If there's anything that needs to be done to stop hair loss naturally, it would be shifting the memories stored in your body's tissues other than your subconscious mind. Changing negative patterns of thoughts, emotions and behaviours stored in the individual cells of your body stimulates regrowth of hair follicles, which ultimately leads to a healthy head of hair.
How Does Hypnotherapy Work?
Hypnotherapy is a therapeutic technique used to safely access the powers of the subconscious mind. It acts to put an individual into a sleep-like state that allows their mind to receive external suggestions. It may be used to incite different patterns of thought and behaviour, and may be facilitated by a hypnotherapist or self-administered with the use of pre-recorded sessions. Several studies have found hypnotherapy to be an effective hair loss treatment.
Hair Loss and its Causes
Hair loss, or alopecia in medical terminology, is characterised by the excessive loss of hair on the head or body. Lost hair can grow back or be gone forever, depending on the type of condition that you have. Permanent hair loss is often caused by androgenic alopecia, a hereditary condition that affects both men and women. The signs of male-pattern baldness include a receding hairline and patches of bald spots on the crown. In female pattern hair loss, the hair follicles shrink, which causes thinning of hair due to decreased anagen hair rate.
There are other forms of hair loss that may result in temporary or permanent baldness. Paediatric alopecia, which is more common in children than adults, is described as non-scarring. This form of hair loss does not damage the hair follicles, so there's a chance for hair regrowth. It's often caused by fungal infections of the scalp, traction alopecia or trichotillomania, a mental condition in which compulsive hair pulling causes large amounts of hair to fall out.
Scarring alopecia, which often stems from an autoimmune disorder, causes irreversible damage to the hair follicles that leads to permanent baldness. Temporary hair loss is often a result of illness, diet deficiencies, stress, fatigue or hormonal imbalance, and it may be treated and prevented with hypnotic interventions.
Most patients with alopecia rely on a standard medical treatment that consists of topical and oral medications in the hope of reviving their normal hair growth cycle. Unfortunately, the successful treatment of alopecia goes beyond suppressing its symptoms with drugs. Changing the conscious mind by addressing unhealthy thoughts, ideas and behaviours that are deeply rooted in the subconscious is the key to treating recurring or refractory alopecia.
Several peer-reviewed studies have found hypnotherapy to be an effective approach in the treatment of hair loss, leading patients with alopecia to a much better quality of life.
Hypnotherapy and Hair Loss
Hypnotherapy is a form of complementary therapy that a mental health professional may utilise to improve the physical, mental and emotional wellbeing of their patient. This type of modality places the conscious mind in a trance-like state to be more receptive to positive suggestions for self-healing and development. It allows the person to explore thoughts, beliefs, ideas and memories stored in their subconscious mind and influencing their feelings and behaviours.
Hypnotherapy is widely used in the treatment of mental health conditions, panic attacks, alcohol use disorder, trauma and other health issues that affect the mind, body and spirit.
The state of relaxation induced in a hypnotherapy session allows the power of hypnotic suggestion to dissolve any negative, limiting beliefs a person may hold regarding their hair and hair loss. While in this state, the individual is encouraged to visualise growth of their hair and the desired condition they wish their hair to be in. The hypnotic state aims to have the person see themselves with the hair of their dreams, and to actually feel like they are in the state where they already have it.
Science Backs Hypnosis for Hair Loss
A recent study conducted in Brussels demonstrated the beneficial effects of incorporating hypnotherapy into the treatment plan of individuals suffering from alopecia (baldness). In three to eight sessions, the alopecia patients showed significant hair regrowth (75-100%) and reduced overall levels of anxiety and depression, which may also have triggered the hair loss.
It is thought that through the power of suggestion, thoughts change to produce physiological changes that increase blood circulation to the scalp that stimulates hair follicle growth. It has also been suggested by the hypnosis community that in changing the cellular memory of the hair (through the practice), the follicles are instructed to grow new and healthy hair strands.
Hypnosis for Stress and Anxiety
Stress-related hair loss is often temporary and can therefore be treated through hypnosis.
When your body undergoes stress your overall health suffers and, as a result, your hair becomes the last priority your body looks to maintain, which in some may cause hair loss.
Hypnotherapy works to treat the underlying symptoms of stress and anxiety by triggering your physical relaxation response and by helping you achieve what you want out of life, therefore reducing your everyday stress levels. This gives the body greater healing capabilities with which the body responds to through healthier hair growth.
If you would like more information on how hypnotherapy may assist with hair loss or mental disorders, please speak to a hypnotherapist in your area.
Find out about other effective natural hair loss treatments.
Originally published on Apr 20, 2010
