HAIR FORMULA

Kidney Essence-Nourishing & Liver Blood-Enriching • Hair-Root Strengthening & Blood-Circulating Formula

Symptoms

Hair Thinning & Hair Loss: Progressive thinning, increased shedding, reduced hair density, or weakened hair roots associated with insufficiency of Liver Blood, Kidney Essence (Jing), or chronic constitutional deficiency.

Dry, Brittle or Dull Hair: Hair may become dry, fragile, coarse, or lacking in lustre when Blood and Essence fail to adequately nourish the hair and scalp.

Premature Greying: Early loss of hair pigmentation may occur in patterns involving depletion of Kidney Essence and insufficiency of Liver Blood, particularly when associated with constitutional weakness or prolonged exhaustion.

Slow Hair Growth: Reduced or delayed hair growth reflecting insufficient nourishment of the hair follicles by Blood, Yin, and Essence.

Scalp Dryness: Dryness, reduced nourishment, or mild flaking may accompany Blood and Yin deficiency, particularly when the nutritive substances of the body fail to reach the superficial tissues adequately.

Liver Blood Deficiency Signs: Hair changes may coexist with pale complexion, dizziness, blurred vision, dry eyes, menstrual insufficiency, muscle tension, or brittle nails.

Kidney Essence Deficiency Signs: Chronic hair weakness may be accompanied by reduced vitality, weakness of the lower back and knees, diminished constitutional resilience, premature ageing signs, or reproductive weakness.

Blood Stasis Signs: In more persistent presentations, poor circulation of Blood may contribute to inadequate nourishment of the scalp, particularly when hair loss is chronic or localized.

Tongue: Pale or pale-red in Blood deficiency; potentially redder and relatively dry when Yin deficiency is more pronounced. Dusky or slightly purple signs may appear when Blood Stasis is present.

Pulse: Thready (Xi), weak (Ruo), or deficient (Xu); potentially choppy (Se) when Blood deficiency and Blood Stasis coexist.

Ingredients

He Shou Wu (Fallopia multiflora / Polygonum multiflorum)
Raw Herbs 12g | Granules: 12.0g

Shu Di Huang (Rehmannia glutinosa – prepared root)
Raw Herbs 10g | Granules: 10.0g

Sheng Di Huang (Rehmannia glutinosa – raw root)
Raw Herbs 7g| Granules: 12.0g

Gou Qi Zi (Lycium barbarum)
Raw Herbs 8g | Granules: 8.0g

Dang Gui (Angelica sinensis)
Raw Herbs 8g | Granules: 8.0g

Bai Shao (Paeonia lactiflora)
Raw Herbs 7g | Granules: 7.0g

Chuan Xiong (Ligusticum chuanxiong)
Raw Herbs 6g | Granules: 6.0g

Da Zao (Ziziphus jujuba)
Raw Herbs 6g | Granules: 6.0g

Mai Men Dong (Ophiopogon japonicus)
Raw Herbs 6g | Granules: 6.0g

Fu Ling (Poria cocos)
Raw Herbs 6g | Granules: 6.0g

Hong Hua (Carthamus tinctorius)
Raw Herbs 4g | Granules: 4.0g

Tao Ren (Prunus persica)
Raw Herbs 4g | Granules: 4.0g

Chuan Niu Xi (Cyathula officinalis)
Raw Herbs 4g | Granules: 4.0g

Tu Si Zi (Cuscuta chinensis)
Raw Herbs 5g | Granules: 5.0g

Yi Zhi Ren (Alpinia oxyphylla)
Raw Herbs 4g | Granules: 4.0g

Qian Shi (Euryale ferox)
Raw Herbs 3g | Granules: 3.0g

Posology

Granules: 3 to 9g per day, divided into two or three doses.

Raw Herbs: Boil in approximately 1000–1200ml of water according to the prescribed decoction method and divide into daily doses.

Dosage and duration should be adjusted according to the individual pattern differentiation and clinical presentation.

Description

Hair Formula is a comprehensive Chinese herbal formula developed for patterns in which hair weakness, thinning, premature greying, or excessive shedding are associated with insufficiency of Kidney Essence (Jing), Liver Blood, Yin, and inadequate nourishment of the hair roots.

From a TCM and Jing Fang perspective, the condition of the hair reflects the state of several interconnected physiological systems. Classical Chinese medicine describes the hair as the “surplus of Blood” (Xue Zhi Yu), while the Kidney is traditionally associated with the nourishment and vitality of the hair through its relationship with Essence (Jing).

The formula therefore approaches chronic hair weakness through both the root (Ben) and branch (Biao) of the pattern. The root lies primarily in insufficient Kidney Essence, Liver Blood, and Yin, while the branch may involve impaired Blood circulation and inadequate delivery of nourishment to the scalp and hair roots.

He Shou Wu forms one of the principal herbs of the formula. Traditionally associated with the Liver and Kidney systems, it nourishes Blood and Essence and has a longstanding classical association with the nourishment of hair. At 12g, it establishes the central therapeutic direction of the prescription: replenishing the deeper constitutional substances upon which healthy hair growth depends.

Shu Di Huang strongly nourishes Blood, enriches Kidney Yin, and replenishes Essence. Its rich and deeply nourishing nature complements He Shou Wu and strengthens the formula's action on chronic deficiency.

Together, He Shou Wu and Shu Di Huang form a central axis for replenishing Liver Blood, Kidney Yin, and Essence, addressing the deeper deficiency underlying chronic thinning, dryness, weakness, and premature ageing of the hair.

Sheng Di Huang enriches Yin and generates fluids. Its cooler, more fluid-nourishing character complements the richer action of Shu Di Huang, helping address dryness and deficiency of Yin and nutritive fluids.

