Although it may seem like a small point when the illnesses that cause it can be so severe, the hair loss and thinning commonly seen from the physical and emotional stresses of modern life, or even severe illness, routinely add even more insult to the injury.

Until now, all we could do was optimize nutritional support with the Energy Revitalization System Vitamin Powder, optimize thyroid function, and make sure that the ferritin blood test for iron was at least 100. Although these frequently help considerably, all too often it is not enough.

Most often, hair loss is caused by a condition called Telogen Effluvium. This is where a severe stress or infection (such as fibromyalgia, any of a number of infections, or adverse changes in thyroid hormone levels) cause many of your hair follicles to all go into the resting (telogen) phase. Then two to three months into this resting phase, the hair falls out, making you want to cry when you look at your hairbrush!

Most often, if one is healthy, the hair can then grow back. But all too often, the hair stays thin. The good news? Now there is something you can take to help, and people are loving it! It is called "Hair Renew," (by Terry Naturally) and contains a number of unique and key nutrients. But what makes it especially powerful is Millet Seed oil and the herb horsetail, combined with 5000 µg biotin and key amino acids.

Horsetail Is a unique plant which has Immune supporting, remineralizing and regenerating effects. It is a rich source of flavonoids, potassium, and silicon. Put simply, large amounts of these three are needed for rapidly growing tissue such as healthy hair and skin.¹ The level of silicon in the body decreases with age, which also results in nail and hair brittleness, along with decreased resistance to fungal and bacterial infections.

But especially powerful for hair growth are the components found in Millet Seed Oil. In two studies, this was found to be very effective after three months of use. Not just in getting hair out of the telogen phase, but even in people with the most severe health problems!^2,3

People have also clinically found Biotin to be very helpful. All of these together not only seem to markedly decrease hair loss over three months, but improves hair thickness and shine. These, and more, are all combined in the Hair Renew.

Iron also has presumed to be critical for hair growth, and dermatologists at the Cleveland Clinic will keep ferritin (the key test for iron levels) over 100, even though normal is anything over 12. But I generally will not give iron supplementation unless the person has had a blood test to make sure that iron levels are not too high.

Got hair thinning? Combine the Energy Revitalization System and Hair Renew for three months. And watch your hair start coming back!

References

1. Horsetail- Szponar L, Sto? K, O?tarzewski M. Suplementy diety - mo?liwo?ci ich wykorzystania w prewencji wybranych niedoborów ?ywieniowych [Polish] ?yw Cz?ow Metab. 2004;31(Suppl. I):441-6.
2. J Cosmet Dermatol. 2019 May 28. doi: 10.1111/jocd.12998. [Epub ahead of print]
3. "Miliacin encapsulated by polar lipids stimulates cell proliferation in hair bulb
4. and improves telogen effluvium in women".Keophiphath M(1), Courbière C(2), Manzato L(1), Lamour I(3), Gaillard E(3).
5. Gardani G, et al. A case-control study of Panicum Miliaceum in the treatment of cancer chemotherapy-induced alopecia. Minerva Medi. 2007 Dec;98(6):661-664.

Hair loss or thinning is a common and important issue, especially in those who have chronic fatigue syndrome or fibromyalgia. If you’re experiencing hair loss in a generally thinning way (diffuse), then treating: nutritional deficiencies and an underactive thyroid are especially important.

Low iron is a key nutrient for hair growth, and standard testing misses most cases of iron deficiency. In fact, despite the fact that most physicians consider a ferritin blood test (the best measure of iron deficiency or excess) over 12 to show adequate iron, a recent study in patients with chronic illness and even mild anemia (a description fitting most people with CFS) showed that a ferritin under 100 was diagnostic of iron deficiency!

In addition, for those with Restless Leg Syndrome (RLS) and a ferritin under 60, iron can be more effective than the medication Requip, and can eliminate RLS as well as your iron levels optimize.

In CFS and fibromyalgia patients, as in any chronic illness, a very common cause of unusual hair loss is a condition called “Telogen Effluvium.” This is when the normal cycles of natural growing and falling out of the hair follicles become jolted out of their usual random phase due to illness. In this condition, a severe physical stress — such as pneumonia or a CFS flare up — can produce unusual hair loss which doesn’t begin until 3–9 months later. This type of hair loss is reversible, although it can take 3– 9 months. It often grows in more quickly than this, but it’s better to be pleasantly surprised than to feel disappointment and abandon the needed RX too quickly.

To treat hair thinning:

1. Optimize overall nutritional support. The Energy Revitalization System vitamin powder is excellent for this, plus take a 29 mg iron tablet for 6–12 months (until the ferritin is over 100). Do not take iron if the ferritin is over 200 (and have your doctor check for iron excess called hemochromatosis, which is easy to treat but life threatening if missed). 2. Optimize thyroid function—even if your thyroid labs are “normal.”

Treating with the S.H.I.N.E. Protocol overall will also help hair growth as well as dramatically improve the quality of life in CFS and fibromyalgia. Please note that the above applies only to stress-induced hair loss, which is evidenced by widespread thinning. Other patterns have a different cause. For example:

1. Autoimmune issues. In this condition, hair loss appears as multiple coin-shaped bald spots called alopecia areata.

2. Male pattern baldness. If present in a woman, this suggests elevated testosterone and DHEA. If these are present, and a fasting morning insulin blood test is over 10 (showing insulin resistance), this would suggest the presence of PCOS (polycystic ovarian syndrome). This improves by treating the insulin resistance with the medication metformin (very safe and helpful in PCOS) and eliminating excess sugar.