Study of Aloe Vera as a Treatment For Hair Loss

TOPIC : ALOE VERA AS A NATURAL CURE FOR HAIR LOSS

CHAPTER 1 I. INTRODUCTION  Aloe Vera Vera (Aloe Barbadensis) is an herb of the species Aloe. It is a stem-less or very short-stemmed plant growing to 80-100 cm tall. The leaves are thick and fleshy, with jagged or saw-like edges. The leaf surfaces are sometimes marked with white spots. The Aloe leaf structure is made up of four layers, The Rind is the outer protective layer, The Sap is a layer of bitter fluid which help protect the plant from animals, The Mucilage gel is the inner part of the leaf that is taken out to make aloe vera gel, and the  Aloe Vera(inner Vera(inner gel) gel) contains contains the eight eight amino acids that that the human human body needs but but cannot manufacture.

 Aloe vera’s use can be traced back 6,000 years to early Egypt, where the plant

was shown on stone- carvings. Known as the “plant of immortality, immortality, aloe was presented as a burial gift to the dead pharaohs. Egyptian queens associated its use with with their physical beauty, based on a discovery in 1862 of an Egyptian papyrus dated 1550 BC. It has also been described in old writings from the Indian and Chinese cultures. It has been known for centuries for its therapeutic and healing properties. Historically, aloe was used to heal wounds and for various skin conditions, and orally as laxative. The clear gel is often used as a topical ointment, while the green part of the leaf that surrounds the gel is used to produce a juice. It is more popular today

than ever, and is easily cultivated, with no special requirements. This plant is well adapted to Philippine weather as they grow in full sunlight. Actually, for people living closer to the equator, coming by some aloe vera is as easy and inexpensive as a trip to the backyard or garden.  Alopecia, or hair loss, is a concern for men, women, and children. A normal person can lose between 50 to 100 hairs daily. This is because 90% of hair is in growth phase and 10% is in shedding phase. However, there are people who experience excessive hair loss of over 100 hairs a day. According to the website www.askmen.com/sports/health 60, this may be due to different factors like: Genetics - about 95% of hair loss from the scalp comes from heredity. If a person’s grandmother, grandfather, mother, or father has lost their hair, he may inherit

this tendency to lose hair as well. Stress - surgery, illness, or mental stress can cause excessive hair loss.  Age – many people over 50 years old have thinning hair because their hair follicles are less effective and so their hair grows more slowly. Also, mature hair changes in texture and tends to break more easily. Trauma to the hair  – this may be caused by abuse of permanent and over-thecounter hair dyes or straightening products, forceful brushing, styling or combing, too much blow-drying or use of straightening iron. These procedures can break and damage hair and cause hair loss. Certain drugs or disease  – lupus, radiation therapy or chemotherapy all contribute to temporary or permanent hair loss. People who suffer from hair loss have several options. They can choose to chemically treat hair loss, get artificial wig or weaves, or invest in hair transplant surgery. These may not be the choice for all because these are pricey.

Our study offers a solution to hair loss, using natural ingredients. Commercially available shampoos are often filled with synthetic chemicals which can cause reactions to sensitive people and may be environmentally harmful. Aloe vera shampoo is not expensive, and ingredients are easily available to all. Before choosing the abovementioned procedures which are very costly, the use of aloe vera may be a simple and inexpensive solution to one’s hair loss problem

II. OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY Our study aims to use aloe vera, a plant known for its skin-soothing and therapeutic properties, as a base to make a shampoo. By making one’s own product,

we can exercise complete control over what is applied to our hair. It is also our aim to recommend the use of the aloe vera shampoo as a treatment to hair loss.

III. SCOPE AND LIMITATIONS Our study will tackle the procedure in making shampoo from aloe vera. We will also include a research on the components of the aloe vera gel which makes it an effective solution to hair loss. Due to time limitations, we will not attempt to include an actual study of a person’s progress in growing new hair by using our product, which

requires long period of usage.

IV. DEFINITION OF TERMS a) Aloe Vera – scientific name Aloe Barb adensis. “Vera” is the Latin for "true" or the species of aloe that has all the beneficial medicinal properties b) topical – for local application c) gel – colloidal dispersion which may be jelly-like or not d) Alopecia – hair loss, baldness e) genetic – adjective of or relating to the origin of organisms f) stress – pressure, strain, a system of forces operating over an area g) hair follicles  – a tiny pocket beneath the epidermis where hair is rooted h) trauma – bodily condition arising from injury, disturbing experience i)

therapeutic – pertaining to healing; curative

 j) synthetic  – produced by chemical synthesis rather than of natural origin, not real, artificial k) lupus – tuberculosis of the skin (lupus vulgaris)

CHAPTER III I. PROCEDURE FLOWCHART Extracting the gel from Aloe Vera leaves

Making the Aloe Vera

Shampoo

Steps in making shampoo from aloe vera leaves: First we are going to cut several leaves off an aloe vera plant to extract 1 cup of aloe gel, second we are going to hold the cut leaf right side up over a sink, this allows the dark,red resin to drain out, third is the we are going to place the leaf on a cutting board then hold a knife parallel to the cutting board and slice away the top layer of the leaf, fourth step is to slice away the right and left sides of the leaf, fifth step is to carefully slice away the bottom layer of the leaf. This seperates the gel from the skin of the leaf, sixth step is to place the aloe vera gel in a container, seventh step is to combine 1 cup of the aloe vera gel, 1 cup liquid castile soap,

1 tsp vegetable oil, and 4 tsp glycerin. Mix all the ingredients thoroughly using a wire whisk, and then the last step is we are going to transfer the product into an air-tight bottle and store at room temperature.