Published: 12/05/2014 - Updated: 12/31/2017
Author: MSc. Miriam Reyes
Hair loss is a current problem that not only happens to men; a lot of women suffer from hair loss from an early age, and undoubtedly finding out that you have a problem with baldness is terrifying at any age. But before you sit down to cry about your loss you should get to work, and try to stop the problem.
The first thing to do is to try to identify the principal cause of hair loss, which could be caused by an endless amount of situations, like hormone changes, stress, poor diet, pregnancy, postpartum, etc.
Some advice for preventing hair loss
1. Eat a healthy diet
Diet is one of the first things that you should take care of to prevent hair loss. It is absolutely indispensable that you eat foods that contain large amounts of proteins and zinc. You should also consume enough proteins, because they are necessary for organ growth, as well as for hair growth. Fish oil is the most recommended, or also eggs or soy, if you are vegetarian.
2. Relax and forget about stress and worries
This is one of the most common causes of baldness. When your worries increase, your body feels it, and the first thing that happens is you begin to lose hair. This turns out to be even more stressful, and it turns into a viscous cycle. So stop worrying too much or you’ll have to keep going back to the salon.
3. Drugs mess everything up
It is well known that drugs are not at all recommendable, and not only for hair but also for health in general. But regarding hair, drugs prevent hair growth, dry out follicles, and promote hair loss. And the worst part is that drugs make new hair growth even more difficult. It’s best to stay away from tobacco and alcohol and other drugs before your hair slowly loses its shine, or until you’ve completely lost it.
4. Exercise
I do believe that exercise is recommended for any ailment, but effectively, it is what keeps us active, young, and keeps our entire bodies functioning at 100%. Exercise stimulates blood circulation which keeps your scalp healthy and your hair nourished. Not only will you prevent hair loss, but you’ll look strong and healthy.
5. Care for your hair
Nothing that was previously mentioned will do you any good if you don’t follow certain care techniques and hair treatment. Using blow dryers, curling irons and flat irons regularly and without protection begins to dry your hair from the tips to the roots, slowly weakening it. You should avoid very hot water and try to reduce your use of products that mistreat and burn your hair. Really tight hair ties also break it and weaken it, and using sprays or gels promote loss. If you’re going to use a dryer, keep a certain distance from it to prevent it from burning, and if you use a curling iron or a flat iron, wait for your hair to be completely dry, and preferably, protect it with special heat-withstanding products.
6. Get away from the sun
Sun not only damages your skin, but it also damages your hair because it burns both your hair and your scalp. It weakens hair and promotes hair loss, while at the same time preventing growth. Do not expose yourself to the sun, or use some sort of cap or hat. Your skin will also thank you.
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7. Not all shampoos are good
It is well known that you can find an endless list of brands for washing your hair that promise to keep your curls or soften them, or to protect your hair from certain factors, but without a doubt, the best shampoos are those based on natural herbs with minimal chemical products.
The truth about these things is that even though these products offer enormous benefits, there are so many ingredients that mistreat your hair or make it dependent on those products.
If you don’t know of any natural shampoos, choose the simplest one there is. Even though it may not offer as many benefits, the key is that it contains less ingredients. I assure you that it will be cheaper and your hair will look spectacular.
8. Don’t tie it up when it’s wet
The most comfortable thing to do is to braid or pull your hair back when it’s wet because it’s easier to comb. But what happens is that when you pull it back when it’s wet, it gets damaged easier, and tying it back prevents it from drying out easily. So if you were to keep this bad habit, it could start to rot.
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The right way to do it is to brush it when it’s wet, so that it dries easier. Stimulate your scalp and keep it loose until it has completely dried.
9. Tie it back to sleep
If you have long hair, the most recommendable thing to do is to braid it at night before going to bed and thereby prevent those terrible knots and pulling on your hair in the morning. Not only that, but when you sleep with your hair down, the friction of your hair against the pillow will make it weaker and breaks it. When you pull it back or braid it, not only will you be avoiding these problems, but it will also promote growth.
10. Avoid dyes
Dyes weaken hair, the scalp, and are perfect for losing hair easier. It’s even worse if you use it regularly. The most recommendable thing to do it to not use dyes, and learn to live with grays or with your natural hair color. But if you can’t avoid it, there are other options, like henna shampoo, that increases the duration of your dye or henna based dye, which is much more natural. It does not abuse your hair because it doesn’t contain any chemicals.
Your hair is very important; it speaks about your personality and is a part of your appearance. So if you want to keep it here, I’ll leave you with these tips to use, not only to preserve your hair, but so that it is beautiful as well.
Revised by: Dra. Loredana Lunadei on 12/31/2017
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