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| Hello, fellow yogis!
I was introduced to Bikram Yoga in November of 2007 and I love it! But since then, I've noticed substantial thinning of my hair over time. I'm a 27-year-old female and I've seen a few specialist and ruled out many of the other possible factors (i.e. hormone-related, alopecia, etc, etc). I've read that hair experts often advise against the use of hair appliances (dryers, etc) that could damage the hair shaft because of the heat. It's hard to imagine that Bikram yoga could be the culprit, but there seems to be a correlation between the amount that I'm practicing Bikram and the amount of hair I lose. The texture of my hair has been changing as well.
I realize this might sound crazy, but that's why I wanted to put this out there. Has anyone else experienced this or heard of anyone who has?
I'd love to continue with my practice, but perhaps I should find a type of yoga that doesn't involve so much heat.
Thanks for considering my query. :)
A beautiful day to all of you...Spring is finally here in NYC!
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| It's probably just your age.
Lots of women go through this around 30.
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| I don't think it's the yoga that is causing your hair to go thinner, but your age. I used to have really thick hair, and as I got into my late twenties/early thirties, my hair has gotten thinner and the texture has also changed some. Same thing happened to my mom. It's not alarmingly thin but there is definitely a difference. I've also read that sleeping with, or having your hair tied back for hours at a time, can cause some thinning. |
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| Just last week, one of our teachers was talking about a couple of men who claimed that Bikram's had helped them reverse male pattern baldness and regrow some hair. I have my doubts about that, but I also can't think of any reason why Bikram might cause hair loss.
Duffy |
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| Duffy Pratt - 2008-04-25 12:51 PM
Just last week, one of our teachers was talking about a couple of men who claimed that Bikram's had helped them reverse male pattern baldness and regrow some hair. I have my doubts about that, but I also can't think of any reason why Bikram might cause hair loss.
Duffy
Pretty funny stuff. Talk about a stretch in regard to Bikram reversing male pattern baldness.
What's next ? Bikram makes women's boobs grow bigger? |
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| LOL!
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| I havent experienced any lost of hair yet.
But is it just me or does any one else get really itchy dry scalp from yoga? |
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| Yea - Bikram didn't do anything to my hair. I've heard that your hair completely changes every 7 years, so maybe that is what is happening to you! I've seen this happen dramatically, too - I had a friend who had tight corkscrew curls for years and then day woke up to straight hair, which was bizarre....
But yea, I know tons of girls who practice Bikram every day and still have GREAT hair. The only bad effect is that my hair is WET for half the day - by the time it dries from my shower, I get it soaked again in like the first 15 minutes of class....  |
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Expert Yogi
Posts: 8442
    
| The extra washing and drying will certainly have an effect. Hormones can cause thinning, thickening and other changes to hair, including going from straight to curly and vice versa. I know of two women with straight hair that went very curly and they were later diagnosed as being diabetic. |
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| What extra washing and drying?  |
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| The whole hair thing is the only downside to Bikram. I sweat so much that there is no way I could even think to avoid washing my hair after a session. It actually looks like I have washed it, that's how much I sweat.
I have long hair, just below my shoulders, and I do think the washing everyday takes a toll on my hair. I try not to dry it with a blow dryer everyday and that has helped. Now that the summer is almost here, the blow dryer will start to fall to the wayside.
Do you pull your hair back in a ponytail? If so, be careful how tight you pull and wrap the elastic. This can cause a lot of breakage.
Barb |
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| I don't think it's the actual Bikram yoga that's causing this problem. But like others said, the more you practice and the more often you're in a sweaty environment, the more frequently you have to wash (and potentially blow dry) your hair. Plus, if you have longer hair, you're probably putting it up in a ponytail, which causes breakage. |
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Expert Yogi
Posts: 5098
Location: Somewhere in the Mountains of Western NC | Try using Alterna's Caviar Anti-Aging line of shampoo and conditioner. It works wonders on your hair. Then add olive oil and lots of Omega-3 to your diet, this also helps. If you can't afford the $80 for the Alterna shampoo/conditioner, use coconut oil on your hair, it will help. But, for some people, like me, it coconut coats my hair and I don't like the way it feels. Caviar is a really nice enzyme therapy for aging and stressed hair. I use all Caviar blends. The dark purple one is the best one for deep conditioning. In fact, all their shampoos are totally divine and I use nothing else on my hair. I have an entire cabinet full of each product. They also have an organic line too. |
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Regular
Posts: 60
| Interesting post. I've lost hair but its due to getting older. However, as embarrassed as I am to admit it I have a problem with dandruff and the only thing that makes it go away is doing bikram yoga on a regular basis. |
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| Duffy Pratt - 2008-04-25 12:51 PM
Just last week, one of our teachers was talking about a couple of men who claimed that Bikram's had helped them reverse male pattern baldness and regrow some hair. I have my doubts about that, but I also can't think of any reason why Bikram might cause hair loss.
