Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About ​How to Stop Hair Loss & Regrow Your Hair

Plus My Personal Hair Growth Journey

The Hair Loss Discovery I Made This Past Year

From the desk of:

DR. STEPHEN CABRAL

Board Certified Doctor of Naturopathy Founder of the Integrative Health Practitioner Institute

Last Fall, I lost half of my hair within just 8 weeks-

And there was no sign of it slowing down…

To be honest, it was overwhelming.

It all began last October seemingly out of the blue.

Each day in the shower I was losing hundreds of hairs and when I went to comb my hair, dozens of more hairs would fall all over my neck and shoulders.

The hair that was left on my head was also thinning out quickly and losing it’s strength and thickness.

I couldn’t believe it was happening…

And to make matters worse it was rapidly taking place – so much so that even just running my fingers through my hair was causing hair to fall out every time.

Within just 2 months I had lost about half the hair on my head

 

How I Lost Half My Hair in 2 Months​

At first I was quite upset like many people would be, but I then became resolved to figure out why it was happening and what I could do to at least stop the hair loss in its tracks and fast.

I knew from my studies that if a hair follicle had not yet closed, died off, or developed scar tissue, then a new hair should be able to grow…

Plus, as a Board Certified Naturopath and Doctor of Naturopathy I had seen this in my own practice preventing both male and female hair loss causes and I knew there was always a reason why…

But this time I was my own client.

So over the next 3 week I spent over 100 hours going back through all of my research, podcasts, and previous case studies on all types of hair loss and I then began to feel a sense
of hope…

I knew that if I had helped others overcome these exact issues I should be able to do it myself.

I immediately took action, began implementing the hair loss plan I had formulated (more on that below), took a deep breath, and hoped for the best…

I was optimistic, but still a bit worried it wasn’t going to work.

 

How I Re-Grew it Naturally​

Within the next 3 weeks, the hair loss started to slow and then stop.
(Just normal hair loss in the shower of a few hairs in my hand and almost none when I combed
my hair.)

After 6 weeks, my current hair became thicker and stronger again, and it was noticeable when styling my hair (it was less “flat or dead” and more alive).

After about 10-12 weeks new fine hairs began to regrow where I had once lost them.

It’s now been 4 full months and I still have a bit to go, but I’ve regrown at least 80% of the hair and it’s no longer noticeable that any hair loss had ever occurred!

I’m also now very confident I’ll be able to regrow the rest since it typically takes 6-12 months to fully move through a regrowth hair cycle.

My Before and After Photos​

Keep in mind that although I did get faster results than typical for stopping hair loss and regrowing it, I will show you how to replicate it and why that was the case.

I hope that this article below will serve as a complete resource on how to stop hair loss and thinning hair, as well as how to regrow your hair.

There are 3 phases in which this works and if you do not complete all 3 you will not get the results you are looking for…

This is why most people are not successful when stopping hair loss or trying to regrow it.

Let’s get started detailing all 3 phases of my program with the exact foods, products, lifestyle, and herbal ingredients I used myself and have been using in my private wellness practice for over a decade.

After reading everything over below you will literally know everything there is on how to:

  • Stop hair loss
  • Make it thicker
  • And how to regrow it…

Now let’s get started!

Dr. Cabral’s Hair Growth System

Phase 1: Uncover the Answer

Like any health imbalance, you must first uncover the underlying root cause of why you started losing your hair in the first place…

If you don’t know why you’re losing your hair you will not know exactly what to do- And that means you’ll be guessing as to what you should be eating, using for products, or experimenting with. You can still get the results you want, but it won’t be as targeted.

(I’ll share what my 2 underlying root cause hair loss imbalances were in a moment.)

It’s so much better to know why the hair loss is happening.

That is why I’m going to share with you the top reasons why men and women lose their hair or have it thin out… (they are different reasons in some cases). 

The 7 Reasons Why Women Lose Their Hair

Believe it or not, when women lose their hair it’s very different than men…

There is no good reason why a woman would ever experience hair loss or massive thinning of hair without there being a real health concern that corresponds to it.

