattingh, Holistic Health Consultant

Happy Canada Day! Now Let’s Talk Vitamin A, Eh!

Last month we talked about how most Canadians are deficient in vitamin D, or that ‘sunshine vitamin’, but did you know that vitamin A deficiency is also a huge concern for Canadians?  

Especially in Calgary, we suffer from being in one of the driest climates contributing to our dry skin, hair, nails and irritating nose bleeds.  Those red bumps on the back of your arms or legs are also signs of severe dryness as well as itchy scalp, dandruff, respiratory problems, and dry/tired eyes.  Since the skin is one of the last places your body shows signs of internal problems, if any of these issues strike a cord with you, you may be deficient in vitamin A.  

Like our old friend Vitamin D, Vitamin A is a fat-soluble vitamin.  This means that it is largely found in animal products, such as liver, fish, egg yolks, and butter.  This form of vitamin A is known as ‘performed’ or the retinol kind which is most active.  You may have heard of ‘provitamin A’ which is a precursor of retinol.  The most well-known provitamin A is beta carotene and is found in yellow and orange fruits and veggies as well as dark leafy greens, but provitamins have to be converted to retinol-A.

Retinol A was named because of its huge impact on our eye health, specifically related to, you guessed it… the retina.  Night vision and blurry eyes was one of the first symptoms to be linked to vitamin A deficiency. An old friend of mine used to refer to carrots as ‘night sticks’ and to this day I’ve never seen him with glasses or struggled with driving at night.   
Since it is a fat-soluble vitamin, it is stored in the body in such places as the eyes, kidneys, lungs, fat and most predominantly in the liver (90%).  As with a lot of vitamins, those areas where they are stored seem to show the areas where they are most used.  Dry eyes are one of the most common issues in this climate and since Vitamin A is also important in keeping mucous membranes lubricated, increasing your consumption may help to alleviate this problem.  

This vitamin stimulates the growth and healing cycles of cells, such as the skin, internal layers of the digestive tract, mucous membranes, respiratory linings as well as many others.  It helps maintain the proper functioning of these systems and keeps moisture in the cells.  This is especially important in our climate as many illnesses and infections can arise from dry, sluggish and dead cells accumulating in our body.  Keeping our mucous membranes moist and our cell turn-over properly functioning helps to reduce inflammation, allergic responses, bacterial and viral attacks and even cancer threats.  Vitamin A helps stimulate the production of our base layer of skin and give structure and integrity to all cells, reducing the signs of aging such as wrinkles, sagging and dryness as well as helps give the skin a softer, smoother appearance.  It has also been associated with reducing acne in larger doses using supplementation, but this should always be supervised as extremely high doses of retinol-A may cause side effects such as headaches because it is stored in the body.

Keeping in line with skin protection, vitamin A is well known to help defend against sunburns and speeds up the healing process of repairing the skin if a sunburn were to occur.  I usually recommend supplementing with vitamin A a few weeks before vacationing in hot, sunny destinations to help guard against sun damage. But, with the beautiful weather here in Calgary, Canada Day celebrations and Stampede all approaching soon, it is incredibly important to make sure you are getting your intake of vitamin A, whether it be from the animal or vegetable sources.  Unfortunately, those overindulgent late nights, (or early Stampede breakfasts) deplete your stores.  Alcohol intake, as well as stress, and lack of sleep contribute to decreased vitamin A absorption.  Other ways a reduction in absorption of vitamin A may occur are excessive iron intake (anemics), illness, vitamin E deficiency as well as cortisone treatments.

With all the Canada Day celebrations, BBQ’s, Stampede and festivals ahead, we’ll be soaking up that sun all month long. Protect yourself by getting your daily dose of vitamin A; because even after 150 years, you’re still looking gorgeous Canada!

Male Pattern Baldness and TCM Treatment

Written by Dr. Amy Nykoluk, DTCM

June is here, bringing with it lilac blooms, green trees, and of course a special day to celebrate the wonderful men in our lives, Father's Day.  I thought it would be a good time to focus on an issue that affects over 70% of all men, male pattern baldness (MPB), or androgenetic alopecia.  It's one of the most common and most feared signs of aging for men, and usually, before the problem is noticed cosmetically, over half of the hair has already fallen!

