For a growing number of people, the lackluster, volume-lack locks or a sparser hairline is a warning sign it’s time to boost their hair health.
Even though it’s okay to lose from 50 to 100 hair strands daily, if it seems that you lose more, you might be dealing with hair loss.
The trigger of hair loss in both men and women can vary as it can be caused by multiple factors – from over-styling your hair to malnutrition, and from genetics to age. Unless you ignore the problem in the beginning, hair loss can get worse and result in baldness.
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Fortunately, there are tons of ways to ward off hair loss and save your locks. Below are the tried and tested tips to help you deal with and reduce hair loss. However, it’s important to consult a doctor first to figure out the real cause of your problem, especially if you don’t see any positive results after using these tips:
1.Pay attention to your shampoo
The first thing you should do when dealing with hair loss is to determine which shampoo works best for your hair type. With a wide range of shampoos available on the market today, most of them cause hair loss due to their harsh, chemical-packed ingredient list.
Try a shampoo designed specifically for handling a hair loss issue. Although such shampoos cost pretty money, they could really stop your hair from falling out.
Apart from shampoo, pay attention to your conditioner and hair masks – if you use such products. Since weak hair tends to lose moisture fast, it’s important to nourish your locks and strengthen your hair roots.
Avoid applying your conditioner or hair mask directly onto your scalp. Ideally, it’s best to apply a shampoo onto your roots and leave a conditioner or mask for 2 to 15 minutes on your hair. Rinse it off and let your hair dry itself. Avoid rubbing it and blow-drying it, as you can damage your weak hair.
2.Check out your protein intake
Vegetarians and vegans aren’t the only ones dealing with hair loss. Anyone with a low protein intake is prone to this problem.
Protein is a building block of healthy hair and thus eating enough protein-packed foods helps to improve hair health and ease the signs of hair loss. You can consider protein supplementation in case of drastic hair loss.
However, it’s best to incorporate protein-rich foods into your daily diet. Some of the biggest sources of protein are beans, chickpeas, lentils, edamame, tempeh, tofu, seitan, nutritional yeast, berries, nuts, nut butters, seeds like chia and flax, wild rice, oats, nut milk, cheese, quinoa, amaranth, spirulina, green peas, and veggies like sweet corn, Brussels sprouts, sweet potatoes, artichokes, spinach, and broccoli.
3.Supply your body with essential nutrients
The majority of vitamin and mineral deficiencies are linked to both mild and severe hair loss. While it’s vital to supply your body with all the essential nutrients, you need to boost your vitamin intake when treating hair loss. Be sure you take enough vitamin A, B-vitamins, iron, vitamin E, vitamin D, vitamin C, and zinc. There are many hair supplements that contain these vitamins, yet consider natural sources first.
Vitamin A promotes the sebum production in the scalp and stimulates hair growth. Some of the best sources of this vitamin are sweet red peppers, dark leafy green vegetables, papaya, mango, oranges, tomato, milk, and eggs.
B-vitamins are found in avocado, banana, citrus fruits, dark leafy vegetables, nuts, seeds, legumes, dairy products, eggs, and whole grains. Iron is found in spinach, cashews, lentils, beans, and tofu. Some of the richest sources of Vitamin E include green leafy vegetables, sunflower seeds, peanuts, almonds, and vegetable oils.
If you’re vegetarian or vegan, getting vitamin D might be a real problem for you, so supplementation might be required. In most cases, vegans experience hair loss because of vitamin D deficiency. Unlike vitamin D, vitamin C is abundantly found in citrus fruits, sweet or bell peppers, blackcurrants, parsley, kale, mustard spinach, and strawberries. Whole grains, pumpkin seeds, nuts, legumes, and dairy products are high in zinc.
Getting all the essential vitamins and minerals will promote your hair growth and save those left strands. If you have a special diet plan, consider multivitamin supplementation.
Read more:Â 8 Most Common Nutrient Deficiencies and How to Fix Them
4.Keep yourself hydrated
Hydrating your body is a must, albeit this tip alone won’t treat or prevent hair loss. While short-term or mild dehydration isn’t going to trigger serious problems with your hair, a long-term or severe dehydration could result in hair loss. Aim to drink at least 7 glasses of filtered water throughout the day for healthy skin and hair.
5.Opt for green tea
Green tea has been carefully studied for decades to figure out all the possible health benefits it has to offer. Some studies have revealed that green tea can be an effective treatment again hair loss.
You can either drink if for a quick antioxidant boost or rub it into your scalp to cure hair loss. Whatever method you choose, make sure you purchase a high quality green tea. You can even opt for matcha.
The green tea treatment is a popular remedy for hair loss and the best part is it’s budget-friendly and easy to use. Just brew a couple of green tea bags in a single cup and leave it to cool for a while.
Once it’s cool or warm, apply this antioxidant-rich drink to your scalp and hair. Leave for an hour and rinse it off. Not only will you nourish your hair with a host of nutrients and potent antioxidants, but your locks will smell fabulously, as well.
6.Massage your scalp with essential oils
Helps your hair follicles stay strong, healthy and active by massaging your scalp with essential oil for a few minutes 2 to 3 times a week. The essential oil will penetrate in the hair shaft, stopping your hair from becoming dry and brittle.
