Medical treatment

Q: Is it permissible to buy and use a medicated cream for acne that contains animal derived ingredients? I am not sure what animal they are derived from. This cream appears to have worked very efficiently for many people with acne however there is no guarantee that it will work for me as well, but there is a very high likelihood that it will. I will simple put it on my acne then wash it off a few minutes later. Nothing else has worked for me and finding halal creams are difficult as it is. Is this permissible?

Q: There is a treatment known as PRP (platelet rich plasma). In this treatment, blood is drawn from the patient and then inserted into a machine where it is spun for approximately 30 min until all the components of the blood separate.

It is then the plasma portion of the blood, which is rich in platelets and other proteins that promote healing and growth, that is re-injected into the affected site of the body e.g. an injured muscle, etc.

Generally, PRP is used to promote hair growth, assist with healing tendons and ligaments that are injured, assist with osteoarthritis, assist with healing brain damage, etc.

However, PRP is also used for cosmetic purposes. In this case, the PRP blood-mixture is applied to a person's face to stimulate the skin and make it look beautiful. This is referred to as a 'Vampire Facial'.

Is PRP permissible in Islam? If yes, then for which purposes is it permissible?

Q: My question is on the flu vaccination. Is it permissible for Muslims to have this vaccination, the flu jab or the nasal spray?

To my knowledge the both contain (porcine) pork gelatine which is haraam. But on the nhs it says religious group leaders such as Muslims say that the vaccine is acceptable. What is your opinion?

Q: Can we take medicine that has 36 percent alchol in it? Doctors gave me because my iron is low and I have symtoms of anxiety. They didn't want to give me anything addictve because I said no. So they told me to try natural drops but it has alchol in it.

Q: I am taking a natural remedy for hair loss and it contains collagen extract from chicken comb (red skin on top of chicken head). However the extract is from non-halaal certified sources. Is it okay to consume this remedy medication?

Q: I have been prescribed 3 medicines from the doctor for dermatitis and they all contain cetostearyl alcohol. I would like to know if this is halal to use? I’ve come across answers concerning cetyl, cetearyl and stearyl alcohol but they aren’t the answers I’m looking for. 

Q: Is minoxidil halal or haraam? Minoxidil or rogaine is used for hair regrowth but I am using it to help me grow my beard. The ingredients include alcohol, propylene glycol, purified water, etc. Is it permissible to use it since it includes alcohol?

Q: I would like to ask you about prophetic medicines, like there are some ahaadith which clearly shows the confirmed results of prophetic medicines as below but sometimes it doesn't work, why? Where is the problem?

Ibn ‘Abbaas (radhiyallahu anhuma) reported that Nabi (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) said: “Healing is to be found in three things: drinking honey, the knife of the cupper, and cauterization of fire.” (Reported by al-Bukhaari, 10/136).

Abu Hurayrah (radhiyallahu anhu) reported that Nabi (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) said: “Whoever is treated with cupping on the seventeenth, nineteenth or twenty first, will be healed from all diseases.” (Reported by Abu Dawood, 3861, and al-Bayhaqi, 9/340. The isnad is hasan).

Al-Bukhaari (5688) and Muslim (2215) narrated from Abu Hurayrah (radhiyallahu anhu) that he heard the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) say concerning the black seed: “In it there is healing for every disease, except as-saam.” Ibn Shihaab said: As-saam is death.

Q: Platelet rich plasma is a procedure whereby the doctor draws the patients own blood and puts it in a vial in a machine that spins it at a fast rate. This causes the blood to separate the red blood cells from the plasma (which contains growth factors and nutrients). The plasma part of the spun blood is then withdrawn and injected into the skin to assist with healing. It can be used in many applications such as to remove skin pigmentation, wrinkles, to promote wound healing and also to induce hair growth in patients with alopecia (falling hair/no hair).

The plasma can be used with microneedling as well. Microneedling is a procedure whereby multiple needles are superficially pierced into the skin after using a local anaesthetic, to initiation the body's own healing processes and this allows for more controlled healing thereby assisting with scars, stretchmarks, pigmentation as well as to assist with hair growth.

My question is:

1. Is the use of the platelet rich plasma permissable in hairgrowth in patients with alopecia or thinning hair? There are other modalities for hair growth such as minoxidil and finasteride but these are shown to only stop hair from falling and does not assist with new hair growth. Also some reports state that the results with these are more temporary and less effective than using platelet rich plasma.

2. Would platelet rich plasma be permissable in other applications such as for scars, stretchmarks, dark skin pigmentation, wrinkles? 

Q: Is it permissible to use or prescribe sleeping pills? After using them, sometimes one is not in his conplete sense and sometimes says what will not usually say in public? Would Namaz be valid in this state? Can it be used if one is unable to sleep? Or can it be used sometimes when one wants to releive himself of worries?