10 Everyday Things That Contribute to Hair Shedding
If you’ve found yourself with thinning hair as a result of excess hair shedding, then you’re not alone! In fact, hair loss impacts about 40% of the population.
However, the good news is that this doesn’t mean that your hair loss is permanent.
There are many everyday causes of hair shedding that could be the culprit, so check out this list to learn more:
1. Heat Styling
Regularly styling your hair with extremely hot styling tools can do some serious damage to your locks.
Especially if you’re using a heat styler every day, you should consider taking precautions in the form of a heat protectant spray. Another even better option is to cut back on the frequency that you’re using these tools and turning down the temperature when you do.
If you suspect that heat styling may be causing your hair shedding, you may find this post helpful!
2. Your Diet
Unsurprisingly, what you put into your body can have a pretty big impact on how it functions.
A diet lacking in nutrient-rich foods can leave you without what your body needs to maintain a healthy scalp and head of hair.
If you follow a vegetarian or vegan diet, you should be especially mindful of this. Both iron and B12 deficiencies are common among people who don’t eat meat or animal products, and both can be the cause hair loss.
Consider talking to your doctor or a nutritionist to determine if your dietary practices are providing you with the vitamins and nutrients you need! Whether it’s a change in the foods you eat or adding supplements to your diet, it’s important to get what you need in order to look and feel great!
3. Your Environment
The air quality and potential pollutants in your environment can also play a role in your seemingly random hair loss.
If you live in an urban environment where the air isn’t clean, your scalp and hair could be suffering.
Another thing to consider is smoke. Just as smoke isn’t good for your lungs, it could be hurting your hair’s health too. Being around smoke, even secondhand, could be causing irritation to your scalp and hair loss.
4. Thyroid-Related Health Issues
Didn’t know your thyroid could impact the health of your hair? Now you do!
Having an under-active thyroid is one of the underlying health issues that could potentially be causing your hair loss. On top of just hair loss, your thyroid can cause an itchy scalp or a change in hair texture!
If you’re experiencing random patches of hair loss or you’ve noticed that your hair has become noticeably thinner, then it may be time to seek out the advice of a medical professional.
Video – 10 Ways to cure thyroid induced hair loss
5. Pregnancy
Another health-related reason you may be losing your hair to excessive shedding is pregnancy.
Both the physical stress and the rapid change in hormones that pregnancy cause can contribute to hair loss! Hair loss caused by pregnancy can happen both during and shortly after a pregnancy.
6. Your Mental Health
Your physical health isn’t the only thing that can have a pretty big impact on your hair and scalp!
Living with mental health conditions such as depression and anxiety can lead to excess amounts of hair shedding. Stress and hair loss are related as well and allowing too much stress to build up in your life can cause excess shedding.
In order to combat these issues and prevent future physical and mental health problems, proactive steps will need to be taken. Consider speaking with a therapist or taking time for stress-relieving activities that you enjoy.
7. Your Genetics
If you have a family history of hair loss, there’s a decent chance that it could be in the books for you at some point too.
This doesn’t mean that all hope is lost, though! There are many treatment options and preventative measures that you can take in order to keep your hair healthy and full.
8. Dramatic Weight Loss
Similarly to hair loss caused pregnancy or other dramatic changes to the body, losing a lot of weight can contribute to hair loss as well.
However, the weightless itself may not be the issue. The stress associated with dieting may be the cause.
As mentioned above, a lack of vitamins and nutrients can cause excessive shedding. Since many diets center around restrictive eating, being careful to make sure you’re still getting what your body needs is key.
If you’re planning to lose weight and you’re on a diet, you can do your best to prevent hair loss by making sure that you’re eating foods high in protein, iron, zinc, and Vitamins A, C, and D.
9. Pulling Your Hair Back Too Tightly
Throwing your hair into a quick ponytail, bun, or braid may be a quick fix on days you don’t feel like doing anything else, but beware!
If you’re pulling your hair back too tightly you could be doing a lot of damage that can lead to hair loss! Doing this too often can cause thinning around your edges and impact where your hairline sits.
Instead of an up-do, consider heatless styling methods that allow you to leave your hair down and still look cute without doing any damage!
10. Getting Older
It’s a fact of life that as we age our bodies change and that change includes our hair!
After the age of 40, you may begin to notice changes in the fullness of your hair. This is due to hormonal changes but can be reversible. Maintaining a healthy diet and taking care of your hair and scalp can keep your hair loss to a minimum!
Hair Shedding Has Many Everyday Causes
If you’ve noticed lately that you’ve been dealing with hair shedding more than normal, fret not!
Chances are that the root of the cause is on this list and it’s something that is fixable.
Start on your journey back to a beautiful, full head of hair and check out this post on how to rebuild your thinning hair!