There are many essential oils that you can use when giving yourself a scalp massage. Castor oil, for instance, boasts astonishing hair growth abilities and is considered to be a popular remedy for promoting hair growth and preventing hair loss.
Lavender essential oil aids in hair growth and offers antibacterial and antimicrobial abilities, which help to boost your scalp health. Peppermint oil can help to increase follicle depth and the number of follicles, as well as it can speed up healthy hair growth. Lemongrass oil helps with dandruff, which is one of the causes of hair loss.
Tea tree oil is noted for its potent antimicrobial, antibacterial, and cleansing properties. Other essential oils that you can use for a scalp massage are ylang-ylang oil, clary sage oil, thyme oil, cedarwood essential oil, rosemary oil, and others.
All you need to do is just warm a few drops of essential oil with carrier oil (olive oil, coconut oil, etc) for 3 to 5 minutes. Rub it gently over your clean scalp and keep massaging for about 20 minutes. Leave the oil on for 2 to 3 hours or overnight. Rinse it off with a mild shampoo.
7.Avoid hot water
Washing your hair with hot water is one of the biggest mistakes people make that lead to chronic irritation and dandruff, along with hair loss. Ideally, it’s recommended to rinse hair with cold water – or at least lukewarm. The delicate structure of your hair can’t withstand hot water and can be damaged by it over time.
Hot water activates the oil-producing glands and washes away your hair color. You need to dilute the secretions of oil glands, enhance a blood flow, and remove all the dirt found on your scalp. You can do it with tepid or lukewarm water and the right shampoo and conditioner. This trick will prevent hair loss and make your hair shine with health.
8.Keep your stress levels low
Stress is the leading cause of many illnesses, conditions, and hair loss is no exception. If your stress levels are always high, you can experience breakouts, hair loss, and tons of other health issues. Meditation, exercise, napping, reading, and laughing are among the most effective ways to fight stress and improve your hair health.
Stress triggered by emotional or physical trauma like psychological or surgery stress can negatively affect the body functions and result in a number of health problems, including hair loss. The statistics show that hair loss related to the high stress levels is more common in females than in males. Keeping the stress levels low is a must when you’re trying to cope with hair fall.
Read more:Â 5 Foods That Can Relax Your Stress
9.Get enough sleep
Sleep is also essential for your hair health. When treating hair loss, you should sleep at least 7 hours per night. It’s particularly essential to get a beauty sleep, which means going to bed till 11 pm each evening.
If you have difficulty falling asleep, consider taking melatonin. Known as the “sleep hormone,” melatonin helps you fall asleep faster. Moreover, if you can find a cream, shampoo, conditioner, or hair mask that contains melatonin, it’s even better. Melatonin aids in slowing down hair loss and enhancing hair growth.
All you should do is just massage a little bit of the cream into your scalp. It’s recommended to use melatonin on your hair for at least a month.
Related:Â 20 Easy Ways to Fall Asleep Faster
10.Make a coconut milk hair mask once a week
The use of coconut milk in a hair loss treatment can bring incredible results. High in healthy fats, potassium, and iron, coconut milk has a soothing effect and helps hair grow faster.
Depending on your hair length and head size, take ½ or 1 cup of coconut milk and mix it with 4 drops of essential oil like lavender, and half a squeeze of lemon. Apply the mixture onto your scalp, leave for 4 to 5 hours or overnight and rinse it off. The downside of this method is that it won’t work with a store-bought coconut milk that might not be organic.
11.Pay attention to your medications
If you take certain medications, this might also be a reason for your hair loss. If possible, stop taking your medications or talk to your doctor to find alternatives.
Some medications, especially blood thinners and cholesterol reducing pills, can damage your hair health and result in many other health issues.
12.Try acupressure
Perhaps, you’ve already heard of the acupressure points that stimulate hair growth.  Acupressure has been proven to prevent baldness, stop hair loss, and stimulate new hair growth. The popular acupressure therapy, Balayam aids in increasing blood flow in the scalp, making your hair strong.
The acupressure point called Paihui can also help with hair loss prevention. The point is on the top of your head where the extension of the ear meets the extension of the nose.
Stimulating Paihui improves blood circulation to your head, aiding in hair growth. Grab 10 toothpicks and use a rubber band to bundle those toothpicks together. Now, stimulate the point for 10 minutes. As soon as you complete practicing, consider massaging your head with those toothpicks. Be as gentle as possible to avoid damaging your hair.
There are many other points and practices for preventing hair loss and boosting hair health, but they’re complicated, so it’s better to find a professional.
13.Don’t sleep with your hair down
If your hair is super strong, there’s nothing wrong in sleeping with your hair down. However, if your locks are dry, brittle, and lifeless, avoid sleeping with your hair down to prevent hair breakage and stop hair loss. Avoid sleeping with wet hair as well, as wet hair is more brittle and prone to falling out.
It’s not easy to prevent or treat hair loss, if genetics are a culprit. If not, however, you can easily avoid or handle this problem by following the tips mentioned above. Be sure you also see your dermatologist to find out the reason for your hair loss.
