The reasons why I thought of writing about the homoeopathic perspective for hairfall and the miasmatic background.

1. There are lots of scientific literature available regarding the Hairfall, Alopecia, Classification, Aetiology and treatments which creates more confusion in the patients mind. Results are often disappointing and its too late already when they come to a homoeopathic physician.
2.  There is no deeper understanding of the underlying predisposition and corelation to hereditary, psychological, physical and environmental levels.
3.  Homoeopathy works at all the planes right from the orign, the beginning ie, from the root cause of the disease. This is an attempt to create an awareness about the miasmatic diagnosis of diseases and one such disease is hairfall. Right from early phase, People tend to seek help with external applications, cosmetic treatments without understanding the severity of the underlying condition.
4.  People are not aware about the miasmatic Diagnosis concept of Homoeopathy and the homoeopathic treatment for hairfall.
5. How the nature of the man first creates a disease on a superficial plane and then the defense system of our body tries to show it in form of signs and symptoms. Trying to extinguish the disease superficially and externally means suppressing it, driving it deeper which in turn gives out other chronic conditions of more important vital organs.

Miasmatic Diagnosis and Hairfall:

The inherited predisposition to disease is due to our “MIASMS” The disease passed on to us from previous generations. It lies latent within us all and slowly grows throughout our lifetime, manifesting in specific symptoms or disease conditions sooner or later in life, depending on several factors. These include general constitutional strength, lifestyle and mental/emotional stability, the amount and acuteness of shocks and traumas of our system.

When they first manifested, miasms were infectious diseases that quickly spread and were easily passed on from one generation to another, repeatedly, over time. It is characteristic for all of them to have a characteristic skin eruption whose natural purpose is to keep the disease on the surface, thus protecting the vital organs. The attempted cures at that time were mostly directed at removing the skin condition, the only visible symptom of what otherwise was an invisible internal mistunement of the whole organism. These could be cured in their early stage easily by a specific remedy, and if not so cured or if suppressed by other treatments, they would give rise to other diseases. Nature has all of the solutions to its own riddles. Much as the miasms came from nature to create disease in man, so we have been led to find the treatment to best deal with this problem.

• PSORA:

Psora is mainly a disease of deficiency at all levels – deficiency of knowledge, thought, assimilation of ideas and nutrition. There are a host of conditions identified by the prefix “hypo” (hypotension, hypochondriasis, hypotrophy). It causes little or no structural change, but much disturbance of functions, feelings and sensations.

A characteristic poor defense mechanism is also reflected in a great tendency for acute illness –to catch every cold and to be slow to recover. In all texts we also find described the tendency to be dirty and offensive, but in today’s society with the ease of external applications, topical steroids, and other advances, this description is less often accurate.

There is a suppression and masking of the real disease. But the surprise is It shows up as a different disease.

Some affections which show up Abscess. Acne. Allergy. Anxiety. Aphthae. Asthma. Boil. Bronchitis. Colds. Connective tissue disease. Depression. Dermatitis. Eczema. Headache. Insomnia. Otitis media. Pharyngitis. Phobic disorders. Psoriasis. Scabies. Sciatica. Skin ulcers. Upper respiratory infection.

               Hair

• Hair: Dry, harsh, dandruff++.
• Face: Bluish appearance.
• Facial expression: Anxious, nervous, apprehensive, fearful.

 (iv) Lips: Dry, features of cyanosis.

• Skin: Dry, harsh.
• Nails: Dry, harsh.
• Dress: Wears light colours.
• Personality: Affectionate, amiable, caring, cautious, collector, compassionate, conservative, considerate, dutiful (over the top Sycosis joins), easy-going, emotional, forsaken, kind, naïve, peace-maker, perceptive, private, reserved, sensitive, thoughtful, worrier.
• Hobbies: Watching TV, video, films (cinema), reading, board games, playng cards.
•  Occupation: Carer, clerical, nurse, nursery-nurse.

2. SYCOSIS:

 The sycotic patient can be described as an extremist. In his physical pathologies, in his mental state, in almost all aspects of his life the patient bounces between extremes. He is erratic and seems to have a compulsive need to experience more passion until he is driven to extremes of sexual conduct, drug or alcohol use, physical violence, etc. There is often a hardness apparent in the patient. He can be aggressive and violent. He seems to have little connection to those around him; not from withdrawal but from an inner hardness and self-centeredness. At other times or in other patients we see an opposite state with great sensitivity. In this type of patient, there may be introversion and shyness, even to the point of being unable to speak in the interview.