The incidence of balding of MPB is exactly related to the age of that man.  For instance, 20% of men in their 20's will be affected, and 30% of men in their 30's, and so on.  While there are may treatments out there and lots of information, over 40% of men are unsure or have been misinformed about their hair loss inheritance.  One common myth is that MPB is only passed down from ones maternal grandfather, which we now know is untrue.  MPB can be inherited from either parent.  Although for the most part, hair loss and MPB is genetic, it won't always happen exactly how your parents did.  There are many other factors that contribute to the speed and degree of hair fall; stress levels, certain medications, and smoking or drug use can all impact MPB.

So what does MPB look like?  Usually men will begin to notice their hairline gradually receding or moving back towards the back of the head, forming an M shape.  Over time, the hair becomes finer, shorter and thinner, and creates a U shape, or horseshoe on the head.

What causes the hair to fall out?  For men, it is triggered by dihydro-testosterone (DHT), which is a byproduct of the breakdown of testosterone.  It causes the hair follicle to shrink, which in turn only allows for thinner and shorter hair to grow there. Eventually, DHT will stop the hair follicle from functioning altogether, and no new hair returns.

In order to treat baldness correctly, it must first be correctly diagnosed as MPB, and distinguished from other issues and types of hair loss.  Some people lose all the hair in patches all over the head, some have excessive hair breakage along the shaft, and sometimes baldness is accompanied by red, itchy, scaling skin on the scalp.  Usually the pattern of hair loss along with a careful examination of the scalp is enough to properly diagnose MPB.

Because MPB is not necessarily harmful to a man, treatment is only needed if he is bothered by the cosmetic look of baldness.  There are many expensive medications and creams that do work, but usually the hair will begin to fall again as soon as the meditations stop.  Hair transplants are quite common, a procedure where tiny plugs of hair are removed from healthy areas of the scalp and transferred to and inserted into balding areas.  This is very expensive, and usually requires many procedures, and can result in scarring and dangerous infections.

In Traditional Chinese Medicine, or TCM, we believe that the health and growth of the hair is very closely related to the amount and the circulation of blood in the body.  The liver stores the blood, and part of its job is to ensure it reaches the top and sides of the head.  If the liver is under too much pressure, due to a stressful lifestyle, it can't do its job properly, and blood flow to the head decreases.  Less blood means thinning and graying of hair.  The growth and development of our bodies, including our hair, is determined by the kidneys, especially the kidney essence.  Someone with strong kidney essence will have thick, glossy hair, that won't turn grey until much later in life.

How can TCM help with MPB?  It is almost always necessary to use a combination of herbal medicine, acupuncture, and diet therapy to combat the effects of MPB.  A healthy, balanced diet is always important to good health, but eating foods to boost blood production and kidney function are key, including beef, pork, oysters, sardines, barley, rice, pears, dates, figs, kidney beans, carrots, peas, spinach, tomatoes, and artichokes.

There are many local area acupuncture points as well as points all over the body that can stimulate the production of blood as well as boost the kidneys function, and protect the essence.  Regular acupuncture sessions are key to ensuring the body stays in balance and the organs continue to do their jobs.  We need to ensure that digestion is happening properly to allow the spleen to turn the food and water we ingest into qi and blood.  We also use a 7-star needle, or a hammer style needle with seven points to gently tap all over the scalp, stimulating blood flow and the hair follicles.  This can also be done at home daily with a bristle brush.

Lastly, a herbal remedy is always necessary, as they are much more potent and able to shift the bodies internal environment quicker and more effectively than with just acupuncture alone.  Some of the most common herbs used for MPB are:

He Shou Wu - aka fo-ti or polygala vine - restorative tonic herb to the kidneys and blood, slows signs of premature graying and hair loss, stimulates hair growth and restores colour and brilliance.

Ren shen - ginseng - stimulates the blood, promotes cell metabolism, increases blood flow to the scalp, nourishing it and improving the efficiency of growth.

Wu Wei Zin - schizandria - known to cure baldness, helps in growth and quality of hair, also improves skin, nails and blood flow through the vessels.

Ji Xue Cao - gotu kola - one of the best herbs for hair loss, especially in cases of MPB, improves circulation, lowers blood pressure, and is known to reduce anxiety, deepen sleep and improve memory.

Realizing that you or someone you may know is losing their hair can be a scary situation for a lot of people, but there are many natural safe ways to return the body to balance and slow or completely reverse the process.  Just because it appears someone is genetically prone to becoming bald, does not mean it's not treatable.  Book a TCM consultation and begin the process of turning it around, stopping the hair loss!  The only side effects will be a fuller head of hair, and a general improvement to overall health!