Can ginger, Polygonum multiflorum and black sesame really help grow dark hair?

Every time I look in the mirror and find a few newly grown white hairs, I feel depressed. Many people want to rely on the wisdom left by their ancestors to deal with the hair crisis: "rubbing ginger on the scalp", "soaking Polygonum multiflorum in wine", "two spoons of black sesame seeds every day", and various folk remedies emerge in an endless stream. However, are these "folk remedies" really effective?

Copyright images in the gallery. Reprinting and using them may lead to copyright disputes.

Let's first look at why hair turns white. White hair appears because the pigment in the hair is reduced or lost. It is a manifestation of aging and loss of activity of melanocytes, and it is also a normal physiological phenomenon. So far, no research has proven that food or medicine can increase melanin in hair follicles. Therefore, black sesame and Polygonum multiflorum are unlikely to turn white hair black.

If you are still troubled by hair loss, it is best to count how many hairs you lose every day. The hair growth cycle includes three different stages: growth phase, regression phase and resting phase. In a normal scalp, most hair follicles are in the growth phase, and only 5%-10% are in the resting phase. These resting hairs will fall off one after another after a period of time. Under normal physiological conditions, the rate of hair loss is 50 to 100 strands per day. If you find that you lose more than 100 strands of hair per day, you need to pay attention.

Copyright images in the gallery. Reprinting and using them may lead to copyright disputes.

If the amount of hair loss does not exceed 100 strands per day, we can try to adjust our lifestyle and diet. However, if the hair loss continues for a long time and gradually worsens, it is recommended to go to the hospital and ask the doctor for a clear diagnosis so that symptomatic treatment can be given to avoid delaying the disease.

Some rumored hair growth secrets should be treated with caution, such as the famous "rubbing ginger on the scalp", which is actually very unreliable. Scientific research has confirmed that ginger extract inhibits hair growth, and there are even foreign studies trying to add this ginger extract to depilatory creams, so rubbing ginger on the scalp will actually reduce the amount of hair.

Copyright images in the gallery. Reprinting and using them may lead to copyright disputes.

Review | Cheng Fang, deputy chief physician of the Dermatology Department of Xingtai People's Hospital