Just like our furry friends, humans also change their hair. In fact, we do this daily, with a normal amount of hair that we lose between 50 and 100 strands per day
It’s absolutely normal and honestly not that noticeable as we have over 100,000 hair follicles on our scalp. But sometimes things go wrong and you realize that you are missing something 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 your heart and brain, leaving your hair and scalp behind.
Dieting can be shock to your hormones and often leads to thinning and hair loss 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 rich in protein and fat. Hair is made mostly of protein (keratin) and tends to break if you don’t eat enough of it. 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 eat away at 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. Fine, light-colored hair is especially vulnerable to the sun!
What you can do: Tuck your hair under a hat whenever possible. Try to use products with built-in sunscreen. Keep your scalp moist by adding a hair mask to your routine.
4. You wear tight hairstyles
Sport braids, buns, or ponytails put enormous and constant pressure on the hair follicles near the root. It forces the hair out of the follicle prematurely, leading to thinning and scarring.
In extreme cases, it can result in traction alopecia, a condition that permanently 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 you use a suitable headband for your hair or a soft elastic band. If you feel your hair pulling against your skin, it’s too tight.
3. You don’t wash your hair often enough.
Don’t get used to skipping hair wash. Buildup of dirt, product residue, and oil on the scalp can clog hair follicles, making it difficult for hair to grow. If left untreated, it often leads to hair thinning and 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 prevent dryness.
2. You don’t cut 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 towards the scalp, causing more strands to fall out.
It may seem counterintuitive, but if you want to keep your hair long and luxurious, get it cut regularly.
What you can do: Keep split ends at bay and trim them every 12 weeks.
1. You take a shower with hot water
Hot water stresses and dehydrates hair as well as 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 oil production, which can damage the roots and lead to further hair loss.
Hot water can also increase the population of germs and bacteria on 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 hair care routine? And how do you deal with losing weight?