I’m fast approaching 30 years of age, my elder brothers have been complaining about losing hair for a few years now, and my dad who is 63 years old is pretty damn bald. Yes, it appears that I am on the path to baldness. My family says I’m over thinking but when I style my hair, I can actually see the scalp of my head which never used to be the case. When I run my hand through my hair, I see more hairs come out than I would like. I don’t think you can truly prevent hair loss without some sort of a surgical procedure but there certainly are easy and affordable over the counter hair loss treatments available.
I’ve used Nioxin in the past but that stuff only gives you “thicker looking hair” which is not good enough for me. Ideally, I want something that helps my hair grow back and a good replacement for Nioxin would be something like minoxidil 5% spray solution which can increase hair count by as much as 35% in four-months. At the end of the day, when I have my back against the wall and I’m out of options, I’ll be sure to have a hair-plant surgeon on speed dial and a whole lot of money to pay for it!
So, without having to resort to surgery, let’s go over some ways which can at least delay the inevitable, especially if it runs in the family.
Take Good Care of Your Hair
Taking care of your seems simple enough but “taking good care of your hair” means different things to different people. There are a lot of things involved with this but a few of the main things to consider here include avoiding frequent, constant heating and drying procedures. Heat tends to weaken hair proteins which will lead to brittle and fragile hair resulting in hair loss. Natural drying is best but if you must use a hair dryer, use the least amount of heat as possible.
Also try to avoid “traction alopecia”. You may be wondering what the hell you just read. Traction Alpecia is the medial term for hair loss due to hairstyles which are too tight. This one is generally for the ladies in the house. Hair styles which require tight pulling, elastics, clips, etc can be the cause of hair loss if done daily.
Control Your Stress
People say that stress can cause breakouts on your skin but it can also cause hair loss. Stress is a pain in the ass, can be damaging to your entire body, and sometimes you can’t control stress. Hair loss can actually be one of the body’s main signals that you’re overdoing things and you need to step back for a moment. Although you can’t always control stress, be sure to get plenty of sleep to restore health. And an awesome stress reducer is physical activity. Exercising regularly will encourage better blood circulation and that includes circulation to the scalp.
Diet Matters – Consume Those Vitamins & Minerals
Back in the day, you were told to eat your veggies so you can be big and strong and now you have to eat them so you can keep that thick, luxurious hair of yours. If you have a healthy body and everything is functioning great, then it also more likely to have healthy hair.
Do Eat:
Protein – Protein is essential to having strong hair. Don’t worry about the protein-infused shampoos out there, the protein in your diet is more important. Adequate protein can help in providing amino acids that strengthen hair while a deficiency in it can lead to hair loss. Try adding seafood, poultry, milk, yogurt, cheese, eggs, beans, beef, and soy to your diet.
Iron & Vitamin C: Iron is an essential mineral while Vitamin C is an excellent partner which allows for good absorption of iron.
Omega-3 Fatty Acids: This keeps hair healthy and prevents hair from becoming dry and brittle. If you like fish then tuna and salmon are perfect for you. If not a fan of fish, flaxseeds and walnuts will provide you with plenty of this healthy fat.
Biotin & Zinc: Both of these are important for healthy hair. Biotin can be found in foods such as bulgur wheat, sunflower seeds, lentils, soybeans, and walnuts. Zinch can be found in beef, turkey, peanut butter, and pumpkin seeds.
DON’T EAT: Oh yes, this gets the capital letter treatment. You want to make sure that you avoid eating foods which encourage hair loss and inhibit hair growth.
Raw Egg Whites: A lot of the gym monkeys consume this stuff and it may be fine for some people but depending on your genetic make-up, this could be a death sentence for your hair. Raw egg whites contain a substance which binds biotin thus preventing its absorption.
Wash Your Hair Regularly
Some say don’t wash regularly while others say to wash regularly. I’m with the folks that say to wash regularly as this keeps your hair and scalp clean. A couple of things to keep in mind though is that you should be using a mild shampoo and when you lather your hair, to do so very gently.
You should also avoid rubbing your hair vigorously with a towel to dry it as it can lead to hair breakage. I usually grab a towel and pat it dry gently. After the initial wetness is absorbed by the towel, I let the air take care of the rest.
Get Tested For Hair Thinning
Instead of guessing that you think you’re losing hair like what I’m doing, you should see a doctor and see what’s going on up there. If you don’t want to go to the doctor, perhaps do a quick test at home and see how much hair you are losing. Grab approximately 20-30 hairs and hold them between your thumb and index finger. Pull slowly but firmly; if there are more than six hairs that come out at the same time, you may have a hair loss issue and may end up with the horseshoe hair one day.
If you are thinning, it’s not really a huge deal. It’s only as big of a deal as you make it out to be. And if it really concerns you that much, I would suggest getting a part-time job and saving money on the side so you can get a proper procedure done if the available hair treatments don’t work out for you. If you know a few tips on how to prevent hair loss that have worked for you, please feel free to comment below and share your experiences.
(Photos: nicobobinus)
