You hair is trying to tell you something…listen!
A healthy person looses on average about 50 to 100 hairs a day. This is perfectly normal. However when you notice that you loose more hair then usual it is important that you listen to your body. Your hair is an important messenger to inform you about your physical and mental wellness. I have already mentioned this in another blog post that you can access if you click here. In this article I would like to go into the reasons behind it. There are several possible causes of hair loss: hormonal fluctuations, stress, immune system disorders, nutritional deficiencies,… I discuss them below.
Nutritional deficiencies
Your hair needs the proper nutrition to be able to grow healthy and strong. If you are deficient in certain nutrients like for example iron, vitamin B, zinc or omega 3 you can start to suffer from slower hairgrowth or even hair loss. In order to support healthy hair growth it is crucial to adopt a balanced nutrition plan and to eat a diet rich in protein and a variety of minerals and vitamins. Your daily diet always has to be the first step to start healing your hair. As an addition you should look to enhance your nutritional intake by taking the right supplements for you. There are some basics in taking supplements which I would advice everyone to take, like for example taking a daily multi-vitamin from a high quality brand like Life Extension. Defining what supplements or herbs you need is a specialist’s job. I advice you to talk to a medical doctor specialised in nutrition to run some blood tests and check-ups. They are best placed to then advice you properly. If you are not satisfied with a first doctor’s opinion, well then get a second one. I urge you to take your hair seriously so don’t let anyone tell you that “it’s just a phase”. You deserve to be taken care of and to feel good.
Hormones out of balance
Women go through several hormonal change processes during their entire life: puberty, pregnancy and (peri-)menopauze. Every time we enter a new phase our bodies get out of their usual hormonal balance and a new balance needs to be found. When going through this search for balance we experience a range of symptoms like weight gain or loss, fatigue, emotional moods ranging from sadness to anger and some women even go into a state of depression. The best proof that hormones do matter in our lives and that they have a profound impact on us. When finding that new balance doesn’t work out, hair loss might be one of the side effects. We deserve to feel great in our bodies, therefore I advice you to talk to your doctor, preferably a gynaecologist, and also go see a holistic doctor as your nutritional behaviour and stress management might need an adjustment to be able to get well again. Food, supplements and lifestyle in general do play an important role and always have to be one of the first steps to take to heal your body and find that balance. If this doesn’t work, then a specialised doctor is best placed to advice you on getting your hormones back on track.
Want some good advice on nutrition and hormones? Then please check out the website and books of Haylie Pomroy who I interviewed in my book “The complete guide to healthy hair. A 3-step program to heal your hair.” (book available in Dutch and English through the links on my homepage.
Stress management
When treating hair loss food and proper hair care do play their role, but handling stress is also a very important factor. Stress can seriously disturb the body and is an important driver of several health issues. The main culprit here is the production of cortisol, the stress hormone which slows down growth processes in your body and as a result also affects hair growth. When we know that stress can kill, then it can also play an important role in our body and have an impact on our hair health. Finding a good life balance between work, your chores, family and kids, social obligations, hobbies,… is easier said then done. It is entirely up to you to make that decision and to MAKE MORE YOU TIME. When you do take the time to take care of yourself you will be more relaxed and stronger to face life’s challenges. When you don’t take care of yourself, you will not have the power to take care of others, your company, your job, the charity you work for or simply to make your dreams and goals come true.
For more tips, you can read all about the 3-steps I have created in my book “The complete guide to healthy hair. A 3-step program to heal your hair.” (available on amazon, see link on the homepage)
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