Mental processes can be both dull and too intense. A person may be forgetful of what he is about to say or loses his train of thought mid-sentence. He can be a workaholic type. At other times he feels a type of anxious, hurried feeling which not only causes the patient to rush around but also gives him a wild feeling in his head.

Hair:

• Hair: Fishy smell, alopecia in circular spots.
•  Face: Yellowish colour, puffy, oedematous congenital/acquired overgrowth.
•  Facial expression: Greedy, cunning, exploitative, jealous, suspicious, mischievous.
•  Lips: Thickened.
•  Skin: Thickened, fish-scale, vesicular.
•  Nails: Thick, ridged, ribbed corrugated, convex.
•   Dress: Wears yellow/bright colours (ostentatious and fatuous).
•  Personality: Aggressive, ambitious, arrogant, assertive, bossy, charismatic, enthusiastic, fanatic (if destructive Syphilis joins), faultfinding, friendly, gregarious, humorous, intense, list maker, manipulative, outgoing (if changeable Tubercular joins), perfectionist, planner, possessive, ritualistic serious, sincere, sociable (Tubercular joins).
•  Hobbies: Gambling, casinos, bingo, fast dancing (rock and roll), shopping (excess due to greed).
• Occupation: Accountant, chief executive officer, dictator (successful), doctor (Psora also present), lawyer, pimp, policeman, politician, receptionist, stockbroker (Syphilis joins), under-cover agent

• SYPHILIS:

Self-destructive. Ulceration. Physical degeneration and malformation. Erosion. Obsessive-compulsive.

Syphilis is represented by the characteristic genital ulcer (chancre) and, in general, involves ulcerative conditions. It is marked by tissue destruction and degeneration, involving various conditions marked by the prefix “dys” (such as dystrophy, dystonia). Here we see the corrosive effects of the syphilitic infection in terms of the mind (suicide, serious mental disorders, addictions) and the body (ulcers, decay, congenital defects).

It shows up as:

  Abscess. Acne. Alcoholism. Alopecia. Aneurysm. Anxiety. Anorexia. AIDS. Bone pains. Compulsive disorder. Headache. Insomnia. Leukorrhea. Malignancy. Mouth ulcer. Multiple Sclerosis. Neuralgia. Psoriasis. Scoliosis. Skin ulcer. Astigmatism. “Growing” pains.

In the syphilitic miasm we see a destructiveness on all levels but not a violent destruction – more like an erosion.

On the physical level we see erosions of the bone (i.e. the nasal bones, etc.); on the emotional level the patient may have a type of nihilism or a feeling to let everything crash down around him; and on the mental level we see a breakdown into insanity.

There is a tendency for lack of strong connection with others in the syphilitic patient. Families with strong hereditary tendency to alcoholism are generally syphilitic.

On the physical level the syphilitic patient is often pale skinned and has the fine texture of skin which allows you to see into the deeper tissue of the skin. They tend to be slender and rather graceful in their movements.

There are several characteristics of syphilitic health problems:

1) General aggravation at night, or from sunset to sunrise.

2) Bone pains or destruction, especially bone pains at night.

3) Ulceration of the skin or mucous membranes.

4) Distortions of anatomy, often congenital (facial features, cleft palates, strabismus, etc.). 5) Neuralgia.

The mental state is characterized by fear and anxiety. The fear often concerns matters of health or disease. Especially there is a strong fear of infectious disease or germs. Especially there is a fear of deep infections such as tuberculosis, etc.

There is also a strong tendency to check things: “Did I remember to turn off the stove?” This uncertainty will lead to compulsive neurosis.The patient may wash his hands literally a hundred times a day. Every time he touches a public doorknob, every time he handles money, every time he shakes somebody’s hand, he is taken by an irresistable desire to wash.

Hair:

• Hair: Falling from all over the body.
• Face: Reddish appearance, cleft palate and allied congenital abnormalities.
• Facial expression: Cruel, brutal, vindictive, spiteful, dull, depressed.
• Lips: Cracked.
•  Skin: Cracks and fissures, ulcerative.
•  Nails: Thin, break easily, channelled, pitted, concave (spoon shaped).
•  Dress: Wears non-matching colours (lack of conception and realisation), dark colours, black.
•  Personality: Abusive, closed, depressed, dogmatic, pessimistic, revengeful, rude.
• Hobbies: Hunting, wrestling, boxing, martial arts, archery, ten-pin bowling, speedway, coarse fishing (sea fishing).
•  Occupation: Butcher, manual labourer, publican

4. TUBERCULAR: Pseudo-psora 

• It is mixed presentation of psora and syphilis.
• The specific lesions are tubercles, fibrosis and suppuration.
• The pain are neuralgic, sharp piercing and twisting .
• The discharges are purulent, yellow bloody or musty.
• The skin may be translucent, fine, smooth having tendency of bruises and bleed easily.

