There are many factors that affect hair growth, including styling, aging and hereditary hair loss. But there are also some other, little-known reasons which many people overlook. Let’s consider five of these and see how they can be avoided.
Stress
You may think it has little to do with your beautiful locks, but stress does affect hair growth. When you overwork, get stressed out or fall ill, your hair growth can slow down. In scientific terms, you’ll experience one of two conditions. The first of these is telogen effluvium, a condition which stops your hair from growing; the second is alopecia areata, where white blood cells attack the hair follicle and cause shedding.
Tip: Relax. Cut down on lifestyle stress. Find a calming pastime to pursue, learn to meditate, or take up an invigorating sport.
Nutrition
Are you on a diet? What you eat (or what you don’t eat) can stop your hair from thickening and growing. If you’re following a weight control plan, make sure it’s not one of those extreme, unhealthy options that focuses on your weight and doesn’t consider your health. Inadequate protein or iron intake prevents your hair from growing normally. Eat fish, beans, and plenty of fruit as part of a balanced nutritional regime.
Tip: Talk to a health professional. Make sure your weight control plan is healthy and contains everything your body needs.
Hairstyles
We’d all like to think that a new hairstyle rejuvenates our hair, thickens it, enhances it and makes us look beautiful. But the truth is that your chosen style could break your hair and cause it to fall out. If you’re someone who changes your hairstyle frequently, make sure you take extra care of your hair to keep it strong and growing normally.
Tip: Avoid tight ponytails and other styles which put strain on your hair; they can cause your hairline to recede and may pull out weak hair. Check your hair care products to ensure they reinforce rather than weaken.
Hormones
Women can experience severe hair loss as they age or go through significant bodily changes such as pregnancy and menopause. Men mostly experience male-pattern baldness and hair loss as they grow older.
The key reason why both men and women can lose their hair is because of hormones. Both sexes have the same set of hormones, in different amounts, and any hormonal imbalance in the body can cause hair to thin, weaken, stop growing or even fall out.
Tip: In normal situations, reducing stress levels and ensuring your body has all the nutrients it needs will help reduce hormonal hair loss. In extreme cases, you may need to speak to your doctor and find a more robust solution. Note that some estrogen-based birth control pills can cause initial hair loss, but the body usually becomes quickly accustomed and the hair regains its former strength.
Sleeping disorders
Never underestimate the emotional and physical benefits of sleeping. According to the Belgravia Centre, one of the UK’s leading hair loss clinics, 80% of men and 40% of women experience hair loss, and one in four of these suffer from some form of sleeping disorder. We’ve already seen that a primary cause of hair loss is stress and frustration, and sleep deprivation is a terrible form of stress.
Tip: Ideally, get eight hours of sleep every night. If that’s not possible, try to get between five and seven hours of sleep per night, regularly, to keep your hair growing well and in top form.
If you want your lovely locks to last, take the best possible care of them. Gentle shampoos, kind styling and using the five tips above will certainly help!
