Do you find yourself standing in front of the mirror every day, a concerned look on your face and a lock of hair in your hands? Has the rate of your hair loss sped up, causing you increased stress and loss of confidence? Before allowing yourself to feel this way, you should know two things: hair loss is quite normal and it’s also treatable.
Hair shedding is caused by different factors including genes, diet and bad hairstyling habits, but we should keep in mind that some of those are factors we can change. Men lose hair most commonly due to male-pattern baldness (MPB), which begins with a small patch of hair loss that gradually expands.
Our lifestyle determines the conditions and activities that impact our hair health, and by regulating our lifestyle we could also reduce our hair loss and even the need for medications and treatments.
Lifestyle Factors That Can Impact Your Hair Loss
We’ve identified four lifestyle factors that are related to hair loss: poor diet, smoking, bad haircare, and artificial testosterone boosters. Their impact on your system is directly related to the nourishment and healthy growth of follicles in men.
Having a Poor Diet
Nutritional imbalances mean that your hair is not getting the nourishment it needs. Before long, this will show in its condition. The food you eat needs to be rich in iron, proteins and vitamins that aid hair growth. For instance, foods like pulses and beans contain ample amounts of proteins, iron and other minerals that slow down hair thinning.
Heavy Smoking
For the hair to continue its natural cycle of passing from the growth, to the resting and lastly the falling stage, a constant supply of blood is needed to nourish the follicles. Heavy smoking impedes this circulation by acting as a vasoconstrictor and narrowing the blood vessels. As a result, these aren’t able to transport a sufficient amount of blood to the scalp.
Bad Haircare Habits
Chemical treatments used for perming, straightening or giving your hair a specific style can affect the health of hair follicles and even lead to balding. Additionally, styling tools like blow-dryers and curling rods force your strands into a certain shape and make them more brittle. This, too, can speed up the rate of hair loss. When these treatments are unavoidable, you should use a protective spray to reduce their impact and protect your hair from falling.
Artificial Testosterone Boosters
Steroids contain artificial testosterone boosters that can help you gain muscle but lose hair. This commonly happens in men because a part of their testosterone turns into Dihydrotestosterone (DHT) which shrinks hair follicles to the point they’re forced to fall. This is a process that happens even if you don’t use boosters, but when you do take steroids, you’re increasing the amount of testosterone that can be converted into DHT.
What Lifestyle Changes Can Help with Hair Growth?
Zinc and iron are two vital nutrients that are essential for hair growth. Make sure you’re including in your diet foods that contain these elements, such as red meat, seafood and beans, as well as limiting your exposure to sun and air pollutants.
Avoid Shampoos with Harmful Ingredients
Not all shampoos are good for your hair. Some of them contain chemicals that harm your follicles and halt their normal growth cycle. Even though shampoos clean the dirt from our hair, they can also wash away useful elements like sebum which is necessary for healthy hair. Usually, this happens if there is a high sulphate content in the shampoo.
Reduce Psychological Stress
Stress can indeed impact our health, including our hair’s health. There’s a specific hair loss condition called telogen effluvium that relates to the hair loss caused by psychological stress. Reducing stress by exercising regularly, meditating and performing controlled breathwork exercises can improve your overall health and also reduce hair loss.
Final Thoughts
If your hair loss is not due to genetic factors, your lifestyle could be the cause of it. Remember that the food you consume provides your hair with the elements it needs to grow, so not eating the right foods can lead to balding. Remember, too, that follicles have an elasticity limit; your strands will break if your rough haircare regime pushes them beyond this limit.
Changing your lifestyle can improve your hair health, boost your confidence and improve your looks. However, if you’re already following a healthy diet and not putting much pressure on your hair with tight hairstyles, consult with an expert if your hair keeps falling. Vinci Hair Clinic offers new clients a free consultation with one of its hair experts. Simply get in touch with us and book your appointment today!
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