Ancient Baldness Remedies

Bothered by baldness? You're not alone. In the United States, hair loss affects 35 million men and 21 million women, according to the HairLossLearningCenter.Org. The problem is so common that it's even mentioned in the Bible. One Old Testament passage tells the sad story of youths who were cruel enough to ridicule a bald man named Elisha.Kings 2:23 said that as Elisha arrived in Bethel, he was mocked by a couple of youths who told him, "Go on up, you baldhead!" Angered, Elisha put a curse on them in the name of the Lord. Out of the blue, two bears emerged from the forest and gave 42 of them a good beating. Clearly, the Lord has a soft spot for bald men!Unfortunately, God only helps those who help themselves so early man had to look elsewhere for a baldness cure. In 1500 B.C., the ancient Egyptians turned to their sun god Ra for help. They combined magic spells with honey, iron, onions and alabaster. No, this odd mixture wasn't applied to the head - it was swallowed. Heaven knows how many Egyptians were martyred in search of a full head of hair!If that didn't work, the early Egyptians would rub hippopotamus fat on the scalp. In the absence of hippos, the fat of lions, crocodiles, snakes and geese were other alternatives. That probably explains why some of these animals have made it to the list of endangered species!"Another recipe for growing hair prepared for the King of Upper and Lower Egypt included toes of a dog, refuse of dates, and a hoof of an ass. Of course, these 'cures' failed to regrow hair," according to the HairLossLearningCenter.Org.Hippocrates, the father of modern medicine who was also bald, had his own unique way of dealing with the problem. He was the first to observe that eunuchs (men who were castrated before puberty) were spared from baldness. Duke University researchers later discovered that this was due to the absence of testosterone (the male sex hormone) that produces a chemical called dihydrotestosterone or DHT which, in turn, causes baldness. Hippocrates' revelation would have made headlines as a cure for baldness except that no one in his right mind would consider castration as an option!"Hippocrates developed a number of different treatments including a mixture of horseradish, cumin, pigeon droppings and nettles to the scalp. These and other treatments failed to work and he lost the rest of his hair. The area of permanent hair on the back and sides of the head (from which donor hair is taken for hair transplants) is also known as the Hippocratic wreath," said the people at HairLossLearningCenter.Org.The good news is you don't have to put up with these ridiculous - if not dangerous - baldness "remedies." For the fullest, most natural-looking hair possible, go to the specialists at Hair Restoration Doctors Ohio.
About the Author
National Press Club and Philippine Dental Association awardee George Nava True II is a popular Manila-based freelancer who has written thousands of articles on a variety of topics under the pseudonyms Janet Martin, Jill Stewart, Sharon Bell and Tracy Anderson. He can be reached at sparklingtrue@yahoo.com.
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