Like our furry friends, humans also change their hair. In fact, we do this on a daily basis, with a normal amount of hair that we lose between 50 and 100 strands a day.
It is absolutely normal and honestly not so noticeable, as we have over 100,000 hair follicles on our scalp. But sometimes things go wrong and you realize that you are missing more than the evolution that you wisely tried to prescribe.
We believe that everyone deserves to keep their hair soft, shiny, and healthy, so we’ve put together a list of things to avoid on your way to that goal.
6. You Skip Meals
When you don’t have enough calories, your body redirects all energy to essential functions like the heart and brain, leaving your hair and scalp behind.
Dieting can be a shock to your hormones and often leads to hair thinning and shedding, while new hair does not grow to replace it.
In fact, one of the main symptoms of anorexia and several other eating disorders is severe hair loss.
What you can do: Eat a healthy diet high in protein and fat. Hair is mainly made up of protein (keratin) and has a tendency to break down if you don’t eat enough. Aim for 46 grams per day or about 10% to 35% of your total calories.
5. You Get Too Much Sun
When you go outside, the sun’s ultraviolet rays begin to corrode the elasticity and strength of your hair.
Prolonged exposure to heat and sunlight can dry out the hair and scalp and damage the cuticle and hair fiber, resulting in brittle hair that can lead to hair loss. Light-colored and fine hair is especially vulnerable to the sun!
What you can do: Tuck your hair under a hat whenever possible. Try using products with built-in sunscreen. Keep your scalp moist by adding a hair mask to your routine.
4. You Wear Tight Hairstyles
Sports braids, rolls, or ponytails put enormous and constant stress on the hair follicles near the root. It forces the hair out of the follicle prematurely, which leads to thinning and scarring.
In extreme cases, it can result in traction alopecia, a condition that forever weakens the follicle and prevents hair growth.
What you can do: Loosen up! Wear your hair down when possible, especially while sleeping, as rolling on a pillow can cause even more breakage.
Make sure to use a headband suitable for your hair or a soft elastic band. If you feel your hair pulling on your skin, it is too tight.
3. You Don’t Wash Your Hair Often Enough
Don’t get used to skipping your hair wash. The buildup of dirt, product residue, and oil buildup on the scalp can clog hair follicles, making it difficult for hair to grow. If left untreated, it often leads to thinning and hair loss.
What you can do: Wash your hair regularly, every other day or once a week, depending on your hair type. Switch to a sulfate-free shampoo to avoid dryness.
2. You Don’t Trim Your Hair Regularly
As simple as it sounds, getting a haircut from time to time can help with a healthy growth process and prevent thinning.
Regular cuts remove split, brittle, and dead ends, which can otherwise rise up the hair shaft toward the scalp, causing more strands to fall out.
It may seem counterintuitive, but if you want to leave your hair long and luxurious, cut it regularly.
What you can do: Keep split ends at bay and trim it every 12 weeks.
1. You Take Hot Showers
The hot water stresses and dehydrates the hair, as well as the skin, leaving it dry, brittle, and prone to cracking and falling out.
Combined with a shampoo that removes protective oils from the hair, it forces the pores of the scalp to become overloaded to accompany the production of oil, which can damage the roots and lead to further hair loss.
Hot water can also increase the population of germs and bacteria in your head.
What you can do: Lower the temperature, opt for a hot bath, and try to rinse your hair with the coldest temperature possible.
What is your haircare routine? And how do you deal with thinning?
