Maintaining Your Appearance: How to Avoid Hair Loss

While hair loss is primarily thought of as a male issue, the truth is that women often experience this unpleasant phenomenon as well. It can happen as a result of many different factors, including stress, genetics and diet. Regardless of your personal situation, it is important to understand why hair loss occurs and what you can do to prevent it from happening to you. This article will provide you with more information in the hopes that you will find a solution that works for you.

You can lose your hair at any age, and up to 40 percent of the population could experience hair loss at some point in their life. There are several different forms of hair loss; for example, toxic alopecia often occurs as a result of stress. In some cases, an illness or pregnancy may cause the stress, leading to the loss of hair. Disease is also often a culprit, as is weight loss. In addition to toxic alopecia, there is also androgenic alopecia, alopecia universalis, alopecia areata, trichotillomania and scarring alopecia.

It is important to understand how hair grows. Most of your hair is in a growth phase, while a small percentage is simply resting. When the hair is finished resting, it falls out, leading to around 100 hairs being released every day. For the hair that is growing, most people’s follicles gain about half an inch in length each month.

While you can’t entirely prevent hair loss, taking good care of your hair is a great step toward making sure you maintain what you can. Hair drying can cause damage and weaken proteins, so it is important to minimize your use of this styling tool. In general, try to stay away from anything that heats up your hair, including hair straighteners and hot curlers. In addition, dying your hair can be problematic. Try to go at least two months in-between dying, and opt for highlights rather than all-over color. Finally, be mindful of how you style your hair. Pulling it back in a tight ponytail, for example, could cause hair loss if it is done too often. Also, tight braids or plaits can have the same effect.

When you wash your hair, select a shampoo and a conditioner that will be gentle on your locks. Don’t brush wet hair if you can help it; this action tends to break off fragile new growth. If your hair gets very knotted, try using a wide-toothed comb to minimize damage. Also, let your hair air dry rather than rubbing it with a towel.

Try to alleviate any stress that you are experiencing. You can do this by getting plenty of sleep each night and engaging in activities that you find enjoyable and relaxing. Also, start an exercise regimen. It doesn’t have to be anything too intense; even walking for 30 minutes each evening will help you.

Women, in particular, struggle a lot with hair loss. Use the information included in this article to help yourself avoid as much hair loss as possible.