Duffy
I see it hasn't helped Bikram himself. |
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| Cyndi - 2008-04-26 8:29 PM
Try using Alterna's Caviar Anti-Aging line of shampoo and conditioner. It works wonders on your hair. Then add olive oil and lots of Omega-3 to your diet, this also helps. If you can't afford the $80 for the Alterna shampoo/conditioner, use coconut oil on your hair, it will help. But, for some people, like me, it coconut coats my hair and I don't like the way it feels. Caviar is a really nice enzyme therapy for aging and stressed hair. I use all Caviar blends. The dark purple one is the best one for deep conditioning. In fact, all their shampoos are totally divine and I use nothing else on my hair. I have an entire cabinet full of each product. They also have an organic line too.
I vouch for the omega's helping the hair (and skin). Where do you get the Alterna's stuff? |
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Expert Yogi
Posts: 5098
Location: Somewhere in the Mountains of Western NC | Hey Ram,
You can usually find the products at hair salons, but not all hair salons carry it, because it is very expensive - but IMO, worth every single penny. I have NEVER found a hair product like this. My cosmotologist/hair person is a hair specialists and we both feel the same way about this hair product line. She's really on the up when it comes to hair products. The Caviar, for aging, it's in the purple bottle, is the BEST for extremely brittle and dry/damaged hair. My husband uses mine. I have to hide it from him because he hasn't learned the art of a little goes a long way. Even though its expensive, you don't use alot of it and it lasts for a loong time. It's just so healthy for your hair. I can't say enough about it. Here's their site:
http://www.4alterna.com/
Speaking of skin and taking care of it. I made lip balm today using beeswax and some other oil combinations...my special formula. Wow, it turned out really good. My lips are soo soft. I'm going to use this stuff on my feet tonight after I give myself a nice pedicure. On top of the fact that I eat a ton of Olio (olive oil) every day, it really helps everything. In fact, I recently picked up a book called "The Healing Powers of Olive Oil". It's incredible.
Good luck. |
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| It's true that your hair does change after seven years. People often talk about how great their hair used to be when they were younger and think that something abnormal or bad has happened because it's now so different. The issue is that they literally just don't have the same hair anymore. However, there can be other factors to consider.
I went to my dermatologist in a panic once when my hair started coming out at an alarming rate right before my wedding. (It's down to my waist.) She told me that major stresses on your body such as weight loss, diet, etc... can make your hair fall out more rapidly 2-3 months AFTER the event. I had made a drastic change in diet several months earlier. Fortunately the thinning stopped after a couple of months, but it's taken a few years for the thickness to return. It could be that starting Bikram was such a shock to your system that you experienced something similar and your hair hasn't had enough time to recover.
I've also experienced thinning caused by hormone therapy and irregular hormone levels. I haven't noticed Bikram having any ill effects, though.
I've noticed a tremendous improvement in my hair since I've cut out processed/refined foods and now eat a healthier diet. I take Vit. E, fish oil, biotin, and black current seed oil supplements for hair/skin/nail health as well as for natural hormone regulation. I also eat flax seeds and flax seed oil daily for the same reasons. I've heard the same about olive and hemp oils--pretty much any Omega 3's and 6's. This in addition to monthly collagen hair treatments and using Philip Pelusi "Longevity" shampoo and conditioners has worked wonders for me. I used to have these bizarre sideburn-type locks of hair that wouldn't grow longer than my ears. They were too short to pull back but were too thick to stay tucked behind my ears, so they'd stick out in crazy tufts. They made me so nuts I would cut them off, only to have them rapidly grow back to that same weird length and then stop. They've started growing longer in the past three months and I can almost pull them all back now with the rest of my hair.
I hope some of this may help you, as i understand how upsetting it can be. Our hair is a huge part of our image and confidence.
Edited by Chatoyancy 2008-05-03 1:22 AM
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| I wouldn't put too much emphasis on the hair replacement every seven years. You replace your eyeballs every two days, your liver about once a week. That process doesn't have much to do, as far as I know, with correcting your vision or helping with liver problems.
Duffy |
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| I did notice my hair falling out alot when I had long hair, since cutting it I havent noticed any hair laying around, but it is becoming very course and dry.
In chinese medicine, hair loss is a Yin deficiency. Yin controls fluids, so when there is yin deficiency there is dryness of fluids.
Obviously we lose ****loads of fluids in biks, and if you do it alot I don't think you can replenish your body just on diet, water and electrolytes.
It could be worth seeing a chinese herbalist to give you some herbs to nourish your fluids.
Edited by jonnyson 2008-06-04 11:30 AM
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New User
Posts: 2
| Yes, better consult on chinese herbalist, I can suggest to you Lao Fo Ye Hair Care Centre, they uses only natural herbs to stop hair loss and promote hair growth and other scalp related problems.
gray hair treatment|dandruff treatment |scalp problems treatment
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New User
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| I think my hair needs washing daily fee. I try not to dry with a hair dryer every day to help. Now the summer is almost here, hair dryer will begin to fall by the wayside. |
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Bikram and Hair Damage?
