Hair loss plaguing you? Deal with it the right way for healthy & shiny hair!

As soon as you step into your thirties “bad hair day” starts making more sense to you than ever. Until sometimes back this meant a day when your hair turned unmanageable, frizzy, dry or un-styled but now this simply means regular hair loss, thinning, or in the worst scenario – baldness.

Hair fall can be distressing and can often lead to low confidence because hair is considered a factor for beauty in natural healthy conditions. [1] Hair fall can be caused due to a number of reasons. These include improper care, use of dyes and harsh chemicals, stress, change in sleeping patterns, hormonal imbalance, lack of essential nutrients in the body and sometimes even certain medication.

Hair loss can be dealt with if treated in the right way.

Let us take a look at 5 different ways to deal with hair loss.

• 1. Improvement in regular diet

  The lack of essential vitamins and nutrients in the body can cause hair to fall. Therefore, it is important to eat healthy foods that are rich in protein, iron and zinc. Adding carrots, oats, whole grains, brown rice, green leafy vegetables, citrus fruits, lentils, sweet potatoes, pumpkin seeds, oysters, nuts such as walnuts and almonds, flaxseed oil (linseed oil) or grounded flaxseeds, fish such as salmon and tuna can help reduce hair loss, split ends as well as thinning to a great extent. [2]

• 2. Dealing with dandruff

  Dandruff is known to contribute to hair loss. [3] It is advisable to use shampoos with the anti-fungal agent Ketoconazole to fight dandruff and prevent hair loss. These shampoos are also known to control itching and flaking of the scalp.

• 3. Washing hair with cold water

  Hair experts say hair should be washed with cold water because it will cause the hair cuticles to close and help the hair to swell slightly so that it looks thicker.

• 4. Medication

  Medication, taken regularly, can help slow down hair loss. Medication helps both by enlarging the hair present and growing new hair. Minoxidil cream applied to the scalp twice a day helps deal with hair loss. Finasteride, on the other hand, is a pill that can be taken once daily. [4]

• 5. Use of technology

  

  The use of technology in the form of hair extensions can be expensive but the results are worth it. A good amount of hair (sometimes a full head) can be attached to the remaining hair through a fine mesh. This process can be very time consuming and the user might need to go back to the old ‘tidy-up methods’.

References:

[1] The psychological impact of alopecia. 2015. The psychological impact of alopecia. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1261195/. [Accessed 21 September 2015].

[2] DIET IN DERMATOLOGY: PRESENT PERSPECTIVES. 2015. DIET IN DERMATOLOGY: PRESENT PERSPECTIVES. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2965901/. [Accessed 21 September 2015].

[3] DANDRUFF: THE MOST COMMERCIALLY EXPLOITED SKIN DISEASE. 2015. DANDRUFF: THE MOST COMMERCIALLY EXPLOITED SKIN DISEASE. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2887514/. [Accessed 21 September 2015].

[4] Topical minoxidil fortified with finasteride: An account of maintenance of hair density after replacing oral finasteride. 2015. Topical minoxidil fortified with finasteride: An account of maintenance of hair density after replacing oral finasteride. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4314881/. [Accessed 21 September 2015].