What Causes Hair Loss, and How Can I Prevent It?
If you find yourself shedding hair in large amounts, your part is widening, or your hair is becoming thinner by the day, there’s no need to be alarmed.
40% of all women experience hair loss at some point during their lives, making it an extremely common condition.
Fortunately, thinning hair and hair loss are both conditions that can be treated. By understanding what causes hair loss, you can take the next steps to get your hair back to its healthy state.
What Causes Hair Loss?
Losing some hair every day is normal. You can expect to lose up to 100 hairs a day without being concerned since this hair loss is a part of your natural hair growth cycle:
- Anagen is the growing phase (2-6 years)
- Catagen is the transition phase (2-3 weeks)
- Telogen is the resting phase (2-3 months)
At the end of the telogen phase, your hair will fall out. A new hair will grow in that follicle, and the hair growth process begins again.
Conditions like Telogen Effluvium trigger your hair to prematurely enter the telogen state, causing it to fall out. Telogen Effluvium is caused by either poor lifestyle choices like smoking and an insufficient diet or acute events like surgery or a recent hormonal change.
Continue reading to better understand why you may be experiencing hair loss, some of the steps you can take to regenerate hair growth, and a few of the treatments for hair loss.
Smoking
Most people are aware of the damage that smoking causes to the lungs. However, the effects of smoking extend far beyond just your respiratory system, even affecting your hair.
Smoking causes damage to the DNA of cells, including your hair. This damage causes hair to break and fall out as your scalp becomes dehydrated.
Tobacco also can impede the blood flow to your scalp that is necessary for hair growth. Simply reducing the number of cigarettes you smoke may cause your hair to become healthier.
Diet
Like with the rest of your body, the foods you eat affect the health of your hair. The right nutrients will keep your hair strong, shiny, and growing properly.
Some of the most important nutrients for the health of your skin, hair, and nails include:
- Biotin
- Vitamin A
- Vitamin D
- Iron
- Fatty acids like omega-3s
- Protein
Vitamins A and D have been shown to be key factors in the hair regeneration process. Other nutrients like iron, biotin, and omega-3s contain properties that will make your hair thicker and healthier, therefore reducing hair loss.
Keratin is the type of protein that makes up your hair, as well as your skin and nails. For your body to produce enough keratin to maintain a healthy head of hair, you need to be consuming the proper foods that contain essential amino acids. One study found that deficiencies in these amino acids were directly linked to hair loss.
Stress
When your body is in a state of calm, known as homeostasis, it has no problem regulating your bodily functions. This includes crucial processes like heart rate and temperature, as well as others like your skin’s oil production and your hair growth.
If your body enters a state of acute stress, though, it may cause your system to go into shock. These situations can include significant hormonal changes, undergoing surgery, or having a child, all of which may trigger Telogen Effluvium.
And it’s not just major stresses that can cause hair loss. Living in a constant state of stress, from not following a regular sleep schedule to over-working yourself, can signal to your body that it needs to enter high gear.
Make sure you are taking the time you need to de-stress. Exercise at least a few times a week, experiment with meditation apps, and journal your feelings.
After a more extreme event, your body will likely need additional help. Taking supplements for hair loss will give your hair the nutrients it needs while allowing you to focus on your healing.
Maintenance
The way you treat your hair and scalp plays a major role in thinning hair and your hair regeneration process. Give your locks the respect they deserve to keep them looking and feeling healthy.
Be gentle with your hair. Use a mild shampoo and massage your scalp gently to exfoliate it without putting unnecessary stress on the hair follicles. Consider using a fortifying shampoo.
Limit your time in the sun. About 30 minutes a day of intense sunlight will provide you with the Vitamin D known to stimulate hair growth, boost your mood, and even clear your skin. More than 30 minutes, though, and you may dry out your hair—along with potentially putting your health at risk.
Reduce your use of curling irons, straighteners, and other styling tools that apply heat to your hair. If you can’t give up your favorite hairstyles, make sure to apply a heat protectant to your strands before you start styling.
Thicker Hair Is Within Reach
Losing your lovely hair during an already stressful time only makes the situation worse. Fortunately, telogen effluvium is usually temporary. Within six months, your hair will start to grow back, especially when you can treat the root of what causes hair loss.
And with products like Tricovel, you won’t even have to wait that long. Tricovel decreases hair loss due to Telogen Effluvium in as little as two months.
Our team will be happy to assist you with your hair care needs. Contact us today to learn more about we can help.