Concept and Management of Diffuse Hair Loss in the Light of Unani Medicine: A Review

The review discusses the concept and management of Diffuse Hair Loss (DHL), also known as Intithār al-Sha‘r, in the context of Unani medicine. DHL is characterized by excessive hair loss from all over the scalp without any bald spots, inflammation, or scarring, resulting from a disruption in one phase of the hair cycle. According to Unani scholars, the most common cause of DHL is poor production of bukhārāt-i-dukhānīyya, which leads to poor gathering in the skin pores (masamaat), producing yābusat in the body. This yābusat alters the normal structure of the skin, making it extremely thin and loose, leading to hair thinning and shedding when gently pulled. The review aims to highlight the Unani system's understanding and treatment of DHL as described in classical Unani books.