What increases male body/facial hair? Digression into seminal continence.

[Guest guest]

Hi Derek,

I think there's a formula in F & S called " beautiful beard formula " or something

to that effect. Given that a nice beard was the hallmark of a good confucian

scholar you can bet that somebody has done some work in this area before, though

you may be out of luck on body hair...

 

Heiko Lade commented some time ago on a reference to Man Jing Zi (in Ben Cao

Gang Mu I think) as a supplementing herb for the chong mai (I believe his essay

on this is on the CHA website). I have been doing a fair amount of cosmetic work

and found it to be useful for filling in lines around the mouth in women when

added to blood and yin supplementing formulas. This is based on the idea that

the facial hair is, in men, the expression of what becomes menstrual blood in

women. In men, the chong mai still collects and holds blood, moving it upwards

to the face. When the channel is clear and the blood is plentiful the beard is

substantial. There is some research on chasteberry/vitex fruit, indicating that

it regulates a variety of hormonal functions, but all I have found regarded

female hormones, and I believe that facial hair, and body hair is more tied to

androgenic hormones, though this might work via a mutual inhibition type of

relationship. Most of the studies have had to do with effects of disregulated

menstrual cycles and infertility with amenorrhea, breast tenderness and PMS, all

of which could be regarded as manifestations of chong/ren disregulation, which

more often than not comes back to Liver qi. On the diagnostic side, women with

facial hair issues almost always have really bad menstrual problems which often

respong to liver moving/regulation of chong ren and blood stasis.

 

Another historical aspect of this herb its use for maintaining seminal

continence (apparently where the name chasteberry comes from), which is another

way of increasing testosterone levels. Given the Chinese borderline obsession

with seminal continence I'm surprised that they didn't use this this way. Most

seminal continence medicinals are astringent, and I think that vitex is

different. Its TCM functions revolve around eye problems, and its western

functions primarily look like GYN liver related problems. I would argue that it

is going to regulate qi, with a particular emphasis on the liver/chong mai and

reproductive system. There is often a strong element of sexual frustration in

many cases of sexual incontinence, and that frustration builds stagnation in the

liver channel, leading to a destabilization of the ministerial fire and

subsequent wet dreams. An herb which clears heat from the liver channel while

regulating qi would avert this tragedy, while astringent herbs would allow heat

to build.

 

Another approach is topical herbs. I have a couple of formulas I have used with

alopecia cases with some success, and male pattern baldness (my own, alas) with

marginal success. I'm not sure that it would be worth the time and expense and

sticky mess for this guy to rub himself down with tinctures and essential oils,

but if he's game and wants to give it a try let me know.

 

Par Scott, MAOM, Lic Ac

19 Belmont St

Cambridge MA 02138

617 499 2957

 

 

-

Derek

Sunday, October 01, 2006 11:14 PM

What increases male body/facial hair?

 

 

Hello everyone. Since nobody knows me yet, let me introduce myself.

My name is Derek and I currently work for and study under an herbalist

here in Waco, TX, Dr. Brent Wong. We had a guy come in today looking

for an herb that would increase his facial & body hair. He said he

never could grow a full beard and wishes he had chest hair, etc. Kind

of an odd request indeed, however Dr. Wong suggested I use the

internet to see if I could come up with any of my own theories on what

would work. I have some ideas, but I'm interested to hear what you

all have to say about what should work.

 

Thanks,

Derek