Shilajit for Hair Growth

by Vorst Canada January 16, 2023

Disclaimer: This content has been produced purely for informational and educational purposes only and is never intended to be used as a substitute for professional medical guidelines including diagnosis, advice, and treatment.

Getting the right type of nutrients is essential for promoting normal hair growth. Shilajit is a natural source of a range of varying nutrients that can help maintain hair growth and combat hair issues in many different ways. This is the reason why the benefits of shilajit for hair growth are often purported, especially in the natural medicine community. But how does it work? Let’s try to find it out together.

In this article, we’ll explore some of the most known benefits of using shilajit for hair growth and its associated symptoms. But before we get into how shilajit can help with hair growth, first, we’ll need to know the fundamentals of shilajit a little bit more. So, let’s get started.

What is shilajit?
Nutritional facts of shilajit
Factors that are involved in impeding normal hair growth
Benefits of shilajit for hair growth
How to use shilajit
Precautions and side effects
Final words

What is shilajit?

Shilajit, also known as black bitumen, mineral pitch, and scientifically Asphaltum punjabianum, is an exudate of rocks rarely found in high-altitude mountain ranges, especially in the Himalayas between Nepal and India. It’s also found in Pakistan, Afghanistan, Tibet, Russia, and Chile as well. It’s actually a result of a long degradation process of organic matter, particularly plants, which is decomposed by microorganisms for centuries over time.

Shilajit has long been known and used as a natural antiaging compound and as a rejuvenator in Ayurveda, Indian traditional medicine, for thousands of years. It has been found to be effective in promoting overall human health and increasing physical strength through various cellular mechanisms.

Nutritional facts of shilajit

Shilajit is primarily composed of humic ingredients such as fulvic acid, which account for almost 80% of total nutritional compounds, and certain types of oligo-elements like selenium which has potent anti-aging properties.

It’s also loaded with different essential minerals, phospholipids, terpenoids, and organic vitamins including zinc, iron, sulfur, magnesium, potassium, vitamin A, various B vitamins, and vitamin C, many of which have significant hair growth-supporting activities.

The pharmacologically active compounds found in shilajit may differ from region to region. It’s why the health potentials have been shown to differ from area to area, depending on the region from where it is collected.

Factors that are involved in impeding normal hair growth

Hair roots grow from follicles, small glands located below the scalp skin where the hair strands get anchored. Hair shafts are mostly protein-based and also contain a complex concentration of sulfur, nitrogen, hydrogen, and oxygen.

Normal hair growth can be impeded by a number of factors. The most common factors often found involved in abnormal hair growth and hair loss may include:

Damage from free radicals - free radicals are damaging particles that contain unstable oxygen molecules responsible for large chain reactions that cause cell damage or death. They are produced in the body through different biological processes or may come from the environment as toxins or heavy metals. Free radicals play a key role to contribute damage to hair follicles, which may result in hair loss and impede normal hair growth.

Nutritional deficiency - hair growth can also be hampered by nutritional deficiencies that occur when the body does not get enough vitamins and minerals, especially those that are essential for the hair.

Stress - stress is a leading cause of hair loss and inadequate hair growth as well, it could be both physical stress as well as mental stress.

Benefits of shilajit for hair growth

Shilajit contains more than 80 nutrients, including vitamins and minerals, many of which are hugely helpful for promoting hair growth and preventing hair loss or thinning. Some of them may include humic acid, fulvic acid, vitamin A, zinc, sulfur, iron, magnesium, and potassium among others.

The nutritional content in shilajit is able to make up for the nutritional needs required for normal hair growth and can easily address hair issues induced by nutritional deficiencies. Besides, shilajit and some active compounds it contains have been shown to have tremendous antioxidant effects that can help reduce the chances of hair damage caused by free radicals.

Moreover, shilajit has been shown to produce anti-stress effects on the body that can reduce stress levels and thereby, can potentially help prevent and manage stress-induced hair problems.

How to use shilajit

Shilajit can be used in both ways - by mouth as an oral dietary supplement or by applying directly to the hair as a hair mask. Most clinicians recommend using both ways together so that it can benefit from the inside out. Work with a qualified natural medicine professional to determine what method of use would be the best for your specific hair as well as your health condition.

Precautions and side effects

Shilajit seems to be safe and well-tolerable for most people when used as recommended. As it is a natural rock substance, there is a high risk of contamination from fungus, heavy metal ions, toxins, and pollutants, as well as others. Therefore, it’s important to choose only those products that are purified. Raw natural shilajit is not recommended to use directly.

Besides, some people may experience allergic reactions to shilajit with symptoms of swelling and rash. People with thalassemia, sickle cell anemia, and hemochromatosis, a blood condition with too much iron, should not take shilajit supplements.

However, it’s essential to consult with a qualified natural medicine professional to determine whether shilajit is right for your specific condition and what would be your best method of use, especially if you’re on medications for any existing health condition or pregnant or breastfeeding mom.

Final words

Shilajit has been used for thousands of years to treat numerous health issues. The use of shilajit for hair growth has been found beneficial in many ways ranging from addressing nutritional deficiencies to reducing damage caused by free radicals. However, it’s important to consult with a qualified natural medicine professional before using shilajit to determine the safety profile and best method of use.

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