Liquid silica and hair loss (Page 1 of 3)

Thanks for the tip, Fidly.    I just placed an order.  At Whole Foods it's about $29 total for one bottle, including the tax....at i-Herbs, I got two bottles for $29.55....and that included the shipping!  Thanks again.....

Neem oil is apparently good for hair follicles too.  but it doesn't smell exactly like peaches

Same exact birthday, same job, same location, same hair loss problem?!   That is really bizarre.

Hello All,

Happy New Year.  Warning, long post ahead.

Liquid silica is interesting stuff and it's great to see it being given the light of day.  A few comments, if I may, based on my own experiences, and the way I have come to approach such problems.

Hair loss rarely occurs in a vacuum as far as the body is concerned.  Such a cellular response is most likely connected to some other dysfunction or change occurring in the body and as such, hair loss, might be seen merely as a symptom.  That silica is/was helpful is a clue perhaps to what else might be going on because in some way silica has changed the biochemistry in the body for the better.  So, the question to ask perhaps is why did silica have this effect?  What did the silica do?  Well, as the other posters have pointed out, at the biochemical level it helps with removal of aluminium and with the utilisation of calcium, it also plays a part in cardiovascular vessel strength and therefore blood pressure regulation (and levels decrease as we get older) and probably a whole host of other functions of which we are barely aware.  The biodynamicists, for example, suggests that it improves our connection with the etheric, though generally it is used at a homeopathic potency i.e. very, very dilute.  Similarly, whilst I am in that realm, silica in tissue salt (homeopathic) form is usually associated with the expulsion of waste, especially that which is deep seated not forgetting simple things like splinters which it can help to expunge. 

Whilst toxic metal accumulation can never be ruled out these days, in that excessive aluminium might have caused silica stores to be used up, perhaps the calcium connection is worth further consideration.  So if calcium is not being utilised properly because one of its co-factors isn't present, or is blocked, what could be the result? 

Given that calcium is not actually difficult to absorb from the gut and its main tempering partner on the other side of the see-saw is the rather less readily available magnesium, excessive build up of calcium is far more prevalent than we are led to believe. 

Now excess calcium (more than can be utilised) has the potential to cause a sluggish bowel, horizontal ridges on finger nails, kidney and gallbladder stones (other things can cause stones too), depression etc and a slowing of the thyroid which regulates cellular metabolism, causing an even more sluggish system.   One of the symptoms of a depressed thyroid is hair loss.  Now thyroids can be depressed, often subclinically (so they don't show in conventional tests), by other factors than just excessive calcium so this may be a consideration or it may not.  However, if lowered thyroid is an issue then since it makes the body more sluggish, accumulation of minerals that are easily accumulated, especially sedatory ones like calcium, is going to continue to increase, all else being equal.

So is the rate limiting step now not silica but iodine which is frequently out of balance in thyroid problems?  One way to find out is to take some Lugol's solution or 3% aqueous iodine and put a very small dab, using a Q-tip on the sole of one's foot.  I advise a very small amount to begin with because some people are allergic to iodine.  If there is no reaction, one might consider using a cotton ball to 'paint' a larger part of the underside of one's foot.  Then watch the absorption rate: if the brown colour has all gone within the hour one may well be iodine deficient.   Repeat the process and watch the rate of absorption which the body will change depending on how much it has taken in.  Clever huh? Repeat until the colour hangs around or your intuition says "enough, already".   The body has a fantastic intelligence for what is needed.  If, however, the colour hangs around like a bad smell after the first application, then more detective work may be called for.

Without iodine, one's thyroid doesn't work too well, but as with all things, silica included, too much can have the opposite effect and shut down the thyroid as well.  Why?  Because everything (on a biochemical basis anyway) in the body is about maintaining balance.  So please don't paint yourself from top to bottom!  Any nutrient that one takes in that is unnecessary means that the body has to expend other nutrients to remove it, or store it and there is the potential then, if this goes on long enough, to throw something else out of sync.  Hence, may I suggest taking silica past the point your intuition is not drawing you to it, might mean you really have had enough, for now, or for ever.  Sometimes with supplementation we just need a kick start and once the engine is rolling again, it's OK to roll on and on without more pushes.  Conversely, if one needs to take something forever, it is unlikely that the root of the problem is being addressed. 

Unfortunately the thyroid doesn't only require iodine to work properly (micro amounts of selenium, vanadium, B2, Vit C, Cu, Vi A and Vit E are also involved plus more we haven't figured out yet, undoubtedly) but also good protein digestion, somewhat of a luxury in this day and age and something that can also cause hair loss in its own right.  The thyroid can easily be poisoned by amalgam fillings and other toxins such as cigarette smoke.  As thook posted, eating dulce seemed to help her hair to a certain degree, so maybe iodine (high in such foods) was a factor there.  And if iodine was not the whole factor, what's the next layer to be explored?  What's the next piece in the jigsaw of wholeness?

