Hair fall is a natural thing, but only to a certain extent. It’s normal to have a few hair strands come off when combing, but it’s a whole other story when you wake up and find clumps of hair on your pillow.
If you’re losing more and more hair as days go by, don’t panic just yet. Hair loss treatment options for men and women are abundant. Unless your hair loss is genetic, there is a good chance that you could reverse the problem by changing your daily habits.
Here are some daily habits that can cause hair loss:
1. Taking hot showers
Hot showers are relaxing for the body and mind, especially after a long day at work. Standing under the hot stream for half an hour or more may even be a regular thing for you. However, while you’re relaxing under the hot water, you could also be wrecking your hair in the process.
Hot water sucks up moisture from your hair strands, making them more brittle and prone to breakage. Hot water also dries out the scalp, which then triggers the overproduction of oil to compensate for the loss, leading to greasy hair and even more hair fall.
2. Using heat tools every day
If you use your hairdryer, flat iron, or any other heat styling tool on a daily basis, you need to rethink your beauty routine. Similar to hot showers, heat styling tools can quickly dry out your hair and make the strands thinner. So if you want to protect your hair from excessive breakage, limit your use of heat styling tools and go for non-heat alternatives, such as braiding and using hair rollers.
3. Being too rough with wet hair
Hair that is saturated with water is more susceptible to breakage than dry hair. Brushing or combing your hair in the shower, aggressively toweling your hair, and pulling your hair into a ponytail while it’s still wet are all bad habits that can lead to unnecessary hair loss. To avoid this, avoid manipulating your hair while it’s still very wet. Towel dry gently first before brushing, combing, or styling your hair to prevent it from breaking off.
4. Using excessive hair products
Hairstyling products can contain harsh chemicals that make hair dry and brittle, so avoid using them or find alternatives that don’t contain harsh chemicals.
5. Overbleaching
Bleaching your hair damages the cuticle and makes the follicles more prone to breakage. If you really want to color your hair, look for a less harsh alternative like high-lift hair color. Can’t do away with bleaching? At least make the frequency far and wide in between to give your hair and scalp ample amount of time to recover.
6. Not managing stress
Overwhelming amounts of stress can make hair fall out at alarming rates. Learn how to manage stress to keep your hair full and healthy, as well as keep your mental and physical health in good shape.
7. Wearing tight hairstyles
Pulling your hair in extremely tight hairstyles may be in trend thanks to celebs like Ariana Grande and Gigi Hadid, but keep in mind that it can cause excessive amounts of tension on the hair, which can eventually lead to damage or, in worst cases, alopecia (permanent hair loss). Wear loose hairstyles instead, or at least let your hair rest in between putting them up in tight styles.
8. Pulling out gray hairs
When you pull out gray hair, you may also damage the hair bulb and cause it to not regrow back properly. As a result, the hair follicle grows back thinner and more prone to damage than the original strand.
If you don’t have a lot of gray hairs, cover them up with a cover-up wand instead of yanking them out. If you already have a lot of grays, the best solution is to dye your hair–or just embrace the gray!
9. Playing with hair
Do you have a habit of twirling your hair around your fingers, tugging on the strands, or scratching your head even when it’s not itchy? These may seem like harmless mannerisms, but you could be inadvertently making your hair weaker. Over time, these habits can contribute to hair fall. Even though the hair loss may not be severe or permanent, it’s best to kick these habits to keep your hair strong and healthy.
If you do these habits almost every day, you might be putting your hair at risk of excessive hair fall–and if you’re unlucky enough, severe hair loss. Overcome these habits as early as now to keep your hair healthy and less prone to damage as you age, especially if you are genetically prone to hair loss.
