Getting old and suffering with hair loss is something that many of us dread and there is often nothing we can do to prevent it, that’s if it’s just a natural part of ageing. However, there are some ways in which our lifestyles can affect the health of our hair and even younger people can suffer with hair loss as a result. You may just need to make some healthier lifestyle changes for hair growth to be encouraged and as a bonus you’ll be healthier in yourself overall. If you’re looking for information on hair loss and how your lifestyle can affect this, then you’re in the right place.
If your lifestyle is causing your hair loss then luckily you can make some changes to try and reverse this or even undergo some hair loss treatment if that’s the right choice for you. Whilst some hair loss could be down to genes, it could also be down to the everyday choices you make. Apparently health and lifestyle is the second biggest contributor to hair loss.
Below are some of the ways in which lifestyle choices affect hair loss.
Following a healthier lifestyle can help prevent hair loss.
Smoking
We all know smoking is not cool and has disastrous consequences on our health in general, but did you know smoking can also affect the health of our hair? Smoking restricts blood vessels which causes poor blood flow and circulation throughout the body, including to the scalp. Hair follicles need a good blood supply to produce a headful of healthy hair.
Stress
I’m not talking about your everyday day-day stress, but extreme stress. A study that looked at twins and hair loss discovered that a twin that had gone through severe stress, such as being widowed or divorced, had far greater hair loss than their sibling. They also found other factors that seemed to cause greater hair loss in women such as having a higher income or more children – though these things can often cause great pleasure, they also cause a lot of stress!
Exercise
Exercise is of course really important and highly recommended, but within reason. Excessive exercise can cause a great stress to our bodies and have negative effects including hair loss. Too much exercise and not consuming the right nutrients can really accelerate hair loss in some people. Whilst we may not be able to control some of the stress we experience in our lives, we can control how much exercise we do and make sure that we don’t overdo it.
Crash dieting
Crash dieting and skipping meals will deplete the energy the body needs to survive and can result in hair loss. If you starve yourself then your body will use the little energy it does have for more important things like your heart, organs and brain – not hair. If you want to lose some pounds then avoid yo-yo dieting and adopt a healthier lifestyle all round to naturally lose weight.
Diet
A diet rich in the nutrients the body needs with a variety of plant-based foods full of vital vitamins and minerals will help to ensure a head of healthy hair. Vitamin deficiencies can also cause hair loss, so ensure you eat a wide variety of fruits, vegetables, beans, pulses, whole grains and seaweed to get everything your body needs.
Alcohol
Alcohol is also linked to hair loss, because of its side effects, such as dehydrating the body. This can result in a loss of important minerals such as iron which we need for healthy hair. Losing vital minerals from our bodies due to heavy drinking can make our hair dry and brittle or even fall out.
If you’re experiencing hair loss and you don’t think it’s to do with ageing or genetics, then take a closer look at your lifestyle and see if you can make some healthier choices.
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