Hair loss is a very frustrating common issue that affects men and women alike. Although it’s natural for your scalp to shed around a hundred hairs a day, when you start shedding more, that’s when you notice that your hair is less dense. In some extreme cases, you may even start seeing some thinning or bald spots.
There are plenty of reasons behind hair loss, some of which include a poor diet, hormonal imbalance, bad hair care habits, heat and chemical damage, and of course, genetics. Luckily, there are tried and tested solutions for each one of these root causes. Apart from hair loss treatments on the market, here are some of the most effective solutions for rapid hair loss.
Ditch Damaging Hair Care Routines
One of the most common causes of hair loss is poor hair care habits. Most over-the-counter shampoos you find in drug stores and supermarkets contain a high amount of sulfates, which not only irritate your scalp but can be abrasive to the hair shaft as well. They commonly dry out your scalp and make it flakier, resulting in hair loss if you don’t follow up with a deep conditioner. However, it’s better to prevent the damage than to cause it and balance it with more hair products.
When shopping for your shampoo, opt for a sulfate-free brand. Unfortunately, these brands can also be quite expensive, but there are cheap alternatives. Some herbs can be ground into powdered form and used to clean your scalp and hair, such as Zizyphus Spina Christi leaves, which are more colloquially known as Sidr leaves. When mixed with water, the paste can be used to clean your strands safely without stripping them of their natural oils. This will allow your scalp to stay moisturized and clean, which will work to combat hair fall.
Consider Professional Treatments
If you have bald spots and no homemade treatments are working out for you, consider professional non-invasive treatments that can help you restore a voluminous mane. Laser hair treatments can help reduce inflammation in the scalp and thus encourage hair to regrow. Low-level laser treatments are particularly effective in treating male pattern hair loss.
Consider traveling to Toronto, Canada, if your options are limited in your region. If you already live in the area, you’ll have an abundance of clinics to choose from, where you can consult a dermatologist or plastic surgeon on what the best option for you would be. Alternatively, you may seek hair transplants if you suffer from severe balding.
You have two options to choose from: extraction or transplantations. The former is a treatment that involves removing hair follicles from the scalp and transplanting them in other balding areas. Simultaneously, the latter is the more commonly used method and involves removing the skin at the back of the scalp and reinserting these follicles in balding areas.
Vitamins
A poor diet can be a major contributing factor to hair loss, although it’s unlikely to cause severe balding. If you suffer from thinning hair, consider a blood test to tell you if you have any vitamin or mineral deficiencies. Some of the most common deficiencies that cause hair loss include iron, selenium, and vitamins D, B, and A. Even though vitamin C deficiency can also cause hair loss, it’s not as common.
You can also consider supplements if you want your hair to give hair growth a little push. The most commonly recommended supplement for hair growth is biotin, but you need to consult your doctor before taking any medication.
Protein
Because your hair is almost entirely made of protein, known as keratin, consuming enough protein is essential if you want your hair to stay in good health. You need to make sure that your diet contains all the essential amino acids that your body needs to stay functional, and if you’re on a restrictive diet, you can consume fortified foods such as plant milk and cereals.
Further, chemical and heat damage can destroy your hair’s keratin. Over-the-counter protein hair treatments can reverse the damage caused by hair dyes or heat tools; just make sure to use a deep conditioning treatment afterward to prevent your hair from breaking off. You can also use natural protein treatments such as neutral henna or an egg and honey mask.
Hair loss is a common but frustrating issue that many of us face at some point in our lives. It can be caused by genetics and hormonal imbalances, but it can also result from poor diet choices and bad habits. If you have any vitamin or mineral deficiencies, you can ask your doctor to prescribe you supplements. However, if nothing seems to work for you, consider professional treatments such as lasers or transplants.