To avoid hair loss treat your scalp not your hair
Whatever your type and style of hair: long and glossy, tight and curly the one consistent factor is that it’s already dead. That’s right, the fibre you can see is no longer alive and as part of the natural cycle will eventually fall out, hopefully to be replaced, although not always.
No point in trying to treat something that’s already dead
Hair loss can be triggered by a range of factors from alopecia areata to stress related conditions. Whatever the reason it can be a traumatic experience and when it comes to treatment you might be well advised to consider that there isn’t much point in trying to restore the health to something that’s already dead.
Actually, the only living part of the hair is the follicle and this is where you need to target your efforts. As trichologist, Anabel Kinglsey recently said in Refinery29, “The scalp is the bedrock for the hair follicle, and if it is not in good condition, the chances of you experiencing problems with hair growth and health increase significantly. In fact, research has proven that a flaky, itchy scalp can cause and/or worsen hair loss in certain individuals.”
Having made this point, she goes on to advise several natural common sense approaches to looking after your scalp. This mainly involves cleansing (as you would with all skin) and being gentle on your head with the hair brush asking us to imagine what “your forehead would look like if you raked it with bristles”. She also advises good diet and possibly taking up yoga and pilates to manage stress levels.
Always seek expert advice
Of course, all these suggestions are not going to damage the hair and may in some cases stem hair loss but in themselves they are not recognized treatments. If you find you’re shedding more than 100 hairs a day on a consistent basis then the best thing to do is seek expert advice. You could start with your barber/hairdresser or possibly speak to your GP.
Alternatively, there are a number of specialist hair loss clinics who will be able to advise on the most appropriate course of action for your particular hair loss. In many cases hair loss is treatable with medicines or using other techniques such as laser therapy but don’t leave it too late to get that advice.
