We all know that “prevention is better than cure”; but, honestly speaking, neither any prevention nor any medical cure for ‘alopecia areata’ has yet been discovered. That’s just because the actual causes for this worldwide autoimmune dermatological disorder is yet unknown. It may be the result of other autoimmune conditions, skin conditions, a family history, and so on, and can even lead to psychological issues for which, victims have even been advised to seek psychological counseling from professionals and experts. This article tries to discuss the ways in which you can stay alert and conscious, and thus, consider the ways to act on the root cause of your hair fall.
While many of us, especially those from the younger generation, are prone to treat their hair regularly with various external applications, including curling, straightening, heating, coloring, bleaching, and so on. However, the aftereffects lie somewhere else. With time, styling your hair tools such as heaters, straighteners, curling irons, etc. can easily make your hair roots brittle, eventually leading to breakage and even irreparable damages.
Nonetheless, in case you can’t stay away from styling your hair before a party or a date, a good start for you will be either turning down the temperature or else, using them sparingly. Also remember, it is important not to wear tight buns, ponytails, and even braids, when it comes to styling your hair, since, such tightened hairstyles can well damage your hair follicles, eventually promoting more and more hair fall.
When you visit the cosmetics store, try not to choose products like hair conditioners, gels, and shampoos that contain sulfate compounds. In fact, most of these everyday products contain Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS).
This chemical can well cause irritation and damage to your hair roots and even have the ability to burn the follicles. It is advisable that you opt for sulfate-free hair formulations that are gentle and herbal-based, or at least, made of natural ingredients and devoid of those crude chemicals.
To plan for your daily diet, you first need to understand that, about 85% of our hair is composed of protein. Hence, needless to mention how important it is to keep protein-rich items in your breakfast and meals. Apart from that, you should also make sure that your body gets enough iron, which is in no way less essential for your hair growth. We advise that you stay away from crash diets as well.
While non-veggie items are the richest source of protein, you might want to talk to your dietician and make a dietary plan, accordingly. The following lists give you a rough idea of what to include in your routine diets to ensure that you are supplying enough protein and iron to your body every day:
| Foods Rich in Protein | Foods Rich in Iron |
| Meat Fish Eggs Poultry Milk Cheese Cottage cheese Tofu Nut butters SeedsSeed buttersWhole grain breadsRicePasta Quinoa Barley Soy Beverages Legumes Nuts Probiotics (like yogurt) | Chicken Turkey Lean red meat Oysters Baked potatoes Beans Tofu Cashews Lentils Fortified breakfast cereals Whole-grain and enriched breads Dark green leafy vegetables (like spinach) |
Even when you are on a healthy diet plan, at times, they do not seem to be enough to resist hair fall. In such cases, it is advised that you talk to your specialist or dermatologist and go for dietary supplements for long-term benefits.
In general, supplements ensure that you are actually supplying proper nutrition to your body, and thus, not only controlling hair loss but also promoting hair growth by strengthening your hair from within. For that, you can consider the following list of supplements:
Oil massage is a very classic technique that is said to be very effective in making your hair roots and follicles strong, thus preventing your hair from falling off (and interestingly, also an effective remedy for various scalp infections and dandruff). Though there are several hair oils available in the market, there is probably no alternative to natural oils like coconut oil and almond oil.
To get the best benefits out of these, you need to mildly warm them up (which you call ‘lukewarm’), and then massage all over your scalp (hair roots), as also, all over your hair for at least 2-4 times a week, depending on the intensity of your hair loss. This will boost the circulation of blood in the hair roots, condition your scalp, and ensure the strength of your hair.
At times, when things don’t work, you need to look back and consider the other factors associated to you and your lifestyle, for example – the stress factors. Apart from the above points, you should also understand that long-drawn mental stress can have a direct impact on your hair loss. Our body has several stress hormones (viz. cortisol and epinephrine), which have the potential to directly affect the natural growth of your hair.
However, it is also true that, with the present-day scenario busy schedules and family life, it is tough to stay away from stress and tension. But yes, we always have the option to find solutions of staying mentally ‘fresh’. For this, you can try yoga, meditation, jogging, Zumba, etc. to help your body and mind relieve stress.
While we often need to consult our doctors with different health-related problems and issues, some compounds and chemicals present in our prescribed medications, or even in hormonal contraceptives, can directly contribute to the loss of hair. So, it is advisable that, if you are under any medication, do not skip consulting your general physician, especially if you are also under hair loss treatment at the same time.
