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Have you drank a mug of green tea? If you are similar to most people , your answer is yes. Next question, have you used green tea to enhance your health? If you said no, then consider this: scientists continue to discover several reasons why green tea should be used for elevating health and not just satisfying your mouth. If you've been near a television or radio over the past ten years, you've likely heard about the anti-oxidant properties found in green tea. Well, a team of researchers from Korea found a novel medicinal application for green tea - hair loss treatment. Yes, according Dr. Kwon of the Department of Dermatology, Seoul National University College of Medicine, green tea stops hair shedding. For men and women who don't want to use drugs like minoxidil, finasteride or dutasteride to fight balding, green tea can be the answer they are seeking to find.

In 2006, the researchers set out to test a unique hypothesis - can the anti-oxidants in green tea stop balding by attacking androgens in the scalp. Androgens are the hormones responsible for most types of hair loss . The investigative team in the Labaratory of Cutaneous Aging and Hair Research found participants to contribute their hair follicles. The research team chose hairs that were in the anagen phase or growth phase and they incubated the hair follicles in well dishes. The research team found was encouraging. Hair follicles exposed to green tea, in particular epigallocatechin-3-gallate, a natural element in green tea, displayed a greater ability to sustain growth and resist hair follicle shrinking.

To understand why these discoveries are so remarkable consider the following: (1) Few investigations have been executed by scientists, objectively testing how natural elements, like green tea, may curb hair loss. (2) Investigations that have taken place, frequently have questionable methods, which makes the reliability of the conclusions weak. (3) Additional natural options in the fight to prevent balding, and grow a woman or man's own hair are in need.

Can I apply Green Tea to Prevent My Hair Loss?

The answer is yes and no. Yes, the scientists discovered that green tea exhibits the capacity to encourage hair re-growth in hair follicles through a process of hair proliferation and minimization of hair follicle apoptosis (death). The scientists did not brew a mug of tea and pour it on the scalp of the subjects. Instead, the researchers identified the epigallocatechin-3-gallate from the green tea and combined this formula with ethanol. This mixture was then administered to the heads of the research subjects.

It is believed that ethanol acts as a vehicle, which helps with absorption. This means the benefits of green tea can be more readily realized by applying the green tea to the scalp within a mixture of ethanol. This does not mean that you cannot pour green tea on your scalp. It just suggests your results may not be the same as the remarkable results of the research - unless you know how to develop the same formula. Unless you are a chemist or great at mixing ingredients, the best solution is to find all natural hair loss treatments that contain green tea.