Losing hair is nothing to be alarmed about, but when the hair loss is substantial, you need to figure out the cause. People experience balding for various reasons, and it could be hereditary or due to environmental factors. Mineral deficiency, diet, and some medications can also contribute to hair loss. Fortunately, you can prevent your hairline from thinning with a variety of hair loss treatment products or medicine. However, sometimes you need to make a few lifestyle changes to keep baldness at bay. Here are five sure-fire tips that can combat hair loss.
Chapter Overview
Avoid Tight Hairstyles
Most people notice hair loss when their hairline becomes sparse. The reason for the thinning of the hairline is often due to tight hairstyles that pull on the delicate follicles – leading to traction alopecia. The problem can be resolved if you avoid tight ponytails, braids, and cornrows that pull on the small hairs along the hairline. If you must style your hair in a ponytail, use a suitable hairband so that the strands will not be tangled up in the band. When removing the ponytail, you should be careful not to pull too firmly on your hair.
Avoid Hair Treatments
If you frequently subject your hair to heating procedures, you are much more likely to experience some hair loss. Exposing the delicate follicles to heat and drying procedures weakens the hair proteins and breaks the bonds in the hair strands. When your hair becomes fragile, it breaks and falls out, causing baldness. Ideally, you should leave your hair to dry naturally, but if that is not viable, use a heat-protecting spray before styling with heating procedures. When using a hair straightener, ensure the temperatures are not too high to avoid burning your hair. You should also make sure the heating treatment is not in one area for more than ten seconds as the excess heat can cause severe damage.
Chemical treatments also inflict substantial damage to your follicles. If you use hair products to straighten, bleach, or lighten your hair, the chemicals damage the hair shaft leading to hair loss. If you must treat your hair with chemicals, ensure you use a deep-conditioning treatment weekly to reduce the impact. It would be best to stick to your natural color or style if you are experiencing hair loss. Otherwise, the problem will escalate.
Never Brush Wet Hair
While washing your hair reduces hair loss, it also leaves your hair fragile. The follicles are at its weakest state and can easily break if you pull firmly. Therefore, you should never brush your hair after washing. Instead, undo the tangles gently with your fingers and leave it to dry before using a comb. However, if you are in a rush and you must style the hair in its damp state, use a wide-toothed comb, which will be gentle on your follicles. Even when your hair is dry, brushing frequently injures it and increases the risk of hair loss.
Quit Smoking
Your hair needs nutrients to grow and become healthy. Therefore, if you want to limit hair loss, you need to maintain a healthy scalp. You may be on the right diet, but if you have bad habits, like drinking alcohol and smoking, they can reduce the effectiveness of the dietary nutrients. Smoking reduces blood circulation to the scalp making your follicles weak and susceptible to breakage. If you are a regular smoker, you will notice a lot of hair falling off when you brush it. If you break the habit, your hair will be healthier and recover quickly.
Protect Your Hair from Sunlight & UV Lights
As much as you love sunbathing, too much exposure to the sun can wreak havoc on your hair. The intense UV rays from the sun weaken your hair, increasing the chances of breakage. Besides, the heat causes sweating, which weakens the hair roots leading to balding.
Hair loss occurs due to many different reasons. However, if your home remedies are not working, you should see a doctor for a hair loss treatment plan.