Hair loss can be frustrating, but it’s important to understand that hair loss isn’t just a cosmetic issue. It can be caused by a number of underlying conditions, including genetics, hormone imbalances, stress, health conditions, and nutritional deficiencies. While there are no quick fixes for these issues, you can take measures to keep your hair healthy and prevent it from falling out. Here are 10 tips for preventing hair loss!
- Avoid Hairstyles that Pull on the Hair
Oftentimes, the hairstyles we lean towards are the ones that are super tight and pull on our scalp. Hairstyles such as tight ponytails, tight braids, high buns, etc are all pulling on the hair at the root, potentially causing excessive hair loss and damaging the hair due to breaking and thinning the hair. Hair loss caused by tight hairstyles is also called traction alopecia. By the constant tight hairstyles and pulling the hair from the root, many people start to experience excessive hair loss and even balding due to the harm and stress that is being put on the hair follicles.
- Cutting Down on the Amount of Heat Being Put on Your Hair Through Styling Tools
Avoiding heat styling tools like curling irons, straightening irons, hot combs, etc. all play a huge part in damaging your hair and breaking the hair shaft. Flat irons and curling irons can damage 85% of your hair’s proteins like keratin and cause your hair to have split ends, and become brittle and dry. All of these factors will eventually lead to hair breakage and loss so why not only use styling tools for special occasions?
- Avoid Chemical Treatments and Bleaching Your Hair
Bleaching your hair and or chemical treatments like getting perms, or permanent hair color. etc. also have bad effects on the overall health of your hair causing damage to the hair and scalp. Chemical damage to the hair is directly affecting the follicles of your hair which explains why one may experience extensive hair loss and shedding if these services aren’t being done by a certified professional. An alternative to average hair color and other chemical treatments is consulting with your hairdresser about vegan/ organic hair dyes or using products that contain certain elements such as ammonia and peroxide.
- Using Shampoos for Your Hair Type
Finding the right shampoo for your hair’s needs and hair type is a crucial step in keeping your hair healthy. Not only does everybody have different hair types, but everyone also has different hair textures and hair needs. All shampoos contain many different ingredients and some of these ingredients have been linked to hair loss. Although regular washing is important to keep your hair and scalp clean, using shampoos that contain sulfates, parabens, and formaldehyde can strip your natural hair of oils and nutrients leading to hair loss. With all this being said, it is essential to do your research on not only just the ingredients on shampoo brands but also make sure you are purchasing shampoos that cater to your specific hair type and texture!
- Using Coconut Oil To Prevent Hair Damage
Using natural and virgin oils on your hair is one of the most recommended ways to prevent hair loss and excessive damage. Coconut oil contains fatty acids that have been shown to penetrate the hair follicles and the hair shaft which reduces the protein loss of hair. Coconut oil can be used in many different ways varying depending on your hair type and hair texture. If your hair is on the drier side, you can massage your scalp and hair with coconut oil, leaving it overnight or it can even be used as a post-wash treatment. Studies have shown that when coconut oil is applied to the scalp, it helps enrich the scalp’s microbiomes which makes the scalp as well as the hair follicles healthier, preventing hair breakage and shedding.
- Eating a Mediterranean Diet & High Protein Intake
One of the significant factors that have to be considered when it comes to preventing hair loss is diet. Some of the most beneficial diets for preventing hair loss are the Mediterranean diet and a high-protein diet. A Mediterranean diet consists of a diet with a high intake of raw vegetables and fresh herbs which have been shown to slow the onset of hair loss. A high protein diet can also be very beneficial in halting hair loss due to protein in eggs, fish, nuts, chicken, turkey, and more containing those amino acids that serve as building blocks making the hair follicles stronger. A study was conducted in 2017 on a group of 100 people with hair loss. It was found that these participants had nutritional deficiencies, especially lacking the amino acids that serve as the building blocks of protein.
- Massaging and Stimulating the Scalp
Massaging your scalp is one simple way to prevent hair loss and promote hair growth. It doesn’t involve any extra costs and it can be done on yourself. Massaging the scalp stimulates and encourages hair growth and thickness. The dermal papilla cells are targeted when massaging your scalp and these cells play a key role in the formation of hair, shedding and the regrowth cycle of your hair. Simply massaging the scalp with your fingertips has been shown to improve blood flow, promote hair growth and improve overall scalp health.
- Using Olive Oil to Deep Condition Your Hair
Olive oil is a great way to not only deep conditioning your hair but also oiling your scalp with olive oil protects it from dryness and prevents excess shedding and breakage. The elements of olive oil allow for one to use this essential oil as a conditioner but it also softens and strengthens the hair, preserves moisture within the hair shaft and even adds a little extra shine. As the diets were discussed earlier, olive oil is a key ingredient in the mediterranean diet which has also contributed to slowing down the process of hair loss.
- Natural Remedies, Hair Masks, Vitamin Supplements
In many cases, natural ingredients, natural remedies, homemade hair masks and vitamins are the best answer to preventing hair loss. Supplements like ginseng and biotin are great ways to make sure you are receiving intake of nutrients needed for healthy hair. Ginseng has certain components that positively impact hair and also promotes hair growth by stimulating hair follicles. As far as hair masks go, these can be homemade by simply using the ingredients already in your home! Ingredients such aloe vera, yogurt banana, yogurt, avocado, eggs and many other foods can be thrown together and make a hair mask that will provide nutritional value to your hair. Preventing hair loss is something that can affect one’s confidence levels so why not take good care of your hair, take vitamins, and do hair masks routinely to prevent shedding of hair?
- Protecting Hair While Sleeping
One step that is often overlooked is how one takes care of their hair at night while sleeping. Little things such as avoiding sleeping with a tight ponytail or bun, and not going to sleep with your hair still wet can make a huge difference in the health of your hair. Preventing hair loss starts with making these little changes in your nightly routine can take your hair a long way! Some changes you can make are sleeping with a silk pillow case which has shown to prevent hair breakage overnight which was caused by the tangling and tugging on your hair, braiding your hair in a loose braid so that your hair is not being caught under your body weight and even drying your hair before bed. Sleeping with wet hair is when your hair is most vulnerable and it can weaken the strands of hair causing excessive breakage and shedding.
