Hair Loss Prevention

Prevent Hair Loss

Hair loss is becoming a big concern for many women. Products and pills to aid hair growth is a booming business. Before spending lots of money, there are some simple tips to assess and prevent hair loss.

Hair shed is normal.

Hair naturally sheds up to 150-250 strands a day since hair is constantly in one of the four stages of hair growth. When follicles enter a new stage, older hair strands release off the scalp to make room for the new hair. This can change depending on age, hormone fluctuations and our health.

Mindful Hair Brushing

Aggressive styling or improper brushing is common. Use a good brush and start at the bottom of your hair and work up. Remember that brushing helps release dead skin cells from the scalp and promotes blood flow circulation, but good brushing starts at the bottom!

Stop Using Cheap Hair Products

Cheap shampoo and conditioner have heavier ingredients that cause follicle clogging build up, and scalp build up promotes hair loss! Plus, buildup causes hair to break over time because it creates a coating over strands that can make hair dry and brittle. Using cheap products and not clarifying, even if products say “thicker & fuller hair”, will not PREVENT hair loss.

Use PH Balanced Products

Keeping hair care simple with low PH products is always good. Deva Curl had a class action lawsuit in 2020 over users who had hair loss caused from scalp build up. Embracing your curls comes with proper education. Hairstylists want you to use hair care products that are both professional because they are personally chosen to treat your hair.

Healthy Scalp Healthy Hair

Always remember that you will not have healthy hair if your scalp is not healthy. PH balanced hair care lines like Enjoy haircare will help balance the natural protective barrier called the acid mantle on our scalp. Those are things you can do now to prevent hair loss, but sudden increases in hair loss are usually from internal issues.

Internal reasons for hair loss.

Ethnicity, age, genetics, and hair color are decide how many individual hairs you have, but an average scalp consists of about 80,000 to 120,000 hairs. That range of 40,000 hairs depends on cultural background but here are 4 things to be aware of if you feel more hair is shedding than normal.

Vitamin Deficiency. Food is less nutrient rich because soil contains less minerals than it did 100 years ago. Choosing easily absorbed vitamins is key for hair and skin.
Biotin is a vitamin known to improve hair strength and growth and come in tasty gummies.
Diet & weight loss. Rapid weight loss in a short time, and lack of protein cause hair loss.
Bariatric procedures cause a drastic caloric reduction, so hair growth slows but the normal amount of shed continues, causing thinning. Once weight stabilizes, hair usually bounces back.
You’ve had surgery, illness or physical/mental trauma. We place hair high on our priority list, but our body does not when it is healing or in recovery from illness, trauma, or surgery.
Cortisol ages us and hair and slows growth. Long term stress from a divorce or caring for a sick loved one spikes cortisol, so managing stress is important.
Post-surgery hair loss is also common because in addition to healing, when your body purges anesthesia, it may purge hair as well.
Medications can cause hair loss. Types that treat various types of cancer are known too but there are many meds that trigger hair loss as well.
Thyroid issues and imbalances cause hair loss that are an early sign an auto immune issue may be developing.

Invest in haircuts.

I have seen clients buy infrared helmets for hair growth that cost up to $3000. Investing in good, regular haircuts and hair care is the best way to keep healthy hair over your lifetime. Watch this oldie but goodie on why haircuts matter!

Prevent hair loss caused by external issues.

If you have not had health or stress issues, the cause could be how you care and style your hair. Poor hair care causes breakage. Pulling hair up too tight, heat styling, home hair color, bad bleach work, and over use of hair extensions, all cause breakage or follicle damage. If hair breakage has split from the ends to the middle, it’s hard to treat, but for some reason it seems people think professional haircuts aren’t important anymore. Regular trims, professional advice, and quality products help promote a lifetime of healthy hair.

Keep scalp clean with a detox shampoo. shampoo once every 3 shampoos to remove buildup that can suffocate hair follicles. We like Metal Detox by Loreal Professional.
Get a better brush. If your bristles are flat, its time for a new brush. Boar bristle brushes or a Wet brush that is designed to be snag-free.
Use high quality shampoos and conditioners when using protein based products.
Targeted styling products. Choose styling products carefully. Look for ones that protect from heat but also have multiple benefits like heat & UV protection.
A Natural topical can be great versus minoxidil, which can come with side effects and must be used daily. Topical pharmaceuticals can dry out hair but natural growth remedies like castor oil and or products with japona Swertia have been used safely for centuries. Castor oil has linseed which is an anti-inflammatory and can be used for many health benefits. Japona Swertia is a Chinese herb found that can stimulate blood flow to the scalp. Both of these can be massaged on to the scalp at night.