Most people shed about 50-100 strands every day. Don’t worry if you find a few in your hairbrush or on your clothes. But if it starts to fall out in clumps or if you notice it getting thinner over time, it’s time to take it seriously. Here are some tips to help keep the hair out of your brush and on your head.
Take care of the scalp
The scalp is where each hair follicle receives its blood supply, allowing it to grow strong. An easy way to incorporate a scalp massage into your hair care regimen is to perform it while in the shower, after applying shampoo or conditioner. This means a better environment for hair growth, but it also aids the penetration of any treatment shampoos you use. Scalp massages have been found to improve circulation to the scalp, stimulating hair growth.
Avoid tight hairstyles
Tight ponytails, cornrows, braids, and anything else that pulls on the small hairs that make up your hairline can cause hair loss. The stress caused by these tight hairstyles pulls too strongly on the delicate hairs of your hairline. Consequently, hair loss and thinning can occur.
Cut back on hot tool use
It’s better not to choose a hairstyle that’s so high maintenance and needs to be heat styled daily. Heat is always hard on hair. It causes bonds within the hair strands to fracture, causing brittle hair that breaks and falls out. Try to let your hair dry naturally as often as possible, which is the easiest fix you may never considered. Besides, make a conscious effort to brush more gently, and use a moisturizing and reparative hair mask to hydrate hair and nourish the scalp. If you have to use a hair straightener or curling iron, make sure not to leave it on one area of your hair for too long and move it every ten seconds or so.
Relieve stress
Constant stress can cause cortisol levels to spike, which can contribute to increased hair shedding. To relieve stress and its damaging effects on your hair, you may try meditation, deep breathing, regular exercise, keeping a regular sleep schedule, or any other activity that help reduce stress.
Load up on beauty nutrients
Hair thrives on protein, iron, and vitamin B. Get them from lean meats, leafy greens, nuts, beans, fish, and other delicious foods. Protein is your hair’s best friend. Iron helps red blood cells carry oxygen throughout the body to fuel metabolism and aid growth and repair, so it’s essential for hair growth. Foods rich in B vitamins also help keep hair follicles healthy, decreasing the risk for hair loss.
OTC medicines
As the only FDA-approved proven ingredient to improve hair loss, Minoxidil can enhance the size of the follicle so that it produces a bigger strand of hair. It can slow or stop it in most women and may help hair grow back. Corticosteroids can help regrow hair for women with alopecia areata.
Laser treatments
Laser treatments reduce the inflammation in follicles that inhibits them from regenerating. Devices that emit low-energy laser light may help new hair grow. They’re available in some clinics and for home use. Several are approved for both men and women, and studies show they do work. But it might take 2-4 months before you see results.