This is why hair loss in women should be viewed as a warning sign of a health imbalance.

Here are the main reasons why women lose their hair:

1. High Stress & Cortisol​

When the stress hormone cortisol increases it can cause a breakdown of proteins in the body and some of that protein loss can come from your hair follicles (which are protein themselves). Also, the stress neurotransmitter, norepinephrine, can also cause a surge in hair loss as well. Additionally, stress also contributes to most of the factors on this list below.

 

2. High or Low Estrogen

Yes, both high and low estrogen can cause a woman’s hair to thin. This can happen at any age and it happens when the body has been chronically low in sex hormones (progesterone too) for some time. Many women experience this as they move into menopause, but it can be avoided naturally without having to resort to hormone therapy in almost all cases.

 

3. Low Thyroid

1 in 5 women will experience functionally low thyroid symptoms in their life. The problem is that conventional medicine only “diagnoses” an issue when your TSH or TPO levels get really high.

By then, symptoms have already set in, which is too bad since this can be caught months to years earlier with Functional Medicine testing.

 

4. High Testosterone

High testosterone in women, although more rare, can absolutely cause acne, deepening of the voice, changes in facial structure, and hair loss. This is largely due to the conversion of testosterone to another hormone called dihydrotestosterone (DHT) – More on this when we talk about male hair loss. It is also possible for high testosterone to convert to excess estrogen.

 

5. PCOS

Polycystic ovarian syndrome can have its underlying root cause in any of the 4 imbalances named above, but it could also come from imbalanced insulin and blood sugar levels. So dysregulated blood sugar is one more reason some women may see thinning of their hair.

 

6. Nutrient Deficiencies

Again, many of these reasons are closely linked, since a nutrient deficiency in a key vitamin, mineral, or omega-3 could result in imbalanced hormones, weak stress modulators, and more. Plus, without enough protein, collagen, vitamin C & D, B-vitamins, zinc, and copper your
hair won’t grow properly and it will thin out.

 

7. Inflammation

Inflammation is a bit of a “catch-all” due to the fact that it could be caused by hundreds of underlying root causes. Luckily, we know the main causes of inflammation are stress, digestive imbalances, poor nutrition, lack of sleep, or toxicity like heavy metals. So, if you’re experiencing high level of inflammation please explore the main culprit imbalances.
These are the 7 most common reasons I see in my virtual Integrative Health practice that women experience hair loss or thinning. In just a moment I will share how to overcome these imbalances with a number of options that you can choose from.
If you’d like to go deeper and listen to a full topic on the “Main Causes for Women’s Hair Loss” please click the Cabral Concept podcast play button below

The #1 Reason Men Lose Their Hair

Men can lose their hair for any of the reasons listed above for women, however, male pattern balding is most likely attributed to DHT.

As I said earlier, DHT stands for dihydrotestosterone and it’s converted from testosterone into this more potent form of an androgenic hormone.

A high conversion of testosterone to DHT accounts for over 80% of why most men start losing their hair by their 30s (even earlier for many) and by 50 years old over half of all men experience significant hair loss.

Not only does high levels of DHT affect male pattern balding, it can and does contribute to inflammation of the prostate.

So, although men should look to see if they have nutrient deficiencies, low thyroid, or the other issues listed under women (except low estrogen), men will most likely need to focus on blocking testosterone to DHT conversion.

I will share how to do this coming up next…

My Personal Hair Loss Root Cause(s)

1 of the 2 causes of my hair loss was that I had gotten the “C” virus (abbreviated due to censorship around this topic) about a month before the hair loss began.

Although I recovered within a week I had some lasting inflammation from the high fever I had for 2-3 days (which is a normal response by the immune system to kill viral pathogens and stop replication).

However, although I was feeling fine and full of energy again, within 2 weeks of initially getting sick with the original stronger strain, there is solid scientific evidence that a high fever or stressful event on the body can cause the hair to move from the anagen phase (growth cycle) to the telogen phase (hair loss cycle). 

