A symbol of confidence, a head full of dense, shiny, and voluminous hair, is the crowning glory of every woman (and man). Indeed, we’re all hair-obsessed at some point, and we constantly seek ways to get a striking appearance that’ll steal the show. While the products we use matter less, the key to healthy and gorgeous hair is what’s going on internally — something most experts agree with. Even if you’re hair is thinning or shedding, in most cases, it may respond well to diet and some lifestyle changes. Just as good habits can improve hair condition, the bad ones can worsen it. Hence, avoiding these bad habits will not only help prevent thinning hair but will make your strands unbreakable and healthy.
Damaging hair habits to avoid
While you follow a healthy routine and use the right products, pay extra attention to these habits that can damage your hair and cause its loss.
Extreme Stress
Stress has been found as one of the causal factors involved in hair loss. According to specialists, experiencing highly stressful events or periods, such as depression, severe anxiety, or physical injury, can shock the hair cycle, pushing more hair into the shedding phase. It’s crucial to nurture your mental & physical health so that your hair cycle isn’t disrupted. Practicing sport or learning relaxation techniques are among the actions you can take to maintain your positive spirit.
Daily washing
This might be a bit ambiguous. While it’s good keeping your scalp clean, daily washing might dry out the hair and cause it to break. How often it is good to wash your hair depends on your lifestyle and what products you use. The ideal would be to wash it two times a week, but this might be challenging if you have greasy hair or practice sport daily. What you can do, though, is use a mild shampoo, one designed for frequent use, with less harmful ingredients and more natural ones. We love these organic shampoos for thinning hair, enriched with hair-strengthening ingredients.
Too much styling
Try to skip ponytails or tight braids that pull your hair at the root. Tight ponytails might look cool, but you should instead opt for something more ledger to avoid breaking your hair. Better think about alternating between loose hair and braids. Also, sleeping with your hair tightly pulled back can make traction alopecia occur along the hairline.
Nevertheless, massaging your scalp regularly can improve blood flow and drive more oxygen and nutrients to hair follicles. Olive oil, castor oil, and unrefined coconut oil make for fabulous massage agents.
Poor diet
As we’ve already said, healthy hair comes from the inside out. Just like any body part, hair also needs nutrients, minerals, and vitamins to grow healthy and thick. While proper hair nourishment can drastically improve its condition, a nutritional deficiency may weaken the strands and make the hair prone to breakage. In fact, studies found that a lack of necessary nutrients, such as iron, niacin, zinc, vitamins, fatty acids, selenium, folic acid, biotin, proteins, collagen, and antioxidants, often leads to thinning hair. If you don’t have the time to cook nutrient-rich meals, you can opt for these hair growth supplements.
Heating tools
Because heat is one of the most common reasons your hair gets compromised, you shouldn’t overdo it. Hot styling tools — hairdryer, curling wand, and straighteners — dry your hair, making it prone to breakage and more likely to fall out. Besides reducing how often you use these kinds of items, another solution is to control their heat. Pick tools that have a temperature gauge and ceramic materials.
Over-dyeing
Another hair damaging habit is dyeing the hair too often. Chemicals such as ammonia and hydrogen peroxide, often found in hair dyes, can damage the hair, making it less elastic, leading to faster breakage. If you frequently dye your hair, try to take a break from this habit for a few months. Another thing — you can always choose an organic dye, something that does not contain harsh chemicals but natural pigments.
You don’t adapt needs to seasons
Summer and winter can be damaging to your hair too due to the lack of moisture. It turns out women experience thinning hair during summer, seeing its hair-falling effect in October-November.
While the sun can be harmful, leading to faded color, split ends, and brittle texture, a chlorinated pool can strip treatments & color out, making your hair look dull. The hairstylist’s advice is to get a trim before summer, as the sun does extra damage to hair, so you instead want to remove the split ends. In the colder months, ensure that your hair is totally air-dried before you go out. Cold air expands the hair shaft, making it prone to breakage, also leading to fading color faster. The less exposure to winter weather elements, the better it will be for your hair.
Procrastinate seeing a dermatologist
Consider making an appointment with your dermatologist if you are experiencing sudden or extreme hair loss. There are conditions like thyroid issues, psoriasis, bacterial or fungal infections that don’t respond to home remedies and require medical treatment.
