Suffering from problems with your hair can be very distressing. If it’s thinning, falling out or simply breaking all the time, it can make you feel less attractive, less feminine and less confident about your appearance. There are many different products out there that offer to help fix the symptoms, from wigs, weaves and hair pieces to shampoos specially designed to plump up the hair you have left and styles that conceal damaged areas. However, if you want a real solution, you’ll need to treat the issues that are damaging your hair in the first place. Sometimes, that’s easier than it might seem, and it can also have benefits for your general health.
Dehydration
One of the most common reasons for hair to become dry and brittle is overall dehydration. This can also cause scalp damage, which increases the risk of hair falling out. There are two things that you can do about it. One is to use a hydrating shampoo designed to penetrate the sheath of each individual strand of hair and infuse it with water, strengthening it and restoring elasticity – helpful but a temporary solution. The other is to drink more water or other non-caffeinated, non-alcoholic fluid every day.
Nutritional deficiencies
It might not feel that way but hair is a luxury. If your body doesn’t get enough of the vital nutrients that it needs, hair will be the first thing to go. It will grow more slowly, it will be weaker, and in due course, it will fall out. This is a particular risk for people on restrictive diets. If you’re struggling to get all the nutrients you need in your food, Viabrance can help – when you learn about the Viabrance hair system, you’ll discover that it delivers key nutrients directly to your scalp so that your hair gets exactly what it needs.
Hormone imbalances
At various times in the life course, hormones are prone to getting out of balance. This is a particular risk during adolescence, pregnancy and menopause. It can mean that the wrong signals are sent to hair follicles, causing them to stop producing hair. The good news is that it’s usually reversible. If you discuss your options with your doctor, you may be prescribed medicine to help restore a healthy hormone balance and let your hair grow more like it used to.
Stress
Often, hair thinning or falling out is simply a result of stress. It can happen during short periods of acute stress, such as those that immediately follow bereavement, or it can happen over time if you’re suffering from chronic stress, so slowly that it might take a while before you realize what’s happening. The best solution is to try to avoid stressful situations. If this isn’t possible, try learning to meditate, or talk to your doctor about medication that might help.
Thyroid problems
Hair loss can occur because your thyroid, an organ that regulates other organs in your body, is producing too much or too little of the hormone thyroxine. This can be very bad for your health in other ways, but you might not notice the problem developing because one of the things that it does is make you tired and interfere with your memory. Talk to your doctor if you’re concerned. You may be able to take medicine that will resolve the problem.
Autoimmune disease
Sometimes, hair loss is caused by the very systems that are supposed to protect your body. Immune reactions cause swelling, and if your immune system mistakenly attacks your own cells, swelling on your scalp can be one of the results. This means that follicles lose their grip on the roots of your hair and it falls out, usually in round patches. It’s rare for the follicles to be permanently damaged, however, and there are a number of medical treatments that can bring your immune system back under control.
Cancer treatment
Many people assume that if they have to undergo chemotherapy to treat cancer, hair loss is inevitable. In fact, this isn’t always the case. If you have a localized cancer that hasn’t spread, you may be able to wear a cold cap when you receive your treatment. This is uncomfortable, but because it make the veins in your scalp tighten up, not as much of the treatment passes through them, keeping hair loss to a minimum.
By treating the causes of hair loss directly, you can keep your locks for longer and keep them in much better condition.
