Nicole’s lost on Lush: I received a solid shampoo by Lush (Godiva, to be exact) as a gift and decided to put it to use. Within days of starting this new shampoo, I noticed an increase in hair loss! I’ve since stopped using this solid shampoo and my hair loss has lessened. However, I’d still like to find out some reasons why it would increase my hair loss in the first place!
The Left Brain replies:
This Lush soap provides no conditioning so it’s possible that you were having more hair breakage because of that. But if you did use a conditioner, then it’s really hard to say exactly what caused your temporary problem. Researchers still don’t totally understand what causes all the different kinds of hair loss. In fact I just read a report about one specific condition that causes patches of hair to fall out. It’s called alopecia areata.
What is patchy hair loss?
Alopecia areata is characterized by patchy hair loss. That means hair falls out in some parts of the body but not others. In extreme cases, patients can lose all of their scalp and body hair.
Most people are affected before the age of 20 when they start to get localized patches of baldness. Often the condition reverses itself and the hair growth gets better over time, although hair loss often returns. It’s estimated that this condition affects almost 2% of the population to some degree.
What causes it and what can you do about it?
Scientists believe that alopecia areata is caused by the immune system attacking the hair follicle. Sometimes stress is a triggering factor. While there are several treatment options, none have been proven to be effective:
- Steroids (both topical and oral drugs that slow down the immune system to protect the follicle from attack)
- Photodynamic therapy (Exposing skin to light; like suntanning using a different wavelength)
- Minoxidil (Rogaine; stimulates follicle activity)
- Onion juice (one small, unpublished study showed that onion juice regrew hair in half of the test subjects with mild alopecia areata. This is an interesting “natural” solution that requires more study.)
The Beauty Brains bottom line
Without more experimenting it impossible to prove Lush was responsible for your hair loss. But if are concerned about patchy balding, beware of unproven treatments.
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{ 15 comments… read them below or add one }
I read your article and got to know all the detailed information about alopecia areata.It really helped me to understand the actual concept and also gave some remedies useful to overcome alopecia areata.In my opinion the treatment that you have stated will surely help out to solve the problem but it would be really great if you could also add some of the natural remedies like gooseberry (amla), hibiscus flowers and other herbs which can be useful too and easily available.I have mentioned this as i got to know about it when i browsed through the link http://www.healthyhaircareonline.com/
I copied this from another internet site and thought it might be helpful to someone here.
“Aromatherapy – effective alternative treatment for alopecia
Aromatherapy is an effective, alternative treatment for patients suffering with Alopecia areata, according to researchers at the Department of Dermatology, Aberdeen Royal Infirmary, Foresterhill, Scotland.
In a randomized, double-blind, controlled trial, lasting 7 months, eighty-six patients diagnosed as having Alopecia areata were split into two groups. The first group received a combination of essential oils – thyme, rosemary, lavender, and cedarwood in a base of carrier oils (jojoba and grapeseed) – massaged into their scalps daily. The second group had just the base massage oil massaged into their scalp.
The treatment was assessed using sequential photographs taken by two dermatologists (I.C.H. and A.D.O.) independently of each other, and the photographs were then analysed via two methods – a 6-point scale and computerized analysis of traced areas of Alopecia. Records were taken before the treatment commenced, after three months, and then again after seven months.
The results revealed that nineteen (44) of 43 patients in the treatment group showed improvement compared with just 6 (15) of 41 patients in the control group. The degree of improvement on photographic assessment was found to be highly significant. A demographic analysis showed that the two groups were well matched for prognostic factors, and the researchers concluded that, from the results of their study, aromatherapy is a safe and effective treatment for Alopecia areata.
Source: Randomized trial of aromatherapy. Successful treatment for alopecia areata. Hay IC; Jamieson M; Ormerod AD Arch Dermatol, 134:1349-52, 1998 Nov”
I have also heard of Onion as one of the grandmothers natural remedy for hair loss problems but more research is required to delve deep into its exact use.
Antoinette
I admit part of me thinks that if you use onion juice on your hair, even if it’s thinning, no one will get close enough to you to notice.
I actually work for Lush and would like to point out that the Godiva shampoo bar is actually a “two-in-one” shampoo and conditioner, so it does contain conditioning ingredients. I would also like to add something from my own observations – using a shampoo bar on your hair can cause more “tugging” than massaging a liquid or lather into your hair, and strands of hair can get caught on the bar’s surface and be pulled out. Perhaps this could be leading to the increased hair loss?
I should have added that some people prefer to lather the bar up in their hands first, then set it aside and work the lather through their hair. This prevents the pulling sensation caused by rubbing the bar directly onto wet hair and works just as well!
=/ I don’t really think you should get the idea that she might have alopecia areata, considering that you’re a beauty chemist and not a doctor. Her increased hair loss could simply be that she was allergic to some ingredient in the solid shampoo bar. I know you’re introducing a medical condition and letting the Beauty Brains community learn of it, but it almost looks like you’re suggesting the questioner might have that condition, so your way of bringing up alopecia areata is a bit ambiguous.
Hilary: Thanks for your comments on the details of the Lush formula. The other Lush bars we tested had no conditioning at all. This one might be different as you point out.
Sandra: You’re right, we weren’t really trying to imply that SHE has this condition because we’re certainly not doctors. We were just trying to raise people’s awareness. Thanks for your comment!
I’ve used onion peels on my hair, but not for hair loss: as a herbal tint. Like people who use coffee or tea to stain the hair, or chamomile tea to make it more golden, onion peel tea can stain it a copper-ish color. But this was when I was a teenager, when I was afraid to dye my hair with real dye.
I just used Godiva recently, and was hoping that it would be better for my 2 year old and me. It turns out both of us loose hair, worse my kid loose more than I do. I try using different approach like lather on hand, applying like combing hair with fingers in 1 direction slowly, drying with towel slowly etc. Afterwards I still loose hair (lesser than before), but my kid still loose a lot. I’m Lush addict, so confused, and hate this product now. I still use Lush other product, and might try other Lush liquid shampoo one more time with hesitation.
Am not a big fan of lush, I think their products are overpriced and over smelly and will only go there to get presents for people asI know they like them.
at the end of the day.
However they do have a great customer service, and if you’re not happy with the products you bought, and cannot return them, then write to them.
I bought one of their shampoo which didn’t suit me and they sent me a package with another one of their shampoo, a conditioner and a body wash (for free)
I used Curly Wurly (by LUSH) and lost a lot of hair. Nothing had changed in my diet and I finally connected the hair loos to the shampoo and stopped using it. I checked the label and noticed that the first ingredient is Ammonium Lauryl Sulfate. I’ve seen this ingredient on the lables of almost all of my hair care products but have never seen it listed as the first ingredient. There are concerns with ALS and it can cause hair damage (I didn’t see anything about hair “loss”) in some people. I was shocked to find that ALS was the first ingredient.
Let me add that I liked this Curly Wurly because it cleaned wo well and was so easy to wash out. I have kinky hair and getting the shampoo out can be a real task (not to mention a waste of water). This rinsed out quickly and my hair combed easly. I now only use organic shampoo and cream rinse.
onion——-o- outstanding product
——-n-needless to say
——-impossible
——-onions
——-not for the hair!!!!!!!!!!!
onions are not for the hair!!!!!!!!!!