Aromatherapy for the Follically Impaired

Melanie Vonzabuesnig, author of Hair Loss in Women… Getting to the Root of the Problem, first began losing her hair at an age not customarily associated with baldness–seven. She wasn’t happy about it, but after scores of doctors assured her parents that her condition (a hair follicle disorder called alopecia areata) was incurable, she learned to live with it. At age 32, however, when her hair began falling out by the handful and, worse, not growing back, she knew the time had come for action. Not a wig. Not a weave. Not a hair transplant. Vonzabuesnig says that she overcame her problem entirely through the use of aromatherapy.

“Learning about how essential oils can help stimulate the scalp into producing new hair was fascinating,” says Vonzabuesnig. “Each type of oil had its own function such as cleansing, nourishing, increasing circulation, supplying oxygen, balancing ph levels etc. As I continued experimenting, I learned which oils complemented each other and began mixing my own formulas.” Within three months of applying the oils she began to notice very fine, soft new hairs covering her scalp, which eventually thickened and darkened to an enviably healthy head of hair which she claims to have maintained for over fifteen years through aromatherapy.

Vonzabuesnig credits eight essential oils as the most critical to stimulating and maintaining healthy hair–Basil, Carrot Seed, Cypress, Lavender, Lemon, Peppermint, Rosemary, and Tea Tree–but says that there are about 35 effectively used to treat the hair and scalp. Detailed information, including step-by-step instructions for safely creating customized blends, can be found in her new book, Aroma Hair — Aromatherapy Formulas for Healthy Hair.