You’ve probably heard the rumors about kratom hair loss. Is there any truth to those claims? So far, kratom-induced hair loss has to be one of the strangest alleged side effects of the herbal supplement.
Despite limited research exploring the alleged relationship between kratom and hair loss, many anecdotal resources support the argument. Unravel the facts in this guide and find out whether using kratom supplements spell trouble for your luscious locks.
Kratom is a natural herb grown throughout Southeast Asia. The substance has earned popularity on local turf for its benefits. Folks in Southeast Asian countries have been using the plant to provide stimulation, energy, calm, and even relieve discomfort.
Aside from incorporating the herb into local healing remedies, locals pluck fresh leaves off the evergreen trees and chew them. Chewing the leaves would charge the body with the precious alkaloids contained in the plant. Doing this allows them to enjoy its soothing, body-centric effects as they walk home from farms and fishing ports.
Today, kratom is used widely across the United States for the same advantages. Many kratom users claim that it helps them relax at the end of a tiring day or focus at work.
But just like any other substance, kratom isn’t without unwanted effects. Although rare, some users claim to experience reactions like stomach pain, nausea, headaches, and dizziness. Long-term use has also been said to cause dependence and increased tolerance. But the most concerning side effect would have to be the alleged hair loss that the substance can cause.
For the record, very few resources talk about kratom and hair loss. Most of the reported hair loss from kratom is from user testimonies and reviews.
As of writing, there’s only one published study that slightly touches on kratom and hair loss. However, it doesn’t even draw any conclusions about a potential relationship between the two.
So although there might be some truth to hair loss claims from users, there’s not enough science to back them up. Nevertheless, it pays to practice some caution when taking kratom products. Learning more about the potential reasons for kratom-induced hair loss should help you avoid the possible negative effects.
Because numerous people have come forward with hair loss concerns post-kratom use, experts have come up with possible reasons for the unsettling side effect. Remember, though, that it helps to take these hypotheses with a grain of salt. Until evidence-backed science and further research prove them accurate, they’ll remain possible reasons.
Do you know exactly where and how your kratom stash was cultivated and processed? Exactly. While most vendors will claim that their products are grown and harvested using safe, sustainable techniques, not all of them walk the talk.
Today, the kratom market remains heavily unregulated, allowing opportunities for unscrupulous vendors to sneak contaminated kratom forms into circulation. These contaminants can come from poor, unsanitary processing centers or farms, where cultivators use chemicals, such as selenium-based pesticides, to protect their kratom trees from pests.
Selenium-based pesticides can be particularly concerning when it comes to the topic of hair loss. Although selenium has some obvious health benefits, excess exposure to the substance has been found to cause hair loss. Long-term exposure, in particular, can degrade hair follicles, making hair more prone to falling out.
It’s important to mention, however, that there are presently no documents to suggest that farms use selenium-based pesticides. Thus, experts speculate that the excess presence of selenium in kratom products may come directly from the soil where it’s grown.
Before buying kratom, make sure to check its lab reports. These documents will showcase any possible contamination so you can avoid dangerous products. That being said, it may be best to only buy kratom from online vendors like Bulk Kratom that can produce a lab test.
Here are some other ways to make sure you’re getting quality products:
Some reports suggest that kratom interferes with proper hormone levels. These studies claim that prolonged use of kratom can increase prolactin levels and reduce testosterone. Interestingly, both of these hormonal changes are linked to hair loss, which may explain the side-effect that some users experience.
But then again, there are equally reputable studies that contradict those claims. One study that followed users with kratom usage of more than two years found that there were no significant changes to hormone levels despite daily, routine kratom use.
So, where does that leave us? Although it might seem confusing, all we can conclude is that kratom users can respond differently to kratom usage. We might assume that hormonal changes following kratom use depend heavily on your body’s unique response to the herbal substance.
Finding out whether you’re susceptible to kratom-induced hormonal changes can help you identify whether you’ll potentially experience hair loss after prolonged kratom use. To do this, you can take hormonal tests to see your base hormone levels before starting a kratom routine.
Once you have your results, you can start your kratom intake schedule. Then after a week of routine kratom use, you can have yourself retested for hormone levels. If you don’t detect any significant changes during the second test, you can take another one at the one-month mark.
