Contents
Can Thin Hair Grow Back?
Thinning hair is a common side effect of chemical treatments, genetic predisposition, intensive styling, poor diet, and other factors. But rest easy because thinning hair can always grow back! In this article, we’ll cover the basics surrounding hair loss and techniques to combat it.
Everyday Habits That Cause Thinning Hair
Everyday stressors can accelerate the process of natural hair loss in some cases. These include but aren’t limited to:
Stylin’ and Profilin’
Lots of us love to style our hair; blow dries, flat irons, hot curlers – they all use heat that damages the follicle. You already know what happens when you over-style your hair; it eventually breaks and falls out. Hair thinning from styling can be slowed or reversed by changing your routine.
However, hair that has been thinned from extensive styling or chemicals such as bleach, perms, and straightening treatments take a long time to grow back. That’s because the hair follicles affected by these stressful actions are damaged beyond repair.
Hair Loss Due To Poor Diet
Certain diets can be harmful to hair follicles, particularly protein-poor diets. When you starve yourself of essential nutrients, it’s more difficult for your body to synthesize new cells or keep up with existing ones. Protein deficiency will also cause less anabolic hormones such as testosterone and IGF-1 needed for hair growth and replacement. If you’re missing some essential nutrients, try supplementing with a multivitamin or amino complex.
Excess Heat Tools
Blow dries, curling irons, and hot rollers all use intense heat to style your hair. The problem with this is the reduced blood flow (from shrinking capillaries) and direct damage from the hot tool itself. Both of these will lead to damaged, broken hair, and in worst-case scenarios, it’ll eventually fall out. It’s best to stay clear away from heat tools if you want your mane back.
If you use these tools, make sure to take breaks and stretch your hair from time to time. Also, try to protect it with a heat protectant.
Other Thinning Hair Causes
Dandruff
Often mistaken for dandruff, seborrheic dermatitis is an inflammatory skin condition that causes itching and flakes on the skin and scalp. The inflammation of the scalp disrupts its natural growth pattern causing rapid shedding in patches. It’s essential to leave this disorder untreated since it can lead to hair loss if left unattended. You’ll want to consult a doctor before starting any treatments against seborrheic dermatitis since many of them are based on topical steroids with plenty of side effects.
Stress
Anxiety leads to hair thinning due to the body’s fight-or-flight response. When getting stressed out, your brain sends signals to release hormones, including cortisol, adrenaline, and norepinephrine, that activate your sympathetic nervous system, otherwise known as the “fight or flight” response. Cortisol is an anti-inflammatory hormone that shrinks capillaries in the scalp leading to less blood flow and nutrient delivery for healthy hair growth. The shrinking capillaries also mean thinner follicles which eventually fall out. Stress can be combatted with exercise, meditation, visualization, breathing exercises.
If you notice your hair loss is worse than normal, you may want to consult a doctor. Hair loss and other severe conditions such as thyroid disorders can be similar in their symptomatology, so blood tests need to be ruled out.
Genetics
Could genetics play a role in thinning hair? At times, yes. Genetic predisposition to hair loss usually means that a person’s body doesn’t produce enough of the hormone DHT (dihydrotestosterone). However, because you have the genetics for thinning hair, it doesn’t mean you’re stuck with it.
Dietary Hair Thinning Remedies
As we’ve learned from the causes of thinning hair, an anti-inflammatory diet rich in nutrients and protein is important for healthy growth. Certain foods have been shown to stimulate hair growth by increasing blood flow that means more oxygen, amino acids, and other nutrients delivered to hair follicles. Below is a list of the best food sources for getting your tresses back on track:
Eggs and Dried Fruit (Inositol & Folic Acid)
The B vitamins in eggs and dried fruit promote hair growth by increasing metabolism. This means better blood flow and more nutrients to the hair follicles suffering from stress, stringent diets, or lack of protein. The B6 vitamin, in particular, is important for producing sebum from sebaceous glands on the scalp. Sebum is an oily substance whose job is to protect hair strands from breaking off too quickly and moisturize your hair. It also contains pigments called melanin which gives your hair browns and blacks its color!
