Normal hair loss is around 50 to 100 hairs a day. These hairs are not lost, but are replaced by new hair. There are even phases of the hair cycle already defined. However, if you detect more hair than what can be considered normal on your brush or on your pillow when you get up, it is already a hair loss problem. But don't be scared, here we give you some tips to help you and avoid hair loss. In this article we will focus on the hair loss in women.
According to Mayo Clinic, "a number of factors can increase the risk of hair loss, including a family history of baldness, age, significant weight loss, stress, increased androgens, diabetes, and lupus." Although the most common possible causes of hair loss are:
- Hair loss in women due to excessive hair manipulation
- Hair loss in women due to vitamin deficiency
- Hair loss in women caused by a immune system dysfunction
During the changing seasons (spring and autumn) it is normal for the hair loss be more severe and more frequent. It also tends to be accentuated in specific moments of fatigue, stress, some illness... But what to do when this loss increases considerably?
Here we propose some tips and tricks to prevent hair loss:
Avoid hot water in showers
It is not the main cause of hair loss, but our scalp contains some essential oils to protect it and high temperature showers can drag these oils, eliminating them and causing the scalp to become irritated and even inflamed. This can affect the hair follicles and, therefore, the growth and strength of the hair. Cold water activates blood circulation, stimulating hair growth.
Avoid rubbing with a towel when drying your hair
Our hair is most vulnerable when it is wet. It is important to dry it by pressing the towel gently instead of rubbing and thus we will avoid damaging the hair and, therefore, hair loss. Additionally, we recommend styling your hair with a wide tooth comb or brush if the hair is too wet.
Avoid drying your hair with a high-temperature hairdryer
The best thing to avoid damaging the hair is to dry it in the open air, but if we use the dryer it must be done at low temperature and as far away from the scalp as possible.
Massage the scalp
A hair massage will stimulate the bulbs where hair is generated and, in addition, will help us to reduce our stress level (one of the causes of accentuated hair loss). Ideally, the massage should last an hour and if you use oils, the most common are: olive, almond, tea tree and coconut oil.
Have a healthy and balanced diet
To maintain hair health, hair needs nutrients to regenerate, grow and strengthen. If we do not eat well, our hair can be affected by the lack of nutrients, weaken and, therefore, make it more likely to fall. Many people go to the pharmacy to acquire the necessary proteins to help their hair grow, but it will always be better if these nutrients are consumed. you incorporate into your diet through the foods you eat.
Some food What we recommend in your diet to avoid weak, brittle hair with little volume and which are important for hair metabolic processes are:
- Foods with Group B vitamins, which stimulate blood circulation allowing nutrients to reach the roots of the hair, such as biotin. Biotin promotes the growth of rapidly reproducing tissues (skin and nails, for example) and intervenes in fat metabolism. This will help reduce hair breakage, protecting against hair loss. Biotin can be found in foods such as egg yolk, fruits (banana, strawberries...), oily fish (salmon, sardines, herring...), brewer's yeast, nuts (almonds, peanuts, walnuts, pistachios...), chard …
- Foods containing Zinc, such as oysters, wheat bran, liver, beef and pork. Thanks to Zinc, hair will not only grow faster but will also shine more and be softer.
- Products rich in Omega-3 fatty acids. It is essential to incorporate this fat into our diet, since the body does not produce it naturally and it prevents heart disease, prevents inflammation and increases good cholesterol. Foods high in Omega 3 are: flax oil, olive oil, oily fish (tuna or salmon), shellfish (prawns, crabs, oysters...), avocado, oats, spinach... With respect to hair, Consumption of these acids has been shown to reduce the telogen period (resting phase of hair follicles).
- Foods with iron, such as sprouted alfalfa, oats, lentils, dried figs... Iron is key for oxygenation of the scalp and will make your hair grow faster and healthier.
- Products containing animal protein, like chicken meat, for example. This protein is necessary to produce keratin, a protein rich in sulfur that constitutes the main component of hair and nails.
Go to an expert
These are some tips that we can include in our daily lives naturally to prevent hair loss within its normal cyclical growth. If you notice that your hair loss exceeds normal limits, our recommendation is that go to a specialized doctor. He or she will probably do a blood and hormone test to help you.
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