I Am NOT Losing It: Tips For Preventing Hair Loss In Women

Statistics show that around half of the women in the world struggle with excessive hair loss—and most of them would rather have more hair than more money or friends. What do you think? While heredity and some medical conditions can play a role in whether or not your hair part widens over the years, there are plenty of choices you can make to give your hair every chance of remaining thick and healthy and even reverse thinning that has already begun.
 
1. Healthy Bodies, Healthy Hair
As the fastest growing cells in your body, your hair is the first part of your body affected if you don't take care of yourself, suffer vitamin and mineral deficiencies, or have other medical issues. So giving attention to your overall health is imperative in order for your hair to have half a chance.
Once you have ruled out medical issues, one of the simplest keys to glowing, growing hair is getting your entire body into shape. Make sure you are getting regular exercise and drinking plenty of water. And remember, the phrase “you are what you eat” especially applies to your hair.
 
2. The Hair Diet
Improper nutrition and hormone imbalance are two of the main causes of hair loss in women, and both are directly linked to what’s on your plate. Following is a list of the diet elements your hair craves.

• Protein—Hair is made of protein fiber, so protein-rich foods are necessary to keep it strong and growing. A few protein-packed choices include fish, eggs, beef, dairy products, almonds and broccoli.
• Collagen—Collagen is the most abundant protein in your body and it's essential for healthy hair. While your body can produce collagen on its own when provided with the proper nutrition, bone broth is a popular natural supplement.
• Omega-3 and Omega-6 fats—These healthy fats have been proven to reduce hair loss and increase its growth and thickness. They can be found in salmon, walnuts, flax seed, fish oil, grapeseed, sunflower and sesame oil.
• Iron—Iron deficiency is a common cause of hair loss in women. Instead of over-loading with an iron supplement, reach for iron-rich foods like spinach, Swiss chard, collard greens, egg yolk, navy beans and black beans.
• Zinc—Important for hair follicle health, zinc can be found in pumpkin seeds and pumpkin seed oil.
• B-Complex vitamins—Biotin and B5 contribute to the health of your adrenal glands, which stimulate hair growth, and are also helpful in rebuilding damaged hair. They are found in egg yolk, liver, avocado, cauliflower, berries, legumes, fish, nuts, cheese, beef, chicken and potatoes.
• Vitamin C and Antioxidants--Vitamin C and antioxidants fight hair loss due to aging and promote overall health and detoxification. You can find antioxidants in green tea and Vitamin C foods like oranges, red peppers, kale, Brussels sprouts, broccoli, strawberries, grapefruit and kiwi.
• Vitamin D—You can get your daily dose of Vitamin D just by sitting in direct sunlight for 10-15 minutes. Food sources include fish and mitake and Portobello mushrooms.

 
3. Ditching the Hair-Haters
Of course, there are foods to avoid if you want to encourage luscious hair. These include unhealthy trans-fat, like that found in hydrogenated oils; sugar and processed foods; alcohol, which can cause liver toxicity; and too much caffeine, which dehydrates your body and causes hormone imbalance.
Also bad for your hair are the chemicals found in many shampoos, hair-coloring and styling products. Take a look at the label before you buy a bottle of shampoo and opt for those that are most natural and contain the fewest detergents. And as far as styling products go, simplify as much as possible. Let your hair be itself; it will love you for it and be more likely to stick around.
 
4. Dare to Care About Hair
You can avoid excessive hair loss by treating your hair gently.
Daily brushing is essential for hair health, but make sure you're doing it right. Avoid brushing your hair when it's wet, as this is when it is most fragile. You can detangle wet hair with a wide-tooth comb.
For regular brushing, choose a brush with somewhat stiff, natural bristles (vs. plastic or metal which pull out too much hair) and brush with long strokes from the roots to the tips, stimulating your scalp and distributing your hair's natural oils.
The amount of washing your hair needs will depend on its type and oiliness, but if you currently wash it every day, it's recommended that you try backing off to every other day, and then perhaps to twice a week. Don't scrub your scalp too harshly, and make sure you rinse thoroughly after shampooing. Leaving any soap residue can lead to a dry, flaking scalp which puts you at a higher risk for thinning locks.
 
5. Hair + Stress = Less
Stress is another huge cause of thinning hair in women.
Make sure you're getting plenty of sleep. Concentrate on improving your emotional health, and hair health will naturally follow.
Try implementing a regular massage, including your scalp. Not only will this help you to relax, it will increase beneficial blood-flow to your hair follicles.
 
6. Anointing Your Hair With Oil
You may want to add some of the following natural topical treatments to your scalp massage.

• Coconut Oil--This is a big one, as it is good for every part of your hair and scalp. It can be massaged into your hair as a pre-wash.
• Olive Oil--an alternative for coconut.
• Aloe Vera Gel--Aloe Vera is bursting with vitamins and minerals. It soothes and conditions your scalp, encouraging hair growth, and strengthens and moisturizes hair, making it less prone to damage and thinning. You can apply the gel directly to your scalp or add it to a natural shampoo.
• Essential Oils--Rosemary oil increases the cellular metabolism that stimulates your hair to grow. Dr. Axe recommends massaging 3 or 4 drops of rosemary, peppermint, and sage oil mixed with 1 tablespoon of coconut oil or olive oil into your scalp, once or twice daily.

 
When doing research for this blog I did a survey and nearly half of those struggling with hair-loss said they would exchange their life savings for a full head of hair. Hair loss prevention, however, is often as simple and inexpensive as the choices you find above.
 
 
References:
 
US National Library of Medicine: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
Mary Gail Mercurio, MD: www.webmd.com
Leah Polakoff: www.prevention.com
Josh Axe, MD: www.draxe.com
American Academy of Dermatology: www.aad.org
Angela Haupt, US News: www.health.usnews.com
Kriti Malik: www.food.ndtv.com
Joseph Mercola, DO: www.mercola.com