Ayurveda for hair loss in San Ramon

Hair in the shower drain, a wider parting, or a ponytail that feels thinner than last year: hair loss is worrying, and its causes range from hormones to iron to stress. Preeti Gupta at Minute Wonder Ayurveda in San Ramon looks at nourishment, stress and scalp care, once your physician has looked at the medical causes.

Preeti does not diagnose pathological conditions from a Western perspective, so her work sits alongside the care of your physician and never replaces it.

What Ayurveda looks at

Ayurveda connects hair with the nourishment of the body's tissues, with digestion and with heat, pitta. Preeti looks at:

• How well you digest and absorb food, since hair depends on what the body can use.

• Stress, sleep and the pace of your life in the months before the shedding began.

• Scalp care: how often you oil and wash, and the products you use.

What a First Visit covers

A First Visit is 90 minutes ($250). Preeti reviews your daily routine, diet, digestion, exercise and sleep, using a health history, pulse analysis and tongue diagnosis. For hair loss, expect time on:

• The timeline: when shedding started, whether it is patchy or all over, and any recent illness, birth or diet change.

• Your blood test results, if you have them, and your medicines.

• A scalp oil routine, taught step by step, if your scalp is healthy enough for it.

You leave with a written diet, herbal and lifestyle plan. Follow-ups are $125 for 60 minutes. See pricing.

What you can start this week

Two dishes from her recipe pages, and her scalp oil routine in Haircare, the Ayurvedic Way:

• Pessarattu, moong dal dosa. Her page says mung beans are valued for their protein, and the spices help digestion and absorption.

• Butternut squash. Her page says its moist, sweet quality nourishes the body's tissues.

See your physician first if

• Sudden, patchy hair loss, or loss with a scaly, red or painful scalp.

• Hair loss with fatigue, weight change, heavy periods or feeling cold, which can point to thyroid or iron problems.

• Hair loss after starting a new medicine. Ask your doctor; do not stop it yourself.

Common questions about hair loss

Which oil does Preeti recommend?

Her hair-care post describes massaging warmed Nilibhringadi sesame hair oil into the scalp for 10 to 15 minutes, leaving it on for at least 30 minutes and washing with a mild herbal shampoo. Read it fully and ask her whether it suits your scalp.

Can Ayurveda regrow hair?

Preeti does not promise regrowth. Her post says scalp massage supports circulation and hydrates the scalp. Causes of hair loss vary, so she works on nourishment, stress and care alongside your physician's findings.

Should I see a doctor first?

Yes, if the loss is sudden, patchy or comes with other symptoms. Blood tests can check common causes, and you can bring the results to your First Visit.

Ayurveda is a traditional system of wellness and is not a substitute for medical care. Content here is educational. Please consult your physician about any medical condition. Preeti Gupta is not licensed by the State of California as a healing arts practitioner; Ayurvedic services are complementary to the care of licensed providers.