If you find that kratom has caused changes in your hormone levels, you can opt to try a different kratom form or to stop using it altogether.
Remember that kratom has stimulant effects that can interact with various physiological systems. Although this one is a bit of a long shot, some internet users suggest that kratom stimulates an overactive immune system. This effect can cause a reaction similar to alopecia areata.
As a result, the body’s immune system eventually lead to attacking itself, or in this case, hair follicles. The weakened follicles cause hair fall, which might is why many people generally believe that kratom could cause hair thinning. Again, this may only be a speculation since no scientific evidence proves this.
In fact, experts suggest that hair loss due to an overstimulated immune system might only be susceptible to long-term kratom users. As your body becomes accustomed to your kratom intake, you may end up having to increase your doses, thereby overstimulating the immune system.
Mostly, avoiding this potential reason for kratom-induced hair loss relies on intake schedules. You may want to take frequent breaks from kratom use to keep your immune response normal. Or consider taking weekly breaks from kratom use to keep your tolerance low and avoid having to increase your doses over time.
One of the reasons why people buy kratom in the first place is to regulate stress levels. Many users have shared that kratom doesn’t take long to work, especially in reducing stress almost instantly after taking a dose.
But what most people don’t realize is that chronic stress may cause hair loss and not kratom alone.
It’s possible that before starting a kratom habit, people suffering from significant levels of stress might have already been losing hair. In some cases, people associate stress-induced hair loss with kratom, not realizing that the symptoms they’re trying to resolve are the root of the issue.
After the dose wears off, it’s possible for you to feel the same level of stress and worry as you did before you took the herbal medicine. And because stress has long been recognized as a reason for hair loss, you might keep having to deal with damaged hair until you resolve the root of your stress.
While different kratom works wonders to resolve stress acutely, it’s not a long-term solution. If you’re living a particularly stressful life, you must try various remedies to resolve the problem.
Breathing exercises, proper diet, healthy fitness routines, and sufficient sleep are a few tips that can contribute towards low-stress levels that would help in hair restoration.
There isn’t enough research to confirm whether kratom causes hair loss. However, it’s possible for contaminated kratom to cause hair loss. As discussed, kratom farms with high selenium concentrations may work against your hair health.
Yes, hair growth is possible.
There are many treatments for hair loss, such as using laser therapy machines for lost hair. Or make sure to reduce your intake of kratom when trying to regrow hair or make hair follicles healthy. It also helps to eat healthy foods, sleep well, get sufficient exercise, and take multivitamins to speed up hair growth.
No, any hair you lose after kratom use isn’t permanent. There’s no clinical trial as of writing that can prove whether kratom-induced hair loss is permanent.
Make sure to follow the hair loss treatment tips listed above to restore hair health and facilitate hair growth if you experience thinning hair after kratom use.
Anecdotal reports mostly claim that hair loss from kratom use only usually happens after taking higher doses for an extended period. Thus, make sure to follow proper dosage recommendations to avoid any side effects. Keeping your doses at a bare minimum and taking breaks from kratom use can reduce overstimulating your immune response, which may have a big impact on hair thinning.
Kratom-induced hair loss may start as several strands of hair falling out when you brush your hair or comb it with your fingers.
It’s also possible to experience other side effects along with the fallout, like headaches, dizziness, stomach pain, and nausea.
The first thing you should do is seek medical attention to ensure your hair loss isn’t resulting from an underlying condition. If you suspect kratom use is the culprit, cut back on your dosage or take a break from kratom use to minimize the fallout.
There isn’t enough evidence-based research to confirm whether kratom and hair loss are linked. But with so many anecdotal reports claiming the connection, we can’t deny the possibility of kratom-induced hair loss.
So if you’re worried about going bald from kratom use, you should pay close attention to the products you buy. Check labels, trust only reputable vendors, and keep your usage to a minimum so you can reap the benefits of kratom without its hair-thinning side effects.
CONTENT DISCLAIMER: The content on this page is strictly for entertainment purposes only. The content below has not been medically reviewed and is not intended to offer advice for use or intended use. For more information about kratom and its potential dangers, please visit the fda.gov site.
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