Courtesy of Getty + Stuart C. Wilson
As many as two-thirds of women will experience hair thinning, according to a Harvard Medical School study.
So, if you have fine hair already or notice your hair has been thinning
as of late (it’s normal to lose roughly 100 hairs a day, but
significantly more than that isn’t typical), it might be time to make
some changes to your routine to prevent breakage and even worse, hair
loss. To keep you ahead of the thinning-hair curve, Cosmopolitan.com
talked to New York hairstylist Kevin Mancuso, creative director for Nexxus Salon Hair Care, about how to treat, prevent, and plump up skinny strands.
1. Loosen the tension. Constantly
pulling on your hair and causing tension on your strands — by putting
it into tight ponytails, excessively blow-drying it straight with a
brush, or wearing extensions without giving you hair a break every few
months — can permanently damage your hair follicles and actually cause
hair loss or traction alopecia (as it’s medically termed). Mancuso
advises his clients with thinning hair to choose looser styles rather
than tight updos all the time and to opt for a brushless blow-dry (where
you just use your fingers and the heat from the dryer) first before
styling, both of which give hair a break from styling practices that can
thin strands out even more.
2. Never skip conditioner. Not using conditioner is
one of the biggest mistakes women with fine hair make. Because your
hair is thin and often falls flat, you may instinctually avoid daily
rinse-out conditioners and even any leave-in sprays or treatments too,
thinking they’ll weigh down your hair. However, the opposite can be
true, as long as you choose a lightweight formula. Here’s why: Over
time, lack of hydration causes hair to become damaged and brittle,
causing the actual diameter of each strand to become smaller. You do
want to avoid ultra-softening conditioners formulated for extremely
damaged hair which can be too heavy, and opt for those that are “as
lightweight as possible,” Mancuso suggests. “Look for those that contain
panthenol and glycerin that moisturize and support the thickening of
your hair.” These ingredients keep fragile hair strong and responsive to
styling. (Try Dove Oxygen Moisture Conditioner and Nexxus Hydra-Light Leave In Conditioning Foam.)
3. Chill on heat styling. The
hair shaft of fine or thinning hair can break easily under high heat,
so use your hot tools sparingly if you can. But, if your beauty routine
requires a blow-dry, and a curling or flat iron, always use a protective
spray on your hair first. Mancuso suggests gentle, lightweight mists
for clients with thinning hair that have shielding ingredients such as
dimethicone and glycerin to prevent future breakage and dehydration.
(Try TRESemmé Thermal Creations Heat Tamer Spray.)
4. Eat a healthy and nutritious diet. What
you eat — and how often — has a huge effect on the health of your hair.
Your body needs constant fuel in the form of essential fatty acids,
protein, B vitamins, and minerals such as zinc, iron and selenium to
grow healthy hair. But don’t expect to start to load up on nutrients
important for healthy hair and a week later see results. “It could take
anywhere from several months or longer to notice the difference in your
hair,” Stephanie Middleberg,
a dietitian in NYC, says. “Hair is built from the inside out so a
healthy body is important for healthy hair — but it will take time if
you haven’t been getting enough of those nutrients for a while.”
5. Listen to your body. Sometimes,
thinning hair is caused by medical factors, like thyroid problems,
dramatic weight loss or gain, and anemia. Even heavy menstrual cycles
can cause brittle, fragile hair from losing too much iron. “Any kind of
hormonal balance dictates how your body is working in general,” Mancuso
says. “As you get older, even in your 30s, your body is changing so you
want to be in tune to what’s happening.” If something seems up with your
system, always consult a doctor to get to the root of the problem.
6. Know your family history. Heredity
also plays a role in hair loss. You could be prone to thinning hair
just based on genetics alone. A good way to suss out whether or not you
might see signs of thinning is by scoping out your family tree — from
either the maternal or paternal side. If you see a pattern of hair loss
or balding, see a trichologist (an expert who specializes in hair and
scalp health) about what you can do to prevent the symptoms with
supplements, diet changes, or laser therapy treatment that could help
rev hair growth.
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The original post can be found at http://www.cosmopolitan.com/style-beauty/beauty/advice/a36063/ways-to-stop-thinning-hair/
I chose this post because hair thinning is something that is faced by many people and it can be very frustrating and heart breaking and knowing the cause of it is never that easy and finding a cure or something to stop it is another headache by itself.And accepting hair loose is never easy knowing the causes and how to prevent or reduce hair loose is always a great thing.
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