If you’re interested in learning more about the anagen, catagen, and telogen phases of hair growth and loss, simply click the play button below for my Cabral Concept podcast on this topic:

Here’s the other reason I began to lose hair rapidly

Over my adult life I’ve been fortunate to naturally have higher testosterone levels (without using any TRT or steroids), but I started to convert more of it to DHT, which then began to thin out my hair and cause it to start to fall out (and thin).

Here’s the lab screenshot of my testosterone levels on the high side of normal (I’m in my mid-40s and a healthy normal level would usually be lower around 90-100 – not in the 140s which is typical of an 18-22 year old male.

(So as you can see while it may be great to have higher levels of testosterone for energy and vitality it can have some downsides (like DHT conversion), which must be mitigated as well…)

At-home Functional Medicine lab testing allowed me to see this occurring and it’s why I find it so essential in helping people reveal their own underlying root causes for hair loss.

In the next section I will share with you the different at-home lab tests you can choose based on your particular needs. These labs are completely optional, but if you’d like to pinpoint your unique hair loss needs, the lab results will detail what needs to be corrected.

(If you do not want to test for your underlying root cause hair loss imbalances you may skip this  section and move on to Phase 2 on how to “Stop the Hair Loss.”) 

Find the Root Cause with At-Home Lab Testing

Hormones Testing

There is really only one lab that looks at it all when it comes to understanding if your cortisol, thyroid, estrogen, progesterone, DHEA, insulin or blood sugar may be to blame. It’s called the Stress, Mood & Metabolism Test. It’s a simple at-home lab that uses saliva and a tiny finger prick test to get samples that are then sent to the lab. This is the gold standard when assessing your functional levels of hormones and what may be out of balance.

Micronutrient & Heavy Metal Testing (Starter Kit)

This next lab is actually a combination test. Naturopaths and Integrative Health Practitioners use it to determine your vitamin and mineral deficiencies. It’s also a great lab to assess overall gut, mitochondria, neurotransmitter, and detox health. Plus, it looks at heavy metal toxins such as lead, arsenic, cadmium, mercury, and aluminum. This at-home lab is completed with a few small snips of hair and a urine sample.

 

Inflammation & Omega-3s

The last lab test assesses your levels of inflammation by looking at the ratio of inflammatory fats (omega-6s) to anti-inflammatory fats (omega-3s) in your blood with a simple finger prick done right at home. It’s an invaluable test to see your data and understand if you’re inflamed due to a lack of omega-3s (9 out of 10 people are in our global virtual practice).
You can also run all 4 of those labs above along with an IgG Food Sensitivity Test to look at hidden causes of food based inflammation with a lab bundle called the Big 5. The IgG Food Sensitivity Test is typically included free when run as part of the BIG 5 labs as a bundle, but again you don’t have to run any of these or you may decide to just choose one lab…

 

However, if you want to get to the bottom of your hair loss root causes this is what running the Big 5 Labs looks like…

The Big 5 Labs Explained

I personally run the Big 5 each year and this bundle of labs is what we prefer to run with all new clients if they are able to in order to look at all underlying root cause imbalances.

If any of these labs seem like the right fit for you, the great thing about them is that you may choose to run them right from the privacy of your own home and your data never gets shared beyond your practitioner and the lab that runs it.

Just keep in mind that although a licensed practitioner or doctor must sign off on these labs. They are not run through your MD/PCP since they are non-medical in nature (meaning they don’t diagnose or treat a disease).

So you can either order the labs online to be shipped to you directly by clicking any of the links above or you can visit your local Naturopathic Doctor or virtual Level 2 Integrative Health Practitioner for purchase.

Now that you know how to test for the reason why you’re losing your hair, let’s now move onto how to stop the hair loss as fast as humanly possible. 

Phase 2: Stop the Hair Loss

Now that you know the 7 reasons why women and men lose their hair it’s important to learn how to address the root cause(s).

This means we must rebalance the body (not just mask symptoms with pharmaceutical drugs) in order to achieve our goal.

Here is exactly how to do that based on the 7 reasons we discussed:

(Note: The points below are meant to serve as health education only and not meant to diagnose, treat, or cure any disease.)  