In all of this, and I could go on, I do not mean to suggest we are merely biochemical beings.  Of course we are not.   Our thoughts affect every cell in our body as has been clearly shown.  With hair loss, one could also look at, when brushing, why we are pulling our hair out?  Or, if not brushing, what is it that we no longer want to pull our hair out over?  Timing is also important - why is this happening to me, now?  And I am sure there are other metaphors regarding what hair is to the psyche that are also involved.  Lastly, it is perhaps a mistake to compare our physical state to 'normal' people.  What is normal for us, if we then notice a dysfunctional change, is NOT normal irrespective of whether it is 'normal' for others.  The levels of chemicals the conventional blood tests test reinforce this perception of course, that to be 'normal' we need to fall within a certain range or here comes your pill.  In my experience this is not only untrue but harmful especially to those who are told there's nothing the matter because their blood tests are normal so it must be in their head.  Years of misery because someone believes the test and not the patient.  Hippocrates must be horrified.

If the supplementation angle works for you, as opposed to any other form of rebalancing (and, as we all know, there are many, many ways to effect change) then the intent of this post is to suggest that, when a change occurs we ask ourselves "Why is this happening? What is going on here? What is this symptom telling me?  What's behind this?"

And, it is not necessary to swallow a biochemical text book either.  There is a lot of information on the web which allows one to piece things together, just as one would for a metaphysical understanding, just takes a little digging and will save you time, money and perhaps heartache as well.  Take what resonates and leave the rest, for later, or for never, including of course, this post.

Wishing you all a wonderful 2007.

Sheila

Thank you for reminding me about Rife, Thook.

One way that mineral cations (metals) work in the body is via the the 'plugging in' and 'out' of electrical charges which is one of the reasons why excess aluminium is so dangerous, it's small and highly charged which means it fits all over the place, especially where it shouldn't where deficiencies of the 'proper' minerals are apparent.  Charge balance is very important and those who suspect they are ungrounded might get a lot of relief from walking bare foot on the soil or grass, quite an effective degauss.  Another method is to get the bottom of ones feet tickled, children love this, as it allows excess charge to be released, and they do it willingly.  And yes, laughing does seem to be mandatory, another great stress release.

I was however interested in the change-of-hair-colour aspect to Thook's post.  People with excess copper in their systems, or at least something that is promoting such loss, since hair is a minor excretory route, often get a brassy coppery tinge to their hair so we know colour changes are naturally possible, even if this would indicate, in most cases, a dysfunctional change.  Interestingly, black cattle such as Angus, which have quite a high copper requirement, get a slight curl at the end and copper tinge to their coats when they are copper deficient.  Quite the opposite of what appears to happen in humans and may be to do with bioavailability of the stored copper supplies in both cases - one can actually have a lot of copper but it's not readily available for use because of liver insufficiency.  Well, that's one theory.

However, I was wondering why it was that blondes in particular tend to darken as they age - is this also the result of toxins coming out through their hair?  Has anyone done a thorough detox and seen their hair colour lighten or change, blonde or otherwise?  Given that there are many ways to promote balance in the body, it should be possible to replicate the Rife hair colour change reported with other therapies.

Thanks for any thoughts, or experiences anyone can provide.

Sheila

Certainly does.

We don't take in calcium without fat so the idea of low fat milk "now with added calcium" is laughable.

Excess calcium can have an insidious effect on mood for some people, acting as a tremendous depressant if one doesn't need it.  And what are post-menopausal women encouraged to take in large quantities???  Calcium is rarely deficient in a reasonable diet except for perhaps 20% of the population (fast oxidisers) who may need more.  Excess calcium unopposed by magnesium so that it is unable to be utilised properly is often the problem.  The interplay between minerals in the body is quite interesting and Alfred Jacka, a tremendous, old-school Australian naturopath gives a good insight into deficiency progression when he says:

"A deficiency of sodium phosphate can progress in the following order - insufficient sodium for proper digestion leads to sodium being drawn from the circulatory system, causing calcium to precipitate out of solution.  A concurrent silica deficiency and sycotic miasm* results in osteoarthritis developing.  Alternatively, a concurrent magnesium deficiency may produce gallstones, kidney or bladder stones.  A continued deficiency can result in a duodenal and finally gastric ulcer.  This is not the only way conditions develop by illustrates the longstanding nature of many deficiencies and how they manifest according to miasms and other nutrient deficiencies..."

(*miasm - a predisposition to a particular weakness and inhibition of the healing process, often passed down intergenerationally)

Sheila