Hair fall is the most common problem faced by people these days. Hair health is affected by almost everything we do right from the water we use to the food we eat to the health issues we have and many more. Lets look at the reasons in detail:
Hard water : hard water contains build up of minerals such as calcium and magnesium. These form a film on the hair shaft makes penetration of moisture difficult and in turn leads to dry,frizzy hair which in turn leads to breakage. Long term use of hard water results in hair loss.
Nutritional deficiencies: A poor diet may lead to lack of nutrients like vitamin A,C,D,E,B, zinc, iron, vitamins ,proteins and essential fatty acids. This results in hair loss.However by improving the food intake can solve the problem.
Lifestyle: People now a days have adapted a unhealthy life style like consuming junk food, aerated drinks, sleeping late, smoking, drinking alcohol, chemical treatment on hair. Following such lifestyle for a long time can lead to imbalance and hair loss. Changes in lifestyle can resolve the hair loss issue.
Genetic : Heredity plays a major role in the hair loss. It runs in families and is a very common hair loss reason. Heredity hair loss is caused by the hormones called androgens. It mostly affects male but is also seen in female and is observed as a pattern. There is no treatment for heredity hair loss but a treatment may slow down or stop the hair loss.
Stress and Pollution: Increasing air and water pollution can affect the hair quality and lead to hair greying as well as hair loss. Exposure to pollution can cause chemical damage to the hair. It degrades the hair protein ,not allowing moisture to absorb in the hair thus making it frizzy and prone to breakage. Significant stress pushes large number of hair follicles to a resting phase and result in heavy hair loss.
Hormonal Imbalance: Hormonal imbalance in both male and female can lead to hair loss and thinning. Treatment can help to regrow the hair.Hormones responsible for hair loss are testosterone, estrogen or thyroid. Woman can also experience hair loss in their Menopausal stage where they under go tremendous hormonal changes. PCOS is another hormonal balances in woman which may lead to heavy hair fall.
Natural Ageing: As one ages, the rate of hair growth slows down and hair follicles stop growing hair. Hair strands become smaller resulting in thin fine hair. This type of hair loss can be delayed by maintaining a healthy lifestyle.
Pregnancy and child birth: In pregnancy estrogen levels rise heavily and hair stays in growth phase for a long time while after delivery the estrogen levels drop down leading to excessive hairfall. Taking a diet rich on nutrients and following a mild exercise regime can help to cope with this problem.
Overuse of chemical treatments: Now-a-days many hair treatments involving change in hair color, straightening of hair are carried out which involves harsh chemicals like bleach ,original bond breaking etc. These all treatments lead to hair fall after prolong use. The chemicals used in such treatments can penetrate the scalp resulting in damage to the hair follicles thus deteriorating the quality of hair growth.
Diseases and treatments: Many diseases and harsh treatments involved in treating some diseases can lead to excessive hair fall which in turn affects the mental well being of a person. In such cases a proper guidance and counselling can help to tackle the situation.
Remedies:
Following a healthy life style by consuming nutrient rich food involving protein ex: pulses, eggs ,nuts,beans ,peas. Regular intake of foods rich in vitamin B.D E can help to strengthen the hair.
Water Intake: Consuming 6-8 glasses of water regularly help to flush the toxins out of the body thus preventing their deposition in the body.
Sleep: Sleeping and waking up on time and having a minimum of 8 hours of sleep help in maintaining the hair quality. Essential oils helps to calm down and induce good sleep.
Exercising : Any type of exercise in moderation can help balancing the good health and in turn hair.
Stress free life : One cant avoid stress but using techniques to deal with stress like pursuing a hobby, yoga, meditation can help dealing with it.
Try to use Organic ,paraben and sulphate free products for hair instead of products with chemicals. Use natural herbs and stuff available at home to prepare hair mask which will do wonders on regular use. Regularly oil the hair with oils that suit your hair.
Avoid often chemical treatments on hair.
Many times an underlying medical condition or medicines can lead to hair fall which cannot be controlled by external application alone and needs medical advice. Doing so together will help solve the hair fall issue and improve the hair quality.
Some of the home remedies that are general are:
Prepare a hair mask of aloevera gel (1/2 cup) + 2 tsp olive oil+2 tsp castor oil+ 2tsp almond oil+2 vitamin E capsule+2 tsp onion oil, mix well and apply on the scalp and hair. Wash off with a herbal shampoo after an hour.
Fenugreek seeds do wonder to the hair. Soaking overnight in water and applying the paste to the hair in the morning will help reduce hairfall, dandruff also helps in arresting greying of hair.
Mix one egg with one teaspoon of olive oil and honey. Apply it form the roots to the tips and rinse off with shampoo after 30 minutes.
Mix 1 teaspoon of amla powder with few drops of lime juice to make a thick paste and apply to the scalp. Rinse with mild shampoo after 40 minutes.
Onion juice is a incredible remedy for hair problems. Apply it to the hair and rinse off after 30 min with mild shampoo.