Hair Thinning: How To Fix And Avoid (An Expert Guide)

Hair today, gone tomorrow! This is a fear that drives quite a few people up the wall. But know what, that is the one thing that you should not do because the fear could lead to the loss of a few additional strands. Fret not, thinning does not always lead to baldness, help is at hand as modern technology will ensure that your hair comes back, but before that why not try some effective remedies to stop your hair thinning from happening?

Causes of thinning hair

Hair thinning and hair loss is more often than not the natural consequence of age, apart from health issues, stress, and lack of proper nutrition among other things. Hair thinning can be regarded as being out of the ordinary and deserving of your attention when your daily hair loss exceeds 100 strands. The first step would be to determine the reasons for your hair loss as there are many types of hair loss.

As you age, some of your follicles stop producing hair, which is why you may experience hair loss referred to as Anagen Effluvium. However, some of you might be experiencing hair shedding also referred to as Telogen Effluvium which could be the result of hormonal changes, stress, or nutritional issues; you then have to visit the dermatologist for the right treatment plan. A thinner hair shaft constricts the hair follicles making it difficult for the hair to grow.

Solutions for hair thinning 

To find out if your hair loss is out of the ordinary, start combing your hair from the back to the front for about a minute. If you see more than 10-20 strands of hair falling off, you could be exceeding the normal limit. Let us now find out what you can do, to deal with such a situation. While you can begin treatment procedures only in consultation with the doctor, you can start by taking certain standard measures to arrest your hair fall. Take the hairfall test.

• Regular washing:

• Shampoo followed by conditioner:

This is very important to keep your hair moisturized and give it much-needed shine. Do not apply the conditioner to your scalp but the ends of your hair as you work your way to the top. You should always rinse your hair at the end, to keep your cuticles closed and avoid water retention. The conditioner helps you style your hair better as it becomes easier to manage. 

• Air dry recommended:

Always use some serum on your hair before air drying it as it will help you avoid frizz. Use heat-drying tools sparingly as they tend to dry your hair and scalp. If you do decide to use hot rollers or curlers, use a heat-protectant spray for that extra layer of protection. 

• Dry Shampoo:

If you have oily scalp issues, a dry shampoo that you can use on the fly to soak up the extra oil, might not be a bad idea. Use it once every 4 days as a powder or spray and add to the health of your hair. 

• The right way to dye:

If you have thin hair you need to choose a colour that compliments the colour of your hair.  And yes, do not bleach your hair as it makes it weaker, the chemicals could also end up breaking your hair. Colour treatment, dye, and perms should be done once in a while if you want to keep your hair healthy. 

• Trim regularly:

You should make it a practice to trim your hair regularly as it helps prevent breakage and make your hair stronger.

• Opt for easy hairstyles:

Always go for hairstyles that do not stretch your hair and support its natural flow. If you do not do that, you might cause stress to your hair follicles and damage them. Tight braids and ponytails are a complete no-no. 

• A Good Diet:

This is essential to ensure hair health; A well-balanced diet with a good combination of minerals, vitamins, and other health and hair-enhancing ingredients would make a big difference in the condition of your hair. Proteins, eggs, and leafy greens provide the proper nutrients and improve the strength of your hair. Another very important ingredient is iron; low levels of iron lead to poorer quality of hair and ultimately hair loss. 

• Traditional remedies:

Traditional and home remedies using beneficial ingredients like amla, shikakai, methi seeds and brahmi are also very helpful in creating thicker and stronger hair. They could be used independently or by adding a carrier oil such as coconut and olive oil which add to its benefits. 

• Drink a good amount of water:

You need to consume at least 2.5 litres of water every day to help your hair grow well. As the human body contains about 60% water, anything less would lead to dehydration and cause split ends and brittle hair. This will also reduce problems of itchiness and dandruff. 

• Multivitamins:

There is no harm in increasing your multivitamin intake as on certain occasions malnutrition could lead to slow or negligible growth of hair from hair follicles. Zinc and folic acid are regarded as being very important for healthy hair but always consult with your doctor before taking these medicines. If your daily diet is taking care of your nutrient requirements, supplements might cause more harm to your body. Checkout multivitamins for hair.

• Scalp massage:

An economical but also very effective way to resolve hair thinning issues is with the help of a hair massage. The right way to do this is to apply a good hair oil and massage your scalp with your fingertips to stimulate blood flow. This will provide nutrition to your hair follicles and might also help remove dead skin cells in the process.  

• Anti-thinning shampoo:

Yes, these are also available and they work very well too. They add that much-needed volume to your hair and give it a thicker look. The shampoos might also contain amino acids and vitamins that will provide beneficial nutrients and create healthy hair.

Medical Procedures for hair thinning

And of course, if the condition is serious you might have to take a visit to a medical practitioner and seek long-term remedies. This can be done only after you have done the recommended tests to find out more about your condition.  Once done, some of the possible processes of treatment could be the following:

• Minoxidil:

If the hair loss is quite widespread doctors might recommend Minoxidil to stop hair loss, and possibly help grow it back. However, the benefits cease once you stop using it. 

• Micro-needling:

This process involves the use of a device with numerous needles that are inserted into your scalp to facilitate the growth of hair. While the device can be bought without a prescription, you should always take the advice of a dermatologist who will be able to tell you if it is safe, and also suggest the right one for you. 

• Corticosteroids:

If there is any underlying inflammation in your scalp it could trigger hair loss. This is where corticosteroids come in as they prevent inflammation and are an effective treatment for hair thinning issues. 

• Hair transplant:

This is a very popular and effective form of treatment wherein individual hairs or a patch of skin with hair on it is removed from one part of the body and transplanted on a patch when the hair is thinning. This procedure has to be suggested by a dermatologist. 

• Plasma therapy:

This procedure involves the extraction of plasma from your blood which is subsequently injected into those portions of your scalp where you are experiencing hair thinning. This procedure is done once a month for 3 months with follow-ups every 3-6 months.  

• Laser therapy:

This procedure is beneficial for those with Male-pattern hair loss, hair loss suffered as a result of chemotherapy, and alopecia areata among other things. Hair changes will be noticeable only after the treatment is done many times a week for several months.

Takeaway

The good news about hair thinning is that it happens slowly and this gives you sufficient time to figure out treatments for your hair issues. Thinning hair can be cured but before that, we need to figure out if the reason is simply scalp issues or a more serious underlying medical condition. 

Hair care is a serious business and the selection of hair care solutions and products needs to be done with a lot of care and research to achieve the desired results. Do call our experts at Traya for the right tips and suggestions to complete a successful journey towards healthy and beautiful hair.