How to Grow Your Hair Super Fast!

By Dr. Nicole Sundene

As I promised in my article, “It’s Hair Growing Season People!” we are all growing our hair out for Wigs for Kids (they only need 8”)! So I am going to talk about the best natural medicines for growing healthy, strong, shiny hair, super fast. After all we want those wigs looking good!

Spring and Summer are the best hair growing seasons, so to optimize the hair growing season let’s talk about the things that make hair grow FAST!

First and foremost Chinese Medicine considers hair the ”glory of the kidneys,” and what that crazy talk means is that your hair is an excess of your total well-being.

“Kidney chi” is our “energetic bank” in Chinese Medicine, and if our energetic bank is all dried up, then there is not much left over for such frivolties as hair! Think about it. The healthiest people naturally look beautiful.Second and most importantly, I would like to just say FLAXSEEDS, FLAXSEEDS, FLAXSEEDS! If you get nothing from this discussion on how to grow your hair faster, then just visit my article, “How to Unleash Your Inner Fabulosity!” and follow the instructions on adding 1-3 tablespoons of freshly ground flaxseeds to your daily routine. You can do up to three tablespoons twice daily if you are a flax seed fanatic like me.

On the advice of my vet, since fish oil gives my dog the runs, I now give my Golden Retriever freshly ground flaxseeds and in just a week his coat became shiny, less itchy, and the bare patches filled in (normally this time of year he pulls his hair out like a mad man.

Thirdly we want to have PROTEIN. Flaxseeds are a great source of omega 3 oils and protein, but I would also drink a protein smoothie a day; you can add your flaxseeds to the smoothie as I recommend in my “Favorite Smoothie Recipe.”

Omega Up! If you are doing the flaxseeds hard core, you are getting enough omega 3’s to ensure shiny strong hair, if not, then try a tablespoon of fish or flax oil daily (no cod liver oil for pregnant women because the vitamin A is a teratogen.)

Multivitamin: B-vitamins are crucial to hair growth as nearly the whole B family plays a role in hair growth.

Multimineral: A mineral rich diet is important for healthy hair growth. I like the Tri-Boron Plus by Twinlab, or visit this page or your local health food store for other high quality recommendations.

Biotin: Your multivitamin may not contain that much biotin so check the label and see if you are getting the RDA.

Skip the Sodium Lauryl Sulfate! A known carcinogen and skin irritant, look for SLS free shampoo’s.

Skip the daily shampooing! You can still rinse your hair every day and condition it, but daily shampooing is stripping your scalp of essential oils. This saves not just your hair, but your water and shampoo bill. See? You can afford that more expensive SLS free shampoo after all now….No excuses, organic isn’t really that much more expensive when you look at it as a whole.

Get a trim! Don’t forget to get a bit trimmed off your hair every couple of months (another great way to save money in these tough economic times.)

Try some handstands! Even if you aren’t a gymnast, you can still hang your head off the edge of the bed to increase blood flow to the scalp periodically throughout the day, or you can do some extra downward dogs if you are a yoga fiend like me.

Rosemary and Mint! The invigorating herbs of the Laminacea family bring more circulation to your scalp as I just talked about in the above handstand blurb. Rosemary has been associated with improving hair growth for quite some time.

You can try some of the shampoos available at eVitamins or your local health food store, or buy rosemary essential oil and add a few drops to your favorite shampoo. Start with 1-2 drops and then work up to about 5-10 drops of the pure essential oil (remember never apply any essential oil straight to the skin unless it is lavender.)

Silica! Horsetails have long been touted as hair growing herbs because of their high silica content; unfortunately as our soil becomes more toxic, I don’t feel comfortable using them unless they are certified organic. The reason for this is that they suck up minerals like silica from the soil along with toxic heavy metals such as cadmium and arsenic. I would instead ensure my multi-mineral formula contains about of silica.

Don’t OD on vitamins and minerals! Remember, we can only absorb so much and selenium toxicity, for instance, is associated with hair loss when we get up to the 1000mcg range.

Have a hair growing tip? Feel free to leave it in the comments section.

Related reading:

Acupuncture, Acupuncture, Acupuncture!

Dying to Look Good

Topical Natural Treaments for Seborrheic Dermatitis, Dandruff, Cradle Cap, and Itchy Scalp

Chlorine Shower Filter

Dr. Nicole Sundene, NMD is a licensed Naturopathic Medical Doctor at Fountain Hills Naturopathic Medicine 16719 E Palisades Blvd, Suite 205, Fountain Hills, AZ 85268.