1. High Cortisol Rebalancing

For high cortisol, we look towards clinically proven extracts such as phosphatidylserine, l- theanine, and Ashwagandha. We’ll also look on the Starter-Kit test to see if you need additional magnesium or b-vitamins to calm stress.

2. High or Low Estrogen Rebalancing

If estrogen is low we use an herbal formula called Estrogen Support. It combines scientifically proven herbs like black cohosh, kudzu, and dong quai that act as phytoestrogen to boost estrogen levels. If estrogen levels are too high we use Estrogen Balance which is able to naturally block estrogen with plant extracts called I3C and DIM.

3. Low Thyroid rebalancing

For low thyroid, we support the minerals needed to make thyroid hormones naturally such as zinc, copper, selenium, and iodine. All of these, as well as additional Ayurvedic thyroid herbs like Ashwagandha were carefully formulated in the product called Daily Thyroid Support.

4. High Testosterone rebalancing

For high DHT we use ingredients in Daily Hair Support that have been clinically researched to block testosterone to DHT conversion. This same product also combines all the other nutrients needed to stop hair loss and regrow hair. (More about this formula in a moment.)

5. PCOS rebalancing

For PCOS it will depend on which of the imbalances were found on the Stress, Mood & Metabolism Test. Once we know the imbalance(s) we will use the specific protocols you need to rebalance those areas of the body along with lifestyle recommendations (which should also come from any practitioner you work with).

6. rebuilding Vitamin & Mineral Deficiencies

This Starter-Kit lab is amazing since it allows you to see your personal vitamin, mineral, or other nutrient deficiencies and then use the exact products you need and nothing more. Plus, it assesses heavy metals which may be causing inflammation and must be removed. If you do not lab test this protocol supplies everything you need – The Daily Foundational Protocol L2 (combine it with Daily Hair Support).

7. Inflammation rebalancing

For inflammation due to higher levels of omega-6 fats to omega-3s, we recommend some dietary changes to reduce the omega-6 intake and simply add 2 softgels of Daily Omega-3 Support with dinner mid-meal. This product is included in the The Daily Foundational Protocol L2.

 

All of this may seem like a lot, but to be honest it’s really not as challenging as it may appear.

And, not all of it may be needed if you run the Big 5 labs or any labs you feel are the right fit for you based on your symptoms.

Ok, so now you know how to find out the underlying root cause of hair loss AND how to stop the hair loss…

So let’s move on to how to regrow it naturally…

Phase 3: ReGrow Lost Hair

It’s now time to thicken, strengthen, and regrow hopefully most, if not all, of your lost hair

In this final phase I want to share with you what I would do if I wasn’t able to do any at-home lab testing to find the true underlying root causes.

What I am revealing here is how to move your body from the hair loss (telogen phase) and no hair growth (catagen phase) to the hair growth phase (anagen phase) where you naturally begin to regrow hair over a period of months (it doesn’t happen all at once).

So I’m going to make this simple and straight forward to ensure you get the best results possible – After all, my goal is to share what I’ve learned from helping thousands of wellness clients in my practice and just recently with me as my own client…

Lastly, before I get into the step-by-step regrowth system I’d like to say that I’ve tried at least 50 different products, formulas, devices, and “gadgets” over the years for myself and with clients doing their own anecdotal experimentation.

What I’ve concluded is that most everything doesn’t work, so I won’t even mention those all…

However, what I will share now below are the few clinically proven methods which help to regrow and stop thinning hair. 

Proven Methods for Hair ReGrowth

PRP

PRP stands for platelet rich plasma therapy. Essentially a doctor or nurse draws your blood, centrifuges (spins) it, and then extracts the plasma. They then use a syringe to inject your plasma all along your scalp where hair loss is taking place.

PROS: It has been clinically effective for some people to stop hair loss and regrow hair.

CONS: You have to go in for a phlebotomy blood draw, and at least 3 treatments are needed for success. It’s also quite expensive at about $500-$750 per visit.

COST: $1,500-$2,000

DETAILS: Search PRP + Local City where you live for licensed practitioners. Here’s an example for Boston, MA.

