What Are Considered “Natural” Treatments?

If I’m going for natural treatments for hairloss, what is defined as natural? I used to think anything I could buy over the counter was natural. Is any product with “Drug Facts” instead of “Supplement Facts” on the back not natural? But my salicylic acid acne medication and pyrithione zinc shampoo both say Drug Facts, and they seem natural. And I know you can buy Rogaine OTC, and that I know can have systemic side effects.

I would think a natural treatment is something that does not use medication or artificial chemicals; a treatment that is found in nature, as opposed to developed in a lab. This is called homeopathy.

The FDA allowed Rogaine (minoxidil) to be sold over the counter in 1996, but it was originally a prescription medication. Many drugs start out as prescription-only and are then approved for OTC sale. Rogaine is not considered a natural treatment, though. There isn’t a minoxidil tree or root. It seems in our society we gravitate towards things that are “natural” because we believe they must be better for us, but a natural treatment does not necessarily mean that there is no potential for side effects.

There are natural treatments that work very well for specific ailments. For example, saw palmetto is known to be effective in treating an enlarged prostate, but as I’ve written here many times before, I’m not convinced of its effectiveness as a hair loss treatment and it needs to be studied further. The Mayo Clinic has a good index of herbs, supplements, and vitamins that you should review. Check it out here.