THE GRAEDONS | The People's Herbal Pharmacy Many endorse it, but castor oil isn't a proven cure for baldness

Q. At 62 years old, my hair is thinning, especially on the crown. Both of my grandfathers were bald in their 70s, so this doesn't surprise me much.
Yesterday, a woman I don't know stopped me in a parking lot to tell me how to grow new hair. She said I should put castor oil on my hair about twice a day to encourage its growth. She assured me her husband is a physician and they have had success with this treatment. I assume the castor oil would have to be massaged into my scalp for any benefit.
Was she pulling my leg, or is there anything to this? As you know, castor oil was once used as a laxative.
A. People have applied castor oil to bruises, warts and sore joints. We've never seen any scientific evidence that it works for any of these problems, but enthusiasts continue to praise it.
Baldness remedies go back thousands of years and include pigeon droppings, dog urine, spider webs and bear grease. If castor oil is effective for baldness, it has not appeared in the medical literature. While it probably won't hurt to try it, getting the oily residue out of your hair could be a challenge.
Q. I read an article that said too much vitamin A can weaken bones and even lead to osteoporosis. My daily vitamin-mineral supplement contains 5,000 IU. Could this be the reason my bone density test revealed bone loss?
A. There are many reasons for bone loss, but research shows that excess vitamin A can weaken bones (American Journal of Medicine, Aug. 1, 2004). Too little vitamin A also increases the risk of fractures. The recommended intake of vitamin A for a woman who is neither pregnant nor breast-feeding is 700 micrograms, equal to 2,333 IU. Your vitamin formulation is well under toxic levels, but you might want to look for a different formulation that supplies a little less of this fat-soluble vitamin.
Q. I have taken St. John's wort on and off for mild depression in the past. I started taking it again this summer, but experienced sun sensitivity on my face. My eyelids and the area under my eyes became red and swollen.
It was three weeks before I realized it could be the St. John's wort. I've stopped now and hope my skin will get back to normal.
I want to warn others who take St. John's wort to be very careful about sun exposure. I am staying out of the sun now to try to speed healing.
A. St. John's wort (hypericum) can make skin more sensitive to sun. In one case, a woman suffered actual damage to the nerves in her skin, and required several months before she was back to normal. We expect your recovery will be quicker.
If you take herbal medicines, it makes sense to be informed of potential side effects and interactions. We are sending you our Guides to Herbal Remedies and St. John's wort for a brief summary of some popular herbs. Anyone who would like copies, please send $2 in check or money order with a long (No. 10), stamped (60 cents), self-addressed envelope to: Graedons' People's Pharmacy, No. EV-51, P.O. Box 52027, Durham, N.C. 27717-2027.
Q. Has anyone ever written to tell you that a muscle rub such as Ben-Gay works to quell the itching of mosquito bites? The quicker you apply it, the better it works.
A. Thanks for the tip. The menthol and camphor in some arthritis rubs seem to help stop itching from bites.
XIn their column, Joe and Teresa Graedon answer letters from readers. Write to them in care of King Features Syndicate, 888 Seventh Ave., New York, N.Y. 10019, or e-mail them at pharmacy@mindspring.com or via their Web site: www.peoplespharmacy.org.
& copy; 2004 King Features Syndicate, Inc.