 

Direct Red Light Therapy

You may have heard of red light therapy to improve mitochondria and balance healthy levels of  inflammation, but did you know it can help regrow your hair as well? It can and it’s actually clinically proven IF the red light directly shines on your scalp.

(Please note: if you are a male and lost your hair years ago due to male pattern balding it is unlikely you will regrow all of your hair – however, if you’re like me and lost it recently you may be able to reverse it)

PROS: Scalp red light therapy is scientifically proven to help regrow hair. It only takes 10 minutes of use 3-4x a week.

CONS: Most devices don’t work. The ones that do are fairly expensive around $500. Results take months to see, but if you stick with it in 6-12 months you should notice a difference when combined with other methods.

COST: $450 (Save 15% with code CABRAL15)

DETAILS: I’ve done a lot of research on these devices and this is the product I personally use 3-4x a week for just 10-minutes.

 

Learn More

Topical Minoxidil & Finasteride

Whenever it is not absolutely necessary or life-saving, I would never personally use any type of pharmaceutical drug. The reason I say this is that if you’re taking a drug, you’re most often masking the underlying root cause of why you’re taking it, which in the future will only lead to more health issues.

Regardless of your thoughts on pharmaceuticals, there is a prescription product that stops hair loss caused by testosterone to DHT conversion. It’s a DHT blocker called Finasteride (it used to be called Propecia).

And, there’s another over the counter drug called topical minoxidil that works to move the hair into the growth phase. So, when you combine the two, you get a powerful DHT blocker and “regrower.” Of course this only works if DHT was the issue and it’s not typically recommended for women (unless by your doctor). The other issue is that Finasteride does come with some less than ideal sexual and mental side effects in some people.

So, why would I be recommending this drug?

I’m not. However, over just the last year or so, a topical Finasteride/Minoxidil prescription has become available. That means you can apply it to your scalp 1-2x a day with a dropper (it must touch the scalp skin) and you may not get the side effects like you would with the oral form.

PROS: Both pharmaceuticals are clinically proven to work. It’s easy to apply a dropper of the liquid formula to your scalp in the AM and/or PM.

CONS: All drugs have side effects and the oral form of Finasteride could cause both sexual and mental health problems. The topical formula seems to lesson the chance of these.

COST: $79/mo approximately

DETAILS: After a lot of research this company appears to make the best topical formula and can customize it based on your needs. It’s also an online prescription with no in-office doctor appointment needed.

Learn More

 

Stop the Heat

This one isn’t exactly a product but I’ve found that too many people are overdoing head heat exposure and their hair is suffering as a result. Although it may not directly cause hair loss it can change the scalp health, and cause your hair to become brittle and break.

Examples of excessive heat exposure are daily high heat sauna (wear a sauna hat if regularly going into a sauna above 140), long showers with very hot water, or blow drying your hair with high heat.

PROS: NA

CONS: High heat may cause scalp skin changes, drying, dandruff, hair weakening, hair breakage.

DETAILS: I recommend a shower filter as well to filter out harmful chlorine from your shower head and a traditional sauna hat if you enjoy regular high heat sauna (like I do).

COST: $39 and $49 per product

 

Learn More

Targeted Shampoo & Conditioner

The formula that I’m sharing uses an array of ingredients shown to block DHT. This may be redundant if you’re using the Finasteride and Minoxidal topical formula above, but I did want to share it with you.

A tip I would suggest with you is that if you are using a DHT blocking shampoo and conditioner leave it on your scalp for at least 3-5 minute each while showering.  

PROs: Clinically proven to stop hair loss and regrow hair in some cases. 

CONS: It does contain natural plant extracts, but it’s not a “clean” shampoo & conditioner product. Meaning it contains some chemicals you may not want to put on your skin.

COST: $99/mo approximately

DETAILS: This is the company that has had quite a bit of customer success with their formulas.

 

Learn More

Hair Regrowth Oil

I researched dozens of “hair oils” purported to be able to regrow hair…  What I kept coming back to were these ingredients in the formula: Sesame, coconut, olive, castor, and bergamot. You don’t need all of them, but I’d at least recommend castor oil and bergamot.

