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Home   /   Blog   /   Prevent and Slow Down Progressive Pattern Hair Loss
Prevent and Slow Down Progressive Pattern Hair Loss Hair Transplant

Prevent and Slow Down Progressive Pattern Hair Loss

The hair follicles go through cycles shedding hair and regrowing it anew. Nevertheless, hair does begin to fall at faster rates as we age, especially when we’ve developed certain life habits that speed up hair loss, as we’ll explain below.

This process of losing hair is called telogen effluvium, and the causes are many. Stress is a significant factor. When we’re stressed, our brain produces a hormone called cortisol that has deleterious effects on our hair follicles and skin. Similarly, pregnancy and all its concomitant hormonal and biological changes can impact the hair follicles by leading to stress and fatigue. Last, biological and health conditions can lead to less production of hair.

How to Prevent Loss of Hair

1) Use Mild and Natural Shampoo

We recommend that you use a natural and mild shampoo on your scalp. Mass-produced shampoos, though cheaper, may often include irritating chemicals that, after a lifetime of use, can lead to hair loss. These chemicals can rid your hair of the oils that keep it vibrant and shiny and which are necessary for hair health.

2) Avoid Pulling On your Hair

One of the most intuitive ways for you to avoid losing your hair—or to slow down the process—is to avoid putting topical pressure on the scalp. Don’t use hairstyles or headwear that pressure the scalp as it may cause the hair follicles to unbind from it.

3) Do Not Chemically Treat Hair

Just as you should avoid putting pressure on the scalp, you should also avoid treating your scalp with chemicals continuously. While bleaching your hair with peroxide treatments or straightening it using chemical ointments may leave your hair well-styled, these chemicals can be corrosive to the hair follicles and cause them to shed their hair.

4) Avoid Using Heat

As with chemicals, high heat styling with implements like irons and air dryers can damage the hair follicles and weaken hair production. Heat can cause the cells in the hair follicle to dehydrate, and continued use of high heat tools may damage them permanently.

Stopping Hair Loss

1) Vitamins and Supplements

Nutritional deficiencies can lead to hair loss. As we have mentioned, hair is produced in hair follicles. Nutritional deficiencies often mean cells in hair follicles are not receiving the nutrition they need to do their job. Supplements of iron, zinc, and vitamins D and B-12 are particularly effective.

2) Essential Oils

Essential oils are powerful extracts that are often taken from herbal or floral sources and concentrated. Essential oils are some of the oldest home remedies in human history, though their effectiveness remains mostly anecdotal. Extracts of peppermint and ginseng have been seen to have positive effects in strengthening hair and preventing hair loss. Currently, scientific research is being done to determine empirically if and how essential oils help hair health.

3) Scalp Massages

Getting scalp massages can help you prevent hair loss. The reason for this is that massages tend to increase circulation in the area massaged. More nutrients in the blood can reach the cells in the hair follicles. As a result, they’re better able to carry out their functions like producing healthy, sturdy hair. You can easily accommodate scalp massages into your routine when you take a shower. Simply spend a few more minutes lathering (hopefully with a low-chemical shampoo) and rinse. Over time, you will notice a healthier scalp and perhaps even more relaxed days!

4) Diet

As with any health issue, diet will feature prominently. A nutritious and balanced diet fuels you with the energy and nutrients you need to sustain healthy and active cell function. Foods active in antioxidants are excellent because they help combat oxidative stress, a type of tissue damage that occurs due to the accumulation of oxygen metabolism by-products. In other words, antioxidants detoxify you of compounds that harm cells and tissues like those of the scalp. Foods high in antioxidants include blueberries, legumes, broccoli, and spinach.

5) Stop Smoking and Drinking

It has long been known that smoking is very bad for your lungs. Besides their addictive properties, cigarettes are also known to contain carcinogenic chemicals. When you smoke, these components get into the bloodstream, and they travel all over your body, including your scalp. They impair cell function by unleashing free radicals, which get in the way of cellular functions. Furthermore, because smoking has been seen to increase plaque in the bloodstream, smoking diminishes blood circulation on which a healthy cell depends for its nourishment.

Similarly, you should lower your alcohol consumption since alcohol also impacts blood circulation. Alcohol lowers blood pressure, thus reducing the number of possible nutrients that could reach the cells in your hair follicles.

6) Hair Transplants

For many people, hair loss is simply impossible to stop, even if they live healthy lives. The genetics simply are not there. As a result, the best way to prevent further hair loss may be to seek treatment or surgery. At Care4Hair, we specialize in various treatments like platelet-rich plasma injections, which help stimulate hair growth. If your hair loss is at an advanced stage but still within the parameters of a successful surgery, then we recommend a hair transplant. These can provide you with dramatic results. Many patients comment that hair transplants shave off years from their age and report greater confidence in themselves.

Don’t hesitate to ask the specialists at Care4Hair whether treatment or surgery is good for you.

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Dr. Dominick Golio

Dominik I. Golio, M.D., sets a standard of surgical excellence that consistently translates into delighted patients who applaud his exceptional results.

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