Lifestyle Causes of Hair Loss

What activities come under lifestyle hair loss?

• Poor Diet
• Smoking
• Severe Stress
• Lack of sleep
• Exposure to the Sun
• Hair Products

Hair loss can be transient or persistent, and it can affect your scalp or your entire body. Primary causes of hair loss causes are inheritance, hormonal changes, medical issues, or simply ageing. Sudden or persistent hair loss often causes stress as people lose their appearance along with their confidence. Thus, hair holds a significant value and losing the same causes significant effects on our personal and professional lives. 

It may seem weird, but hair loss can be caused by lifestyle factors such as nutrition, smoking, and stress. Hair loss can also be triggered by external factors such as pollution, sun exposure, and hair products such as bleaching or dyeing. Hair loss can occur due to even a mild infection, such as a tooth infection.

What activities come under lifestyle hair loss?

When it comes to keeping a good head of hair, your lifestyle matters to avoid hair loss issues. A balanced diet, less stress, and a good hair care routine can help maintain your hair looking its best. Hair loss  can be caused due to following lifestyle activities:

Poor Diet

We’ve all heard the phrase you are what you eat, which refers to our overall health, but did you know that what you eat can also affect your hair’s condition?

Extreme dieting or a diet deficient in essential vitamins and minerals can impact the quality of your hair and even cause hair loss. This is one of the commonest causes of hair loss, even though it may seem far-fetched. If you eat a junk food diet or one high in saturated fat, salt, and sugar but lacking in essential nutrients, you will notice changes in not just your body form but also the health of your hair. 

We all know that not getting enough of a particular vitamin in your diet can cause various health issues, but did you know it can also damage your hair? Inadequate intake of a specific vitamin or mineral can disrupt the hair growth cycle, resulting in hair loss.

Smoking

Smoking causes various health concerns, including lung cancer, heart disease, and strokes, but new evidence suggests that smoking also causes hair loss. It’s not proven, but research suggests that smoking affects blood flow to the hair follicles in addition to its effects on the circulatory system.

For optimal growth, hair follicles require a constant supply of oxygen and vital nutrients. Growing hair is harmed if these supplies are interrupted in any manner. Smoking can reduce and even permanently damage the blood supply to the follicles, affecting the hair growth cycle and ultimately resulting in hair loss.

Severe Stress

Some individuals may find a particular thing stressful, whereas another does not, and so forth. Short bursts of stress might be beneficial since they keep us alert. The issue arises when a person is subjected to extended or chronic stress. Stress not only has emotional and physical consequences, but it can also result in temporary hair loss.

Hair growth will not occur immediately: the follicles will remain dormant for another six months, implying that new hair growth will not begin for another six months. One difficulty with this is that the individual involved believes their hair will never grow back and, as a result, becomes more worried, causing more harm than good!

Lack of sleep

Sleep is critical for good health and overall well-being in your body. The body can support cognitive function and maintain and improve physical health during sleep cycles. Rest is necessary for proper brain function, emotional well-being, and overall physical and mental health. Insufficient sleep has been demonstrated to have substantial detrimental effects on the body, contributing to hair loss and thinning hair directly and indirectly. Lack of sleep can also increase stress levels which are again linked to hair loss. 

The body’s inability to function correctly due to a lack of sleep harms overall physical health and wellness. 

The fact that lack of sleep is a substantial source of stress may also contribute to the onset of genetically determined hair loss, such as male or female pattern baldness.

Exposure to the Sun

The sun can be beneficial to our health because it promotes the production of Vitamin D, which is imperative for solid teeth and bones. In addition, it makes us feel better. Too much exposure to the sun causes the hair to become weak and cracked, resulting in split ends and a lifeless appearance. Wear a cap or use sun-protective hair products to prevent yourself from sun damage if you plan on lounging on a beach and soaking up the rays.

The sea and swimming pools can also cause damage to your hair. Swimming in the sea or a hotel pool is a popular holiday activity. Still, salt water and chemicals like chlorine can deplete critical nutrients in your hair, leaving it dry and prone to breakage. Make sure you oil your hair well before heading for that swim to minimise the damage, 

Hair Products

Hair sprays, mousses, gels, and colourants are all popular products primarily used by women; however, they are becoming increasingly popular among men too these days. This basket of hair products allows us to style our hair differently. Highlights, perms, hair extensions, and colouring are just a few treatments available at hair salons. Agreed that all these can give you great-looking hair, but too many hair products or salon procedures can harm your hair, triggering hair loss. There must be a balance to maintain healthy hair and good-looking hair.

Your lifestyle and hair loss can significantly impact your self-esteem and self-image. With years of experience, our dermatologist at HairMD employ cutting-edge treatments and procedures to help you resolve your hair loss issues and regain a healthy scalp and healthy hair. Book a consultation, understand the reasons for your hair loss and get the right remedy.