Gou Qi Zi nourishes Liver Blood and Kidney Yin while supporting Essence. In this formula, it reinforces the relationship between the Liver and Kidney and contributes to the sustained nourishment of the hair and scalp.

Tu Si Zi further strengthens the Kidney and supports Essence while possessing a comparatively balanced tonifying action. Its inclusion expands the formula beyond Blood nourishment toward the deeper constitutional basis of hair vitality.

The combination of He Shou Wu, Shu Di Huang, Gou Qi Zi, and Tu Si Zi therefore establishes a strong Liver–Kidney nourishing strategy, directed toward restoring the Jing–Blood foundation of healthy hair.

Dang Gui and Bai Shao nourish and regulate Blood. Dang Gui both supplements and moves Blood, while Bai Shao nourishes Blood and preserves Yin. Together they support the Liver's capacity to store Blood and provide adequate nourishment to the peripheral tissues.

This Blood-nourishing strategy is complemented by Chuan Xiong, Hong Hua, and Tao Ren, which promote Blood circulation and prevent the rich tonifying herbs from producing excessive stagnation.

From a structural perspective, this is important: the formula does not simply “add Blood” but also promotes its physiological movement. In chronic hair disorders, nourishment must not only be sufficient; it must also reach the scalp and hair roots effectively.

Chuan Xiong moves Qi within the Blood and has a characteristic ascending action toward the head, making it particularly relevant to the circulation of Blood in the upper body and scalp.

Hong Hua and Tao Ren reinforce the Blood-moving strategy and address underlying Blood Stasis that may coexist with chronic deficiency.

Chuan Niu Xi invigorates Blood while simultaneously supporting the Liver and Kidney. Its descending character also provides an important directional balance to the more upward-moving action of Chuan Xiong.

This creates a dynamic movement within the prescription: Chuan Xiong encourages Blood movement toward the head, while Chuan Niu Xi regulates and anchors the circulation through its descending tendency.

Mai Men Dong nourishes Yin and generates fluids, helping protect against dryness and supporting the fluid component of the body's nutritive substances.

Da Zao supports the Spleen, supplements Qi, nourishes Blood, and harmonises the formula. Since the Spleen represents an important post-heaven source of Qi and Blood production, its inclusion helps sustain the ongoing generation of nutritive substances.

Fu Ling strengthens the Spleen and regulates Dampness. This is particularly valuable in a formula containing rich tonic substances such as Shu Di Huang and He Shou Wu, as it helps support digestion and transformation while reducing the possibility that heavy nourishment will burden the Middle Jiao.

Yi Zhi Ren and Qian Shi introduce an additional consolidating dimension. Both support the Kidney–Spleen axis and help secure Essence. Their inclusion is particularly relevant where chronic deficiency involves an inability to adequately preserve the body's deeper resources.

The formula therefore combines several complementary therapeutic strategies:

Nourish Kidney Essence: He Shou Wu, Shu Di Huang, Gou Qi Zi, Tu Si Zi

Enrich Liver Blood: He Shou Wu, Shu Di Huang, Dang Gui, Bai Shao, Gou Qi Zi

Nourish Yin and Fluids: Sheng Di Huang, Mai Men Dong, Shu Di Huang, Gou Qi Zi

Move Blood and improve circulation: Chuan Xiong, Hong Hua, Tao Ren, Chuan Niu Xi

Strengthen the Spleen and support the production of Qi and Blood: Fu Ling, Da Zao

Consolidate Kidney Essence: Tu Si Zi, Yi Zhi Ren, Qian Shi

From a Jing Fang structural perspective, the prescription combines supplementation (Bu) with movement (Xing) and consolidation (Gu). Rich substances rebuild Blood, Yin, and Essence; Blood-moving herbs maintain circulation and prevent stagnation; while Kidney- and Spleen-supporting herbs help preserve and continually regenerate the body's nutritive resources.

This balance is particularly important in chronic hair presentations. Excessive supplementation without movement may produce stagnation, while excessive Blood movement without adequate nourishment may further consume Blood. Hair Formula combines both strategies, nourishing what is deficient while maintaining the circulation required to distribute those substances.

In classical pattern language, Hair Formula is therefore most consistent with presentations where Liver Blood and Kidney Essence deficiency constitute the underlying root, frequently accompanied by Yin deficiency and a secondary component of Blood Stasis or impaired Blood circulation.

The therapeutic principle can be summarized as:

Nourish Liver Blood • Replenish Kidney Essence • Enrich Yin • Invigorate Blood • Nourish the Hair Roots • Support Healthy Hair Growth

Contraindications & Cautions

This formula is primarily designed for deficiency-based chronic patterns and should be differentiated from acute or predominantly excess scalp conditions.

Use with caution where there is pronounced Spleen Qi Deficiency with Dampness, particularly when accompanied by marked abdominal distension, poor appetite, loose stools, nausea, or a thick greasy tongue coating, due to the rich nature of Shu Di Huang and He Shou Wu.

The presence of Tao Ren, Hong Hua, Chuan Xiong, Dang Gui, and Chuan Niu Xi gives the formula a significant Blood-moving component. Particular caution is therefore appropriate during pregnancy, active bleeding, or in patients using anticoagulant or antiplatelet medication.

He Shou Wu requires particular attention to correct processing, product quality, dosage, and patient suitability. Products containing Polygonum multiflorum have been associated with reports of liver injury, and professional supervision is advisable, particularly with prolonged administration or in individuals with pre-existing hepatic impairment.

The formula should be prescribed according to individual pattern differentiation (Bian Zheng), rather than solely according to the biomedical symptom of hair loss.