How to handle hair loss

Hair loss? Don't panic...when you consider we lose up to 100 hairs a day, it’s no wonder we’re all after the secret to healthy hair. 

With 50 per cent of women experiencing hair loss at some point in their lives, here's our top three tips to preserve and protect:

Feed your follicles

What you eat really does affect how healthy your hair is. The hair follicle lives in what is known as the ‘dermal layer’ of the scalp, which is supplied by a network of blood vessels that deliver nutrients to the cells.

So you need a healthy diet rich in proteins and vitamins in order for your hair to benefit. Protein like meat, eggs, cheese, tofu and nuts are particularly good for follicles because they help boost the hair-thickening fibre, keratin.

Eat foods rich in Vitamin D - like tuna,mackerel and salmon - to keep the hair growth cycle ticking over. Iron, found in red meat and spinach, helps carry oxygen to the hair and zinc, found in baked beans and almonds, encourages the production of protein.

Give yourself a head massage

Massages aren’t just good for the body and soul - a head massage is a simple and quick way to boost the blood flow to your hair bulbs, spurring them into action.

You don’t even need to go to a fancy salon. Just use your fingertips to push and press products into your scalp. Apply some castor or sesame oil, which is full of fatty acids and proteins to promote growth, into your hair before massaging. A recent study revealed that scalp massage increased hair thickness!

Blame the seasons and fake it

Eating well, not feeling stressed and have no history of hereditary hair loss but you’re still filling the shower plughole daily? Research has found that hair tends to shed most in late summer and early autumn, which could be down to evolution.

Less hair loss in summer means we are protecting the scalp against harmful UV rays with our luscious locks, but as they die down in autumn the hairs will often fall out. So what’s the answer? Fake it by investing in some of these scalp-stimulating and follicle-fattening products….

Can haircuts cause hair loss? Six myths and truths about hair loss

Can haircuts cause hair loss? We debunk the myths around hair loss and reveal what you can do today to take good care of your hair.

 

“Can haircuts cause hair loss?”

FALSE: In a word: no! Let us explain why. The way you treat the hair shafts doesn’t provide any sort of damage or affect your roots. This is because hair shafts are basically made up of dead tissues, so there isn’t any metabolism going on inside them. No matter how you treat these hair shafts, it would never affect the living tissue. Most of the metabolic activity related to hair loss happens inside the human body, which is called the hair follicle.

“Can haircuts make my hair thinner?”

FALSE: There is no solid evidence that cutting hair short will cause it to thin. In fact, frequent trims can make thinning hair appear fuller because it removes older hair and encourages growth. The hair looks thicker, because it’s healthy, new hair, but it’s not actually thicker. That’s just part of the life cycle of the hair follicle.

Photo by Rachel Coyne on Unsplash

“Greasy hair falls out more often”

TRUE: When your scalp produces too much grease and you don’t get rid of it, you may find that more of your hair falls out. This is because sebum (oil) makes your hair ‘dirty’ and can obstruct the follicle. Give some attention to your scalp when hair washing and see if you notice sebum and dirt building up. Opt for gentle products that suit your hair type.

“Anxiety and stress can affect hair loss”

TRUE: When you notice that a lot of your hair is falling out, you may worry even more, contributing to a cycle of loss and feelings of worry and stress. Remember that it’s normal to lose between 50 and 100 hairs a day, so hair loss is normal.

Photo by Matthew Tkocz on Unsplash

“Washing your hair on a daily basis makes it fall out more”

FALSE: Not only is this not true, it’s actually completely the opposite! If your hair feels greasy every day, it’s best to wash it to stop excess sebum blocking your follicles. Hair that falls out as you wash was ready to fall out anyway. This loss has nothing to do with your showering habits! While washing won’t make your hair fall out, make sure that you always use products that don’t damage your scalp or irritate it.

“Brushing your hair when it’s wet means more will fall out”

FALSE: In line with the previous myth, your hair doesn’t fall out more if you brush it when it’s wet. Hair is more elastic when it’s wet, and it also has a greater tendency to split, which means that you feel as though more is falling out, whereas in fact it’s just broken. If your hair is in the process of falling out, brushing gathers up hair that is about to shed anyway: it doesn’t actually cause hair loss.

3 quick ways to beat hair loss

Feed your follicles

What you eat really does affect how healthy your hair is. The hair follicle lives in what is known as the ‘dermal layer’ of the scalp, which is supplied by a network of blood vessels that deliver nutrients to the cells. So you need a healthy diet rich in proteins and vitamins in order for your hair to benefit. Protein like meat, eggs, cheese, tofu and nuts is particularly good for follicles because it helps boost the hair-thickening fibre, keratin. Eat foods rich in Vitamin D - like tuna,mackerel and salmon - to keep the hair growth cycle ticking over. Iron, found in red meat and spinach, helps carry oxygen to the hair and zinc, found in baked beans and almonds, encourages the production of protein.

Give yourself a head massage

Massages aren’t just good for the body and soul - a head massage is a simple and quick way to boost the blood flow to your hair bulbs, spurring them into action. You don’t even need to go to a fancy salon. Just use your fingertips to push and press products into your scalp, or invest in a tool like Briogeo’s Scalp Revival Stimulating Therapy Massager, £13.50. Apply some castor or sesame oil, which is full of fatty acids and proteins to promote growth, into your hair before massaging. A recent study revealed that scalp massage increased hair thickness!

Blame the seasons and fake it

Eating well, not feeling stressed and have no history of hereditary hair loss but you’re still filling the shower plughole daily? Research has found that hair tends to shed most in late summer and early autumn, which could be down to evolution. Less hair loss in summer means we are protecting the scalp against harmful UV rays with our luscious locks, but as they die down in autumn the hairs will often fall out. So what’s the answer? Fake it by investing in some of these scalp-stimulating and follicle-fattening products….

L'Oreal Paris Hair Expertise Total Repair 5 Serum

Toppik Hair Building Fibres

Aveda Invati Advanced Thickening Conditioner

Philip Kingsley Trichotherapy Tricho Pro Spray