She believes we should utilize natural medicines to treat the root cause of disease rather than just treating symptoms, as symptoms are a message of imbalance sent from the body and will persist until they are properly addressed.

For appointments please visit http://FHnaturopathic.com for more information about Naturopathic Medicine services.
©KitchenTableMedicine.com, LLC ™

Orange Patchouli by Aura Cacia

Personally I’m not a fan of the patchouli smell in general, but thought I would share this reader comment, just so Patchouli has a fair shot in the herbal limelight. ~Dr. Nicole

Hi Kat:

Thanks for recommending some great affordable natural beauty products!

I especially am enjoying the Aura Cacia aromatherapy line.

I absolutely love the ‘orange patchouli’ products by Aura Cacia. Both the body wash and the massage cream. The combination of orange and patchouli is a refreshing earthy mix that wakes me up in the morning and soothes my shoulders at night.

~Stephanie W.

Related reading:

Aura Cacia Essential Oil Diffusers Voted Best!

Aura Cacia Massage Products

Aura Cacia’s Lavender Harvest, Mommy’s Secret Weapon

Dr. Nicole Sundene, NMD is a licensed Naturopathic Medical Doctor at Fountain Hills Naturopathic Medicine 16719 E Palisades Blvd, Suite 205, Fountain Hills, AZ 85268.

She believes we should utilize natural medicines to treat the root cause of disease rather than just treating symptoms, as symptoms are a message of imbalance sent from the body and will persist until they are properly addressed.

For appointments please visit http://FHnaturopathic.com for more information about Naturopathic Medicine services.
©KitchenTableMedicine.com, LLC ™

Aura Cacia Essential Oil Diffusers Voted Best!

By Dr. Nicole Sundene

Okay it is not that often I get REALLY REALLY REALLY excited about something so simple and silly, but I just have to say that these new Aura Cacia essential oils diffusers are simply the best thing since sliced bread.

Traditional plug in air fresheners purchased in the drug store are basically just infusing synthetic toxic poisons in to your air. Certainly not a good thing for those with asthma or respiratory problems. Sure you can buy a bunch of spider plants and open the windows…but wouldn’t you rather just use some pure essential oils to scent your home instead?

I have always been a fan of Aura Cacia, having been in the natural medicine industry for 15 years, and the great thing about the “plug in” diffuser is that you just add a few drops of your favorite essential oil scent to the foam pad (that occasionally has to be replaced when it gets hard) and it makes your home smell WONDERFUL!

This is great for me because with all the pets I have I need to cover up some serious old dog stench (yes I do bathe them.) But, a few drops of the Aura Cacia essential oil on the diffuser is enough (I hope.)

To make an instant spa scene just grab your favorite essential oil and add a few drops to your bath, and a few drops to the plug in diffuser.

At nighttime I sleep like a baby by putting a few drops of their organic lavender on my bedroom diffuser. You can read “The Fifteen Most Fabulous Herbal Sedatives” for more information on how to use lavender to calm down.

I did a test with the car plug in and found that I was much less road ragey by using my favorite calming blend, “Panic Button,” a deliciously soothing blend of lavender, rose, and citrus. Until I have my own chauffeur, I will be heavily relying on panic button! Yay Panic Button!

They also make a battery operated essential oil diffuser option as my beauty editor Kat Lee mentioned in her article “Aura Cacia’s Lavender Harvest, Mommy’s Secret Weapon.” I like to place mine at the entry way so I can open the door to something that smells good.

These aromatherapy diffusers by Aura Cacia are great for traveling, office, placing by your entry way so your guests feel properly welcomed, or you can place a little of the Heart Song blend on your nightstand to set a romantic mood. Be sure to check with your co-workers and those around you that may be scent sensitive, but otherwise they will probably love them too! These are non-toxic scents at their finest!

Thank you Aura Cacia for giving us some great home scent options that aren’t poisoning the air we breathe!!!

For more information visit www.AuraCacia.com

Sincerely,

Martha Stewart…er I mean Dr. Nicole Sundene

Dr. Nicole Sundene, NMD is a licensed Naturopathic Medical Doctor at Fountain Hills Naturopathic Medicine 16719 E Palisades Blvd, Suite 205, Fountain Hills, AZ 85268.

She believes we should utilize natural medicines to treat the root cause of disease rather than just treating symptoms, as symptoms are a message of imbalance sent from the body and will persist until they are properly addressed.

For appointments please visit http://FHnaturopathic.com for more information about Naturopathic Medicine services.
©KitchenTableMedicine.com, LLC ™