FIGURE OUT THE ROOT OF THE ISSUE
The first step in dealing with hair shedding is ensuring that the amount of hair that you’re losing is the normal amount. A dermatologist can tell you whether you have hair loss or hair shedding. Trying to count the amount of hair strands you lose in a day, is a tedious task (ain’t nobody got time for that).
A quick test you can do at home to see if the amount of hair shedding you’re experiencing is normal is by grabbing about 60 strands of hair in your hand an inch away from your scalp. Then with your thumb and forefinger, pull the hair hard enough to pull up your scalp and slide your fingers along the shaft to the end. Once you do this, count the number of hairs that fall out. If more than six hairs fall out, there could be something wrong and it’s good to get a second opinion from your doctor. If it’s less than six, but you still feel that your hair is shedding more than you’d like then follow our tips below to prevent hair shedding.
KEEP CALM AND CARRY ON: AVOID STRESS
It’s easy to get stressed about hair shedding and start wondering if you’re going bald, or other more serious underlying reasons are causing it. But guess what? Getting stressed will just make hair shedding happen even more. If you are getting frustrated by your hair shedding, try to find some calming activities.
Turn on some Netflix, run a hot bath, and try to reduce any sources of stress in your life. Stress has been shown to kick your hair follicle into the lifecycle phase that makes it shed. Typically there is a delay between when your hair stops growing and when it actually sheds and falls out. Usually, you can trace the stressful event back to about three months before the hair shedding started happening. Experience a job loss, a fight with a friend, a bad breakup? These might all be reasons why you’re experiencing hair shedding a few months later.
These life changes can exhaust you and your hair, causing the hair follicle to be undernourished and weak. Increased stress can also trigger scalp problems which cause the follicle to not hold onto hair strands.
How to stop hair shedding
MOMS ADVICE: EAT YOUR VITAMINS
The way to be proactive to stop large amounts of hair shedding is by taking hair vitamins to strengthen your hair. Biotin for example can be bought at any drug store and is incredibly effective in helping to strengthen your hair and help it grow. Another vitamin that can help with hair shedding is Vitamin A. This vitamin has retinoids which increase hair growth and even assists with sebum production which coats your hair its natural oils from the scalp, keeping your scalp and hair moisturized. A multivitamin is also important to provide all of the nutrients you will need to help your hair grow long and strong.
HAPPY SCALP, HAPPY HAIR
Keep your scalp healthy by using conditioner to keep it moisturized and scalp scrubs to exfoliate it. When your scalp is healthy, your follicles will hold onto strands of hair and this will lead to less hair shedding. If you have dandruff or other scalp conditions this may also cause hair shedding, a quick fix is using a dandruff shampoo to keep the scalp moisturized. Keeping your hair moisturized during the wintertime especially is important because of the seasonal changes in hair shedding. Try using a deep conditioning hair mask or even hair oils to give your hair some extra love during the cooler temperatures.
GO NATURAL: AVOID CHEMICAL PROCESSING
Generally, you should avoid chemical processes to straighten, bleach or colour hair. If you do decide to dye your hair, don’t dye it more than one or two shades lighter than it’s natural colour. This will reduce the amount of bleach you’re using and therefore reduce damage. Bleaching and other chemical processes strip the hair of natural oils and can create thin, brittle, frizzy hair. Also, opt to get your hair coloured at a salon versus using low-quality box dyes. As mentioned above, another option is trying hair extensions to get the hair colour you want without the damage.
TOO HOT TO HANDLE: AVOID OVER-STYLING
Firstly, start by reducing the use of heat styling tools. But let’s be real, you probably won’t be able to quit these tools cold turkey. So, if you must use these tools then make sure you’re using a heat protectant spray to protect your hair shaft from the harsh damage caused by the heat. Also, if your heat tools have settings, lower the temperatures on your tools.
When you wear your hair in tight updos these can also cause hair shedding. Try wearing your hair in loose hairstyles like these cute loose braid hairstyles. Doing this will give your hair some much needed recovery time. When you tie your hair up try using ones that cause less damage, since they typically pull on your hair and cause breakage. For example scrunchies are really popular and a great option to tie your hair up while limiting damage. Some other ways to prevent hair shedding due to hair ties is to avoid tying your hair when it’s wet or tying it up when you go to sleep. Also, swap your hairstyles when you do use hair ties so, you’re not putting stress on the same area of the hair shaft. For example, do a low pony some days and a top knot others.
EVERYTHING FEELS BETTER AFTER A HAIRCUT
To help with seasonal changes specifically, getting a haircut at the beginning of the summer will help to remove the dead ends that would have been further damaged by the summer sun. The longer you leave damaged hair on your head, the more you will experience hair shedding and breakage. If you are over processing your hair with chemicals and overstyling your hair, getting
regular haircuts is especially important since you’re damaging your hair at a much faster rate and therefore will experience more hair shedding than someone with healthier hair.