Hair loss can be frustrating, emotional, and confusing—especially when the usual explanations don’t seem to fit. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) offers a different perspective: hair thinning often reflects deeper imbalances in the body’s internal systems. These patterns—rooted in a person’s unique “constitution”—influence stress resilience, hormone balance, circulation, and inflammatory tendencies.
By identifying these patterns, TCM practitioners use tools such as herbal teas, acupressure, and lifestyle adjustments to support healthier hair growth from the inside out.
TCM Perspective on the Causes of Hair Loss
In an episode of the NTDTV “She Health” program, Cheng-Hsiu Shih, a Taiwanese TCM practitioner and president of the Tongde Medical Association, said that hair loss seldom has a single cause. Instead, it typically reflects disruptions in several body systems. The most common patterns involve blood deficiency, kidney yin deficiency, damp-heat accumulation, chronic stress, or the side effects of medication, including cancer therapy.
Blood Deficiency and Kidney Yin Deficiency
In TCM, it is believed that “hair is the surplus of blood,” highlighting the close relationship between healthy hair and adequate blood circulation. When blood is abundant and flows smoothly, it nourishes the scalp and supports strong hair growth.