Oysters (Zinc & Omega 3 Fatty Acids)
Shellfish such as oysters are exceptionally high in zinc which may help prevent hair loss. Zinc also boosts testosterone and other male hormones in the body that promote thick, healthy hair growth. The omega 3s in oysters is essential for blood flow as well -this means more nutrients delivered to the scalp with less stress!
Vitamin C (Orange Juice)
Orange juice goes above and beyond when it comes to preventing hair loss. A little vitamin C goes a long way in strengthening capillaries, stimulating blood flow, and making your hair stronger. It’s also packed with good vitamins such as B6 that help prevent hormone imbalances, which can lead to thinning hair.
Yogurt (Vitamin D & Calcium)
Yogurt is an excellent source of calcium since it promotes healthy bone formation! But why is this important for your head? Well, calcium plays an essential role in the strength of your scalp tissue which prevents breakage and thinning of hair strands. As if that weren’t enough, yogurt also contains probiotics, friendly bacteria found in fermented foods like buttermilk and sauerkraut. These probiotics have been shown to improve gut health by reducing inflammation!
Lean Meats (Iron)
Iron deficiency is the most common nutrient deficiency in men and women. It’s important for hair health because it helps transport oxygen to hair follicles, leading to faster, stronger hair growth.
6 Foods that Promote Hair Loss
It should be noted that certain foods can cause thinning or excessive shedding in some people. The reason behind this isn’t always clear, but they’re often high in nitrates like bacon and red meats and sugar, which stresses out your body. If you eat these foods, try cutting back if you think they’re the culprit of your woes and see if it makes a difference:
Artificial Sweeteners (Bisphenol A)
Bisphenol A is a chemical found in can linings, plastic water bottles, and many food containers. It’s been linked to hair shedding in the past, so it’d be wise to avoid foods that contain BPA, like canned soups or beans.
High Protein Diets (Insulin Response)
It’s well known that high protein diets stimulate your insulin response. This has implications for hair loss since excess insulin is associated with inflammation of blood vessels which weakens scalp tissue making it more prone to breakage.
Hydrogenated Oils (Trans Fats)
Roughly 90% of trans fats are artificially produced and added into foods like margarine, cookies, pastries, and vegetable shortening. Unfortunately, they can be tough to avoid since the FDA doesn’t require trans fats listed in food product labels. Besides being associated with heart disease and a host of other health problems, trans fats are also bad for your hair because of their inflammatory properties. The best way to avoid them is by buying more fresh foods that don’t have “partially hydrogenated” or “shortening” added into their ingredients list.
Refined Oils
Oils are tricky because some of them promote healthy skin while others contribute to thinning hair. It’s important to point out that refined cooking oils lack trace nutrients like carotenoids to help fight inflammation and stress. Also, if you’re trying to lose weight, make sure you’re consuming healthy fats since they will help keep your metabolism fired up.
Fried Foods (Omega 6 Fatty Acids)
You may be surprised by this one, but fried foods cause free radical damage in the bloodstream and oxidative stress. A high intake of omega 6 fatty acids found in fried foods has also been linked to hair shedding in certain studies so try to avoid them. The best way to do this is by cooking with healthy oils like coconut or olive oil but if you do fry foods, make sure you rinse them off before eating.
Carbonated Drinks (Calcium Deficiency)
You might think that this only applies to women, but if you’re a guy who loves these drinks, it’s important to note that they leech calcium from your bones, leading to hair loss and other symptoms of osteoporosis when consumed over time. Replace these drinks with natural alternatives like tea or water.
Conclusion
Don’t let these causes scare you away from pursuing thick hair. Unfortunately, there’s no magic pill that will instantly cure your hair loss or grow back the rest of you’re head. If you want a full head of hair again, then it’s going to take work.
Some of these issues are easily remedied, such as changing diet or using less damaging styling tools. Consult with your doctor if you’re suffering from severe hair loss or have any questions regarding the causes of thinning hair.
