Alopecia areata（斑秃）, why not try Chinese Medicine?

The following is a response to the local newspaper publishing a Alopecia areata patient's predicament.

I read your medical condition with sympathy.  You are too pessimistic. The disease is not without cure. According to my research, elsewhere hospitals used Chinese medicine to treat Alopecia areata’s patients. The statistical evidence showed encouraging results. The effective rate is as high as 90%. There are also wide variety of treatments available, such as Skin needle(皮肤针), Body acupuncture(体针), Point injection(穴位注射), Catgut embedding(穴位埋线), Laser acupuncture(穴位激光照射), Bloodletting(刺血).They are all passed clinical tests with flying colors.

In ancient China, there was widespread ignorance about the disease, commonly known as "receive many" alopecia (鬼剃头).And now we know that neural spirit factors are thought to be primary factors; such as anxiety, sadness, depression, endocrine disorders, stress resulting the onset of the disease. Besides, people with genetic allergy background are a cause of alopecia areata. Autoimmune disease, another cause that causes the surrounding of hair follicles and lower part of lymphoid cell infiltration; a part of it infiltrates hair follicle wall, resulting stromal cells (hair matrix cells) degeneration.  Its follicle vessel branches also vasculitis, blood vessels are damaged, that reduces vascular network, making blood supply insufficient, causing hair loss.

I suggest herbal treatment for you.  Try my prescription every day, three times a day for a month. If those herbs worked wonder for others, I don’t see why you are exceptional. You need to be patient, some of the herbs are meant for boosting immune system. It takes time to build a stronger system.

何首乌1两，炙黄芪1两，明天麻3钱，侧柏叶5钱，升麻3钱，白蒺藜3钱，杭白芍3钱，楮实子5钱，酒川芎 3 钱，西红花2钱，墨旱莲3钱，女贞子3钱，菟丝子3钱，五味子3钱，紫丹参3钱，牡丹皮3钱，生地黄3钱，熟地黄3钱，金蝉蜕2 钱，北柴胡3钱，广郁金3钱，土茯苓3钱。

Let me explain to you the meaning of the prescription and why I use those herbs. In TCM, the sudden loss of hair is due to wind (风)There is a well-quoted ethology."高巅之上，唯风可及” It  literally means "High up the peak, only the ethology factor of wind can reach the height. 内经有云：风者，善行而数变，wind has the characteristics of “mobility”, “change”, “abruptness” Wind is caused by deficiency of blood (血虚生风)( 何首乌, 明天麻, 白蒺藜, 酒川芎, 升麻,杭白芍,熟地黄, 金蝉蜕)The kidney is reflected by our hair(其华在发)(Hair loss is due to deficiency of liver and renal yin(肝肾阴虚)( 墨旱莲, 女贞子, 菟丝子, 五味子, 楮实子) Deficiency of liver and renal yin can be the result of disharmony of hepatic qi (肝郁气滞(北柴胡, 广郁金)the chain effect will be stagnant blood(血瘀，血热生风，风往上行)( 牡丹皮, 生地黄, 西红花, 侧柏叶) There are immune system strengthening herbs (炙黄芪, 土茯苓). Some of the herbs mentioned above also carry immune system boosting effect.

My prescription can be purchased from local Chinese medical hall. My best esimate is it costs within twenty dollars per pack. You need a pot specially to brew the herbs; the pot can be bought at pottery shop. You pour four rice bowls of water just cover the top of the herbs, and use big flame till it boiled, and switch to small flame for another twenty minutes, you should get a bowl of brewed herbs. A pack can be brewed three times just to get your money worth.  The residue of the herbs can be used by pouring warm water into it to hand wash the scalp.

It took me three hours to type and research; I hope you take my suggestion seriously.

注解：
经免疫学研究，这种斑秃可出现抗甲状腺球蛋白、抗肾上腺细胞、抗甲状腺细胞等抗体，而无抗毛囊抗体，故认为是一种自体免疫性血管炎性秃发。