Traditional Chinese Medicine approaches to hair loss

[masculineyourheart]

I've been translating a bunch of some Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) hair loss treatments from the Chinese versions of late. I haven't tried any of it, nor do I have any evidence of it working. I find it interesting anyway so a few people here should get a kick out of it. Chinese characters are used to make it easier to find out more about the ingredients later so if you haven't installed your East Asian fonts then they'll come up as wacky boxes or something.

As all of the translations are done by myself it's not going to be perfect, but I'm pretty happy with them anyway.

This website is a good resource for more information on the materials used? I made good use of it while translating.

You can find the original article I've translated from here.

I have a bunch of this sort of stuff so let me know if you're interested and I'll post up more of it.

peace


1. ?? (ShíCù, table vinegar) hair loss treatment

To 150ml table vinegar, add 200ml hot water. Use this to wash hair, once daily. Wash frequently for the desired effect.


2. ???? (Xi?nCèB?Yè, fresh arborvitae leaves) hair loss treatment

30 grams ???? (Xi?nCèB?Yè, fresh arborvitae leaves)
15 grams ??? (Shu?ngS?ngYè, frosted mulberry leaves)
3 grams ??? (NàoYángHuà, Chinese Azalea Flower) (aka ??? HuángDùJu?n)
12 grams ??? (G?SuìB?, Rhizoma Drynariae)
10 grams ??? (TòuG?C?o, Garden Balsam Stem)
3 grams ?? (ZàoJi?o , Chinese Honeylocust Spine)

Grind ingredients into a powder and place in a large bottle. Soak in 75% alcohol, using the alcohol to submerge the powder, cover the bottle and let it sit for 7 days. Afterwards, use gauze to filter the liquid into another container. Your concoction is now ready for use.

Dip cotton wool into the liquid and smear it over balding areas. Do this 3-4 times daily until cured.


3. ??? (HéSh?uW?, Maltiflower Knotweed / Tuber Fleeceflower) hair loss treatment

??? (HéSh?uW?, Maltiflower Knotweed / Tuber Fleeceflower / Fleeceflower Root)
??? (Sh?ngCèB?i, Fresh arborvitae)
??? (H?iZh?Ma, Black Sesame Seeds)
??? (HànLiánC?o, Yerbadetajo Herb)
??? (N?Zh?nZ?, Glossy Privet Fruit / Fructus Ligustri Lucidi - FLL)
30 grams of each, all fresh

15 grams ?? (ChénPí, Pericarpium Citri Reticulatae - otherwise known as dried tangerine peel)
9 grams ?? (Chu?nJi?o, Sichuan Style Pepper)
13 grams ??? (DàQ?ngYán, Halite / Rock salt)

Chuck all this stuff into a big ol' pot and simmer it in 3 litres of water until it's down to 1.5 litres. Strain the liquid into another pot and throw in 500 grams of black soy beans (??, H?iDòu). Boil this down until all the liquid has been absorbed by the soy beans then sit them in the sun to dry.

Eat 60 soy beans 3 times a day to resolve the baldness problem.


4. ?? (Ti?nMá, Rhizoma Gastrodiae / Tall Gastrodia Tuber) hair loss treatment

?? (Ti?nMá, Rhizoma Gastrodiae / Tall Gastrodia Tuber)
?? (Sh?uW?, Maltiflower Knotweed / Tuber Fleeceflower / Fleeceflower Root)
?? (ShúDì, Radix Rehmanniae Preparata / Prepared Rehmannia Root)
?? (BáiSháo, White Paeony Root)
?? (D?ngGu?, Radix Angelicae Sinensis / Chinese Angelica)
?? (MùGu?, Fructus Chaenomelis / Chinese Quince)
33 grams of each

50 grams ??? (TùS?Z?, Semen Cuscutae (cool name) / Dodder Seed)
17 grams ?? (Chu?nXi?ng, Sichuan Lovage Rhizome)

Grind everything together into a power and then combine with honey into a small 'honey pill' with 10 grams for each pill.

Take one pill with warm water morning and night, daily.


5. ??? (Sh?ngJi?ngPí, Fresh Ginger Peel) hair loss treatment

30 grams ??? (Sh?ngJi?ngPí, Fresh Ginger Peel) - roasted
30 grams ?? (RénSh?n, Ginseng)

Grind the ginger peel and ginseng together into a fine powder. Break off a piece of fresh ginger and dip it into the powder, Use the piece of ginger to smear the powder over the afflicted areas.

Do this once every other day. For use with vitality / spirt / essence (how do I translate ???) related hair loss.

 

[iamnaked]

I feel the same kind of aversion to Chinese traditional medicine as I do to Scientology.

 

[metalheaddude]

lol this is laughable.

 

[masculineyourheart]

The 101D thing was interesting. Originally it was showing really good regrowth until there was an investigation into the ingredients from some organisation in Hong Kong and they found out that this Chinese Medicine wonder lotion actually had minoxodil in it. Funnily enough, it didn't work so well after they took that out of it.

This stuff's just for interest. Most of the Chinese Medicine buffs in China were rooted out during the cultural revolution so we're just left with the kosher McDonalds version these days.

On a side note, traditionally they believed that hair loss was directly related to kidney health, while the health of the hair on the rest of the body was related to the lungs. Most of the kids in China use propecia and variants of minoxodil now.

 

[masculineyourheart]

I'm actually going to try this one because it's cheap, easy enough and it's only a shampoo:

?? (S?ngYè, Mulberry Leaf)
??? (CèB?iYè, Cacumen Platycladi / Chinese Arborvitae Leaf)
??? (K?D?ngChá, Leaf of Broadleaf Holly / Leaf of Chinese Holly) - it's a kind of bitter tea
10-20 grams each

Boil these ingredients into a medicine - Chinese style: Let it sit in water for a few hours at about 3 parts water to one part other stuff. Bring it to the boil on high heat then put it down to a low simmer and keep it going till the water is about level with everything and has thickened into a porridge-like soup thing.
Use the porridge-like soup thing to wash your hair.

It says that new hair should just start popping out after 2 or 3 days. Sounds exciting.

 

[metalheaddude]

Some of it may have merit. I think just healthy living in general is helpful. Doesnt need to be Chinese.

 

[masculineyourheart]

Yeah, I agree. I'm just checking it out while I'm in the country.

 

[symbolx]

I really love the Chinese imagination, just not the Chinese reality.

 

[Jacob]

How about something such as Haveron http://www.haveron.com/new1/mainm-p1.htm

 

[penguin74]

How about something such as Haveron http://www.haveron.com/new1/mainm-p1.htm

Haveron? Hmm...never heard of this one before, sounds interesting, but not sure to pull the trigger on this just yet.
Definitely worth looking into some more though.

 

[Jacob]

I looked into the company some time ago. They look good, I was just hoping some would volunteer being guinea pigs before I tried it :whistle:

http://www.purapharm.com/

Another product of theirs: http://www.blackvision.com.hk/

http://www.oncozac.com/about/index.htm

There's also Hair Million: http://dreampharm.com/dietary-supplements/hair-growth-herbal-formula.html

There is at least one Chinese etc herb company that will custom make/put into pills whatever you want. I don't know if they have all these ingredients...and not sure if it'd be better to do that(just cheaper).

 

[symbolx]

Looks like total bs to me. They don't even have pictures.

 

[Jacob]

And if they did have pictures, it'd also be BS :woot:

See the Hair Million pictures though.