Hair loss isn't just an inevitable event for most of us; it can be a life changer. For many of us, hair is a security blanket and something we like to take care of and make look good, whether male or female. What we have on top of our head is a prominent part of what we present in public, and that makes it a part of the source of our self-esteem, if not vanity.
What Causes Hair Loss?
For women, especially, hair loss – as common as it is – can produce emotional distress and even awkward situations. Hair loss can show up in different ways, such as an overall thinning of hair, bald patches, and receding hairlines, or even a combination of those circumstances, not to mention clumps of hair suddenly coming out when routinely brushing or combing your hair. A protein deficiency, stress, and autoimmune afflictions are among the more common sources of hair loss. Other factors can include pregnancy, anemia, and heredity.10 Ways or Means to Prevent or Reduce Hair Loss
Taking measures to stop or at least slow down hair loss, or even rejuvenate hair growth, is a conversation worth having with your physician and perhaps a specialist that he or she can refer you to. Meanwhile, here are some practical, natural ways or means – in alphabetical order – that you can try right at home, without need for prescription medications, to help you in curtailing hair loss:- Aloe vera. Aloe many uses for health-related factors. In the case of your hair that can mean soothing a damaged scalp and restoring an environment suitable for the replenishment of hair cells, per rd.com.
- Biotin (Vitamin B7). Biotin plays a major role in the growth and health of your hair, and it can solve a hair-loss problem pretty quickly on its own. Other vitamins that work well in targeting hair health are vitamins A (works with fat synthesis), B12 (support red blood cell manufacture), and E (boosts healthy circulation)
- Garlic: Garlic is full of minerals and vitamins that work well to condition hair and prevent its loss. Per Reader's Digest, you could also try blending garlic cloves and applying the paste to your hair to put a quick end to hair falling out.
- Licorice root. Not only can licorice root treat a dry or irritated scalp, it can also open up pores and rejuvenate weakened hair follicles, per rd.com.
- Potassium. Potassium is regarded as a potent vasodilator (something that promotes the dilatation of blood vessels), per organicfacts.net. This can significantly enhance blood circulation for the scalp cells. It can also help maintain fluid balance throughout the body, which keeps cells hitting on cylinders, helping to prevent the malfunction of follicles. Bananas are among the foods rich in potassium.
- Protein. Protein is fundamental to the growth and health of body tissues, to include your hair. Be sure to include ample protein in your diet. A good place to start in that regard is with milk, egg whites, and fish, per onegoodthingbyjillee.com.
- Rosemary oil. This essential oil carries an antiseptic wallop that can help treat flaky scalp, dandruff, and infections – all of which are believed to be factors contributing to hair loss, per rd.com.
- Saw Palmetto. This plant-based substance has been shown to be effective in preventing the formation of the hormone dihydrotestosterone, which is known to kill all hair follicles, causing huge hair loss, per organicfacts.net.
- Scalp massage. Try massaging your scalp for 10 minutes a day, using your fingers in a circular motion from front to back and ending up at the base of the skull. Per womansworld.com, such a treatment decreases the production of cortisol, a stress hormone that damages hair follicles.
- Stress avoidance. This is not just an old wife's tale – excessive and/or chronic stress and tension can quicken hair loss. If stress is nagging at you, consider meditation techniques or yoga, or working fewer hours (if at all possible) if work is a big source of your stress.