Hair:

• Hair: Breaks, splits and sticks together.
•  Face: Purple colour, flushed cheeks.
•  Facial expression: Indifferent, discontented, independent, stubborn, changeable.
•  Lips: Bright red, flushing.
• Skin: Flushing, bleeding.
•  Nails: Glossy, white spots, flush easily.
• Dress: Wears red, purple and pinkish colours.
• Personality: Adventurous, artistic, bubbly, changeable, creative, fearless, fun loving, independent, rebellious.
•  Hobbies: Creative hobbies (cooking, knitting, drawing, acting), traveling, horse riding, motor racing, golf, skiing, music, gardening, lake fishing, swimming, shopping (likes changes).
•  Occupation: Actor, air hostess, artist, craftsman/artisan, detective, driver, gardener, kindergarten nurse (Psora joints), postman, salesman, teacher.

5.Cancer

The life never lived…Sweet and giving. Rebellious. Sexual energy. Suppressed emotions.

The essence of cancer is sensitivity to the world and criticism and anxiety for others and events generally. It shares some features of Sycosis when it expresses in tumors and growths, and also in the reckless hyperactivity and sexual excess.

             It also shares some of the traits of Syphillis when it expresses in ulcerations and wasting cancers and in its ultimate self-destructiveness, but also in the particular detachment and inner indifference to their lot in life. People with this miasm tend to suppress their negative emotions like anger, fear, aggression.

They tend to exhibit a passivity and hopelessness when faced with stresses of life. Deep emotional withdrawal is covered up by a put on appearance of cheerfulness and dependability, to mask a strong inner sense of lack of worth or feelings of guilt.

Whitmont called cancer the penalty for the unlived life.

The cancer child has usually had a grim childhood with not much love or care from the parents and that can lead to the lack of involvement and detachment from life to avoid further hurt. The sexual desire of the cancer type is high.

How it shows up :

Abscess. Acne. Allergy. Asthma. Chronic fatigue syndrome. Colitis. Constipation. Cough. Developmental delay. Diabetes. Dysmenorrhea. Headache. Immune deficiency. Insomnia. Moles. Nevi. Ovarian cyst. Premenstrual syndrome. Rectal prolapse. Respiratory illness. Sinusitis. Tics.

• The cancer miasm is usually suspected in those with a family history of cancer and diabetes.
• The personality that is characteristic of this miasm is generally strong and passionate and very intense. The patient often feels a sense of being unfulfilled which drives him to work excessively, push limits, or live dangerously. There is a restlessness and a desire for travel and excitement
• By such a prescription, which covers the miasmatic dyscrasia of the person, the chances of recurrence are eradicated and the axiom of ‘rapid, gentle and permanent recovery’ (Hahnemann’s Organon §3) is encompassed. In cases of one-sided disease with a scarcity of symptoms, the action of the anti-miasmatic remedy is centrifugal, and by bringing the suppressed symptoms to the surface, allows a proper totality to be framed.
• The miasmatic consideration is therefore of great importance as demonstrated in the following example:-
• A person is suffering from features of gastric ulcer, which has been confirmed by radiography. As ulceration is syphilitic, the surface miasm is therefore syphilitic also.

 Let us say that the totality of symptoms (physical, emotional and essence) of the person reflects towards Kali Bichromicum, an anti-syphilitic remedy. The choice of remedy is therefore simple, as Kali Bich covers both the totality of symptoms and the surface miasm of this gastric ulcer case. Kali Bich will peel away the outer layer and reveal a second layer underneath. This second layer may perhaps manifest through the appearance of warts or moles on the face, an indication of suppressed sycosis and the next assessment of the case should include this new surface totality.

• Following Kentian principles we now know that there needs to be a change in the plan of treatment, that is, the previous syphilitic plan needs to change to a current sycotic plan, and a new anti-sycotic medicine needs to be selected based on the presenting totality.

Hair:

Bunches of hair falling off, Painlessness, Ulcerations on scalp. Spreading fast. Alopecia, resultant of malignancies and Cancer treatments.

The hairfall and its complications seems to be a simple disease with not much significance except for its cosmetic reasons. But It has been evolving maleficiently as a natural response by the body and has a lot of impact on the personal front, the body and mind as a vicious cycle.

This will be continued with the homoeopathic therapeutics. Happy reading!

— Dr. Rajeshwari Rapata