Hair loss remedies and a new home remedy

DEAR DR. GOTT: Two things. First, do you have any help for hair loss (secondary to hypothyroidism)? Second, in nurse’s training, we learned that castor oil applied carefully on the eyelids at night and washed off with baby shampoo in the morning grew beautiful, thick lashes. A few weeks ago, I decided to wipe extra on my dry cuticles, and it helped.

DEAR READER: Thank you for the tip about castor oil. I hope my readers will benefit from it.

Now to your hair-loss question. If your thyroid hormones are not within normal limits, this may be contributing to your problem. If they are, you may be experiencing hair loss for a number of other reasons, such as a vitamin deficiency, genetics or a scalp condition. If you have itching, scaling or other issues with your scalp, make an appointment with a dermatologist.

There are several types of shampoo purported to promote hair growth with various B vitamins and/or biotin. My readers have had success in the past with the Tresemme line. Rogaine is the other over-the-counter product shown to work in studies, but it can be expensive, and results reverse when the product is discontinued. You may wish to try adding a B multivitamin to your diet.