How to prevent hair loss – useful tips for healthy hair

Healthy, beautiful and well-groomed hair can dramatically change the look, give your appearance completeness, hide the flaws of the face and highlight its advantages. This is valid for both men and women. However, after a certain age not everyone can boast with thick hair. Sometimes hair begins to fall out at a much earlier age and when it happens to young people between 20-30 years old, this can be a real problem. How to prevent hair loss? What are the reasons that cause hair loss and how can we prevent it? We shall give you the answers of these questions and in addition, you will find some easy lifestyle tips which will help you maintain a healthy and shiny mane.

On the first place one should understand that hair loss is a normal phenomenon and not an indication for any irregularities. A woman loses 40 to 100 hairs daily, which is less than one percent of the total hair. Their place is occupied by new hair which had not yet had the time to grow to its full length. So there is a natural hair growth thanks to which it remains thick and shiny. However, if you have to clean a handful of hairs after every washing and the first signs of thinning are clearly noticeable, it is necessary to determine the cause.

What are the reasons for hair loss?

Alopecia is the medical term for hair loss. Accelerated hair loss is not dangerous in terms of health. Even partial baldness is nothing more than a symptom indicating the true cause of weakening the body. But if you value your the beauty, length and rich natural color of your hair you need to change your lifestyle and possibly start treatment once the problem is detected. So, what are the main reasons for hair loss?

Genetics, as we mentioned above, is one of the main reasons for hair loss. Your hair may be genetically predisposed to thinning. This leads to a gradual decrease in volume. Pay attention to the condition of the hair of older relatives to find out for sure.

Age is the most obvious reason for hair loss. Shortly before menopause for women, hair begins to thin and fall out. It is important to understand that this is a natural aging process.

Physical damage is another factor for hair thinning and eventual loss. Fans of heat treatments like blow drying, flat ironing and curling irons risk losing an impressive part of the hair volume. Even if you use heat protection sprays the hair loses a lot of moisture and becomes weak.

Hormonal imbalance – One of the most common causes of alopecia is hormonal imbalance, which can be caused by thyroid diseases, pregnancy, and hormone-containing medications, including birth control pills, etc. Common balding (androgenetic alopecia) occurs in men and women and is due to the effect of testosterone metabolites in genetically susceptible hair follicles. Hormones that affect women’s hair growth are testosterone, somatotropin thyroid hormones, prolactin progesterone, melatonin, etc.

Stess is another common factor. This includes the lack of sleep, an upcoming surgery, an accident, emotional trauma, etc. Even a sore throat can cause stress.

Intoxication – Hair can fall due to heavy metal poisoning. Such metals are lead, mercury, cadmium, gold, thallium and other chemical elements.

Hair reacts to climate change. It should be protected from both low temperatures and direct sunlight.

Strict diet – any diet is a stress for the body. A lack of important nutrients leads to vitamin deficiency. The following vitamins and micro-elements especially affect hair growth:

Iron – This element is actively involved in the construction of hair cells. Iron deficiency occurs with internal bleeding, after childbirth, abortion, with a vegetarian diet, an excess of vitamin E, presence of parasites.

B12 -The lack of this vitamin affects the overall body status. People feel constantly tired and hair loss is a “bonus”. B12 is responsible for transporting oxygen to the tissue. Vegetarians and vegans are at risk, as animal protein is the main source of this vitamin.

Alopecia can be caused by oily seborrheic dermatitis (dandruff). Male scalp secretes sebum more actively than women. Fat is mixed with keratinized skin particles. This substance clogs the pores and openings of the follicle, and also serves as a nutrient medium for fungus. Under the influence of these factors, hair begins to fall.

Is it possible to stop hair loss without expensive treatments?

It is important to know that the complete life cycle of a hair is about 3-4 years. Significant losses in volume will have to compensate for years, especially if you prefer long hairstyles. Fortunately, in most cases, unwanted changes are reversible at home. To quickly cope with the problem, you will have to radically change your lifestyle. Here are some useful tips and recommendations how you can change your daily habits:

Go to bed earlier. A sleeping schedule is essential not only for hair health but for the overall condition. Hair growth is affected by the hormone melatonin, which the body produces while resting. It begins to be produced at about 8 pm and the peak is from midnight to 4 am. Melatonin is often called the “health hormone”. It affects your overall well-being and it is not in vain that night sleep is also called “beauty sleep”. At night, the activity of hair bulbs is 2-3 times higher and they transfer the nutrients accumulated during the day.

Walk more. Lack of physical activity is a signal to the body that all processes can be slowed down. Hair nutrition is not such a priority as tissue regeneration or digestion. In case of low physical activity you may suffer hair loss. A 30 minute walk is an easy and pleasant way to exercise and be active.

Protect hair from weather. Both low and high temperatures are equally dangerous to hair. Protect from the cold – wear hats in the winter! If the temperature is below zero, hair follicles need to be protected from the destructive over cooling with a warm layer. Protect your hair from the sun. Heat is just as harmful to the roots as frost is. Overheating is especially dangerous. Heat penetrates under the skin, so the follicles continue suffering even after you go under a shade. Do not wet your hair if swimming in salt water. Do not wash your hair with hot water. It is better if the water is slightly warm. During summer, use serums with UV filters.

Be careful with diets. Very often it is the diet that is responsible for women’s hair loss. Many diet plans exclude fats but for hair follicles, fat is the main source of nutrition. Try to eliminate food with trans-fats, saturated fats and fast carbohydrates. Replace them with monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats and slow carbohydrates. Consume more protein. Protein is the building material of the body. Nutritionists recommend eating an average of 120 grams of protein per day, preferably in the morning and afternoon meals. Eat fresh fruit and whole grain foods. Add vitamins to your diet. Balanced nutrition is difficult, but effective. If there is no time to plan a menu, you can think of trying a vitamin and mineral complex. The positive effect will be noticeable after 2-3 weeks. You can lose weight without losing your hair. Simply combine proper nutrition and physical exercise.

Use the right comb. This may sound a bit weird to you but you should avoid metal combs. Their teeth are hard and traumatize the scalp, potentially damaging the follicles. Plastic and wood combs are acceptable as their teeth bend while combing and do not damage the roots. .

Massage the head. There are no masks or shampoos that will give such a quick result as a manual massage. A light massage 2-3 times a day improves microcirculation in the tissues of the head. Follicles wake up and start working. Trim the ends often so that your hair has enough nutrients.

Avoid chemistry. Dyeing is not advisable and if you have faced the problem of hair loss, you should know that every coloring decreases the volume from 3% to 12%. Hiar dyes are based on removing the natural pigment and even the most modern products are a huge stress for the hair. When you fight hair loss it is best to avoid styling products like hairspray, mousse, foam and the likes.

Select the right shampoo, mask and balm for your symptoms. For example, an abundance of dandruff indicates increased fat content. In this case, you need products for oily hair and masks for seborrhea. If your hair is weak, look for products with nutrients and for dyed hair there are special professional level balms and masks.

Give up bad habits. Quit smoking and drinking alcohol, coffee and strong tea. Substances that poison the body also provoke hair thinning.

Read also: Does Your Hair Grow Faster If You Trim It? – We Explain!