I have yet to find one single product containing all 3, so what I did was mix approximately 1/2 TBSP of the Hair Growth Oil with 1/2 TBSP of Castor Oil in my hand and then I added 3 drops of the essential oil bergamot. I massaged it onto my scalp after dinner 2-3 nights per week. When I went to bed I towel dried my hair and used an older pillow case to sleeping (your pillowcase will be stained).

CONS: I can’t say it’s clinically verified to work, however there are good studies on castor oil and bergamot showing it helps hair regrowth. Worst case, the oil is great for balancing the seldom discussed scalp biome. (Of course always discontinue any product where a skin or other reaction occurs.)

COST: About $9.00 per product

DETAILS: This is the Hair Growth Oil, Castor Oil, Bergamot I used.

Learn More

Hair Support Formula

Besides the other individualized nutritional supplements you may need based on your lab results, or simply the Daily Foundational Protocol L2, there is one formula whose ingredients are clinically proven to stop hair loss, thicken hair, and regrow hair. It’s called Daily Hair Support formula.

Full disclosure, I do not formulate for any of the 1st 6 companies listed above and I don’t own any lab testing companies either, but I did create the Daily Hair Support formula.

No fancy name. No hype marketing. Just a formula based on science that works.

The reason why it works so well is that it contains known herbal DHT blockers, and the vitamins and minerals necessary for hair growth – without them hair will not grow. Plus, the herbs are an all natural version of Finasteride (that drug works off of the same
process as saw palmetto).

This is the product I was fortunate enough to have access to before the general public since I had been working on it for over a year before it’s release. It’s worked for me and thousands of others. And, unlike all the other products it’s actually guaranteed to work, so that’s one of the reasons I feel confident recommending it and why other Integrative Health Practitioners do the same. 

PROS: The ingredients are backed by real science. It’s guaranteed to work or your money back. If you can only choose one product to do it all at a lower cost this is the one our private clients and customer choose the most often.

CONS: It will not address blood sugar dysregulation or low thyroid so you may need to add additional products for those. The product should be used for at least 3-6 months to move back into the Anagen phase and stop hair loss.

DETAILS: It is recommended along with this product that you use Daily Nutritional Support (vitamins and minerals) and Daily Omega-3 Support (to balance inflammatory omega-6s at a minimum). The Daily Foundational Protocol L2 would be best, but these 3 products will cover almost all your bases:

  1. Daily Hair Support (2 capsules with dinner)
  2. Daily Nutritional Support (2 scoops in breakfast smoothie) or Daily Activated Multi-Vitamin (2 capsules at breakfast & 2 capsules at dinner)
  3. Daily Omega-3 Support (2 softgels at lunch or dinner mid-meal) 

Learn More

NOTE: If you do not want to use the 3rd party tested products I formulate for my virtual health practice, simply review the label on the bottle and look for a matching alternative. This goes for those who live in a country that isn’t 1 of the 27 countries EquiLife currently ships to.

time for you to stop your hair loss and start regrowing your hair today…

Step 1: Find out why you’re losing your hair
Step 2: Stop the hair from falling out quickly
Step 3: ReGrow your hair using clinically proven, science-based methods

 

I hope you found this research and article helpful.

It is my goal to share what I’ve both personally and professionally found to be successful for myself and the 250,000+ client appointments that my team and I have seen in our global virtual practice.

We wish the best for you in life and can’t wait to hear your hair loss to hair Regrowth success story soon!

Dr. Stephen Cabral

Board Certified Doctor of Naturopathy

Founder of the Integrative Health Practitioner Institute

PS. More Before & After Photos

For visual people like myself, I wanted to add some additional before and after photos on my hair regrowth journey:

Before

(October/November)

After

(12-16 weeks later)

Current

(6 months from beginning hair regrowth system)

Still have questions?

Feel free to set up a virtual lab consultation with an IHP2 Certified Health Coach or one of my EquiLife Health Coaches.

 

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