8 Ways to Maintain Hair and Avoid Hair Loss
Whether your hair loss is due to aging or to temporary health conditions, there are several ways to maintain your healthy hair and avoid further thinning. Avoid excessive brushing, styling with heat tools, or using hair accessories that pull on your hair.
Tight hairstyles such as cornrows and ponytails cause stress on your hair and can make it look thin. Regularly bleaching your hair can also damage it, leading to breakage and brittleness.
1. Eat a Healthy Diet
A healthy diet is critical for maintaining beautiful hair. It should contain foods rich in proteins, essential fatty acids, vitamins, minerals, and trace nutrients. It is also important to drink plenty of water to keep the hair and scalp hydrated.
Some foods that are good for hair include eggs, berries, spinach, avocados, and chia seeds. Additionally, consuming sufficient amounts of biotin, or vitamin H, can help strengthen hair strands. Folic acid, or vitamin B6, is also a good source of hair-healthy nutrients. It is found in bananas, leafy vegetables, and fortified cereals.
Other nutrients that can be beneficial for hair include zinc, copper, and magnesium. These can be found in many different foods, including lean meats, seafood, seeds, nuts, and whole grains. Vitamin C is also known to boost collagen, which can make the strands stronger and less prone to breakage.
4. Avoid Tight Hairstyles
Hair can only be stretched so far before permanent damage occurs. Tight hairstyles like a slicked-back ponytail, cornrows or braids can cause a condition known as traction alopecia. This is a type of hair loss that develops when your scalp hair and hair follicles are physically damaged by long-term tension.
Women and men can both develop this condition, and it is usually noticeable at the hairline and part. The best way to prevent this issue is to avoid wearing tight styles for prolonged periods of time.
Try to opt for looser, more natural styles like a low ponytail or two loose pigtails that are secure but not overly tight. It’s also helpful to switch up your style on occasion to reduce stress on your follicles. Also, consider trying bangs to conceal a thinning hairline while you wait for healthy hair to grow back.
5. Wash Your Hair Less Often
The frequency of shampooing is a personal decision, but for most people washing their hair every other day or everyday can lead to dry hair and scalp. Instead, rinsing the hair with water every few days and using a deep conditioner in between can help to preserve natural oils and keep the hair well moisturized.
Trichologists and scalp experts recommend finding your "sweet-spot" wash cycle based on your scalp and hair texture. Thin or fine hair may need to be washed daily, while thicker textures can typically get by with washing every other day or once a week.
If your hair is becoming greasy, try washing your hair only the roots. This will remove excess oil and also redistribute your scalp's natural oils. A hair mask or conditioning rinse is also a great way to add moisture to your hair and scalp.
6. Avoid Hot Showers
While hot showers can make you feel relaxed, they can be damaging for your hair. When you wash your hair with hot water, it causes your strands to swell and the cuticle layer to open wider. This can lead to moisture loss, making your hair dry and brittle. It can also cause breakage and damage your keratin proteins.
The best way to avoid this is by avoiding long showers and using cold or lukewarm water instead. Some people even recommend alternating between warm and cold water during your shower.
This is because cold water helps seal the cuticle layer, locking in the moisture and keeping your strands healthy. Just remember to only use a few seconds of cold water, as too much can be damaging to your skin. This is especially important when you are rinsing your hair.
7. Avoid Excessive Shampooing
Washing your hair too frequently can strip it of its natural oils, leading to dryness and brittleness. It can also cause itchy scalp, which may be caused by the harsh chemicals in shampoo or the overuse of styling products.
The best way to determine how often to shampoo is to listen to your body. It's usually safe to wash your hair every other day or even once a week.
However, if you have thick or curly hair, it's better to shampoo less frequently so it doesn't become too dry. And if you have color-treated hair, it's important to use a shampoo that's gentle on the hair and scalp, as frequent washing can cause the hair color to fade more quickly. To avoid this, shampoo just your roots and only when needed.
8. Avoid Excessive Brushing
The scalp's oil glands produce sebum, a natural conditioner and protective agent that coats the hair. Brushing stimulates the glands and distributes the sebum along the hair shaft, preventing it from gathering greasily on the scalp.
However, excessive brushing can strain the scalp and cause hair loss. In addition, brushing brittle or dry hair can exacerbate breakage and make the strands weaker.
When brushing, always use a soft-bristle brush and be gentle. Wet hair is more fragile, and aggressively yanking a brush through it can cause damage. When tangled, use a wide-tooth comb to gently detangle the hair. Avoid brushing wet hair, or only brush it when it's just damp to comb out any tangles. Aim to brush the hair twice a day — once in the morning and once at night. You may need to brush more often if you have long or thick hair.
