Why is my hair falling out: Everything you need to know
It's a perfectly normal thing to lose hair. Humans can lose between 50 and 100 hairs a day, and not even notice it. But when it starts to become a noticeable problem, like brushing your hair after a shower and coming away with too much on your brush, then it may be time to take action.
Though for most people, hair loss isn’t anything to be worried about, big or unusual amounts of hair loss can sometimes indicate there might be something going on medically with your body. Some hair loss is permanent, like male or female pattern baldness – this is usually genetic – and some is temporary. Reasons for temporary hair loss varies;
- an illness
- stress
- cancer treatment
- weight loss
- iron deficiency
If you are seriously concerned about your hair loss it may be helpful to speak to a GP to see if any tests need to be run in order to get a clearer picture of what may be happening. You should do this before thinking about going to a commercial hair clinic as these can be costly.
See a GP if:
- you have sudden hair loss
- you develop bald patches
- you're losing hair in clumps
- your head also itches and burns
- you're worried about your hair loss
Although reversing natural balding isn’t possible, you can try to protect the hair that remains to prevent further thinning from preventable damage.
Don’t stress it out
Our hair goes through a lot especially in winter with heaters, hairdryers and (usually) the party scene keeping it in tight curls or stick straight. All the heat and handling isn’t good for keeping it as thick as possible. By laying off the heat for a while and leaving the products alone, our scalps will produce their natural oils again and keep the hair healthy at the root, where all the growth happens. Put away the tools for a while, try to let your hair dry naturally and see what happens.
Read the label
Do a little research on what’s actually in your products. If your shampoo is laden with plastic and your conditioner isn’t as ‘natural’ as the packaging may suggest, it might be time to change it up. Look into chemicals that are harmful and often present in our products and try to avoid them, sticking to more natural, nourishing, oil-rich shampoos and conditioners.
Let your natural beauty shine
Stay away from the box dye for a little while, or maybe skip your next highlights appointment. This way you can see if getting it chemically treated every few months might be the cause of the hair loss.
Be gentle
If you’re pulling your hair into a scraped back bun or ponytail everyday, then your hair will feel the strain. If the root is pulled all day, and worse, pulled all night if you wear your hair up in bed, it will weaken the root and cause hair to fall out more easily. Put your hair into a more relaxed style, use soft scrunchies or hair ties that don’t yank the hair and avoid styles like braids or tightly pulled back looks.
Use the right brush – at the right time
Like there is shampoo for different hair types, there are different types of brushes and brushing techniques for different hair. A moderately stiff, natural bristle brush is less likely to tear your hair if you’ve straight hair, whereas a paddle brush might work better for thick hair. Brush gently! You need to take the time to delicately de-tangle. Rushing means you will pull out the hair in your haste to get through the task. Brush in full strokes from the root to the ends to distribute the hair’s natural oil. Don’t brush when your hair is wet, as its most fragile then, but if you must, use a wide-tooth comb.
Look into your diet
If you look after your hair, aren’t ill and can find no other reason as to why your hair is falling out, try to look into your diet. The cause may lie in a deficiency in key nutrients that nurture hair growth and hold. Lack of vitamins A, B or C as well as minerals like iron and nutrients like protein mean that hair doesn’t have the input it needs to stay healthy.
