Guys Your Lifestyle Could Be Speeding Up Hair Loss
Hair loss and balding are stress and anxiety-inducing and can ruin your looks and confidence. Going bald is mostly down to genetics according to Men’s Health, so chances are if your dad or grandfather went bald early, you might too. That said there is genetic balding and there is premature balding and you could be speeding up the rate you shed with poor lifestyle habits. Ahead, the most common causes of accelerated hair loss.
1. Stressing Out
Believe it or not, stressing can speed up the balding process. Chronic stress has been proven to disrupt your hair’s natural growth cycle leading to increased shedding and slower regrowth. Long-term stress puts the hair follicles into shock and then a resting phase which stunts hair growth. Exercise regularly and try meditation to reduce stress levels and anxiety.
2. Dodgy Diet
Your diet can influence your overall health as well as the health of your skin and hair. Eating unhealthy foods can havoc on your hair, cause chronic illness, and even premature death. Diets lacking in essential nutrients like vitamins, minerals, and proteins can weaken hair follicles and cause hair to shed lose hair. Steer clear of fried fatty foods, too much sugar, and foods with no nutritional value like instant noodles.
3. Quit Smoking
We all know smoking is bad for our health and can increase your risk of lung and heart disease, cancer, and strokes. You may not realize smoking cigarettes could also be contributing to baldness. Toxic chemicals in cigarettes have been proven to damage the hair follicles and reduce blood flow to the scalp which results in loss.
4. Excessive Alcohol
There’s no healthy amount of alcohol you can drink and along with a host of health issues, excessive drinking can also make you go bald. Heavy drinking leads to nutritional deficiencies, dehydration, and hormonal imbalances which can negatively impact your scalp and hair follicles causing shedding.
5. Not Enough Sleep
Getting a good night’s sleep doesn’t just mean you’ll be more productive at work or in a good mood, it is also the time our body regenerates. Poor sleep quality disrupts hormone levels and the hair growth cycle and a chronic lack of sleep increases the stress hormone cortisol which speeds up balding.
6. Overuse of Hair Products
Using too many hair styling products or the wrong products for your hair type can be a hair loss culprit. This is because harsh chemicals in styling products can weaken hair over time and cause breakages and baldness. Always use clean, sulfate-free products, and if product build-up and debris are an issue do a regular cleansing head and scalp treatment.
7. Man Buns
The way you style your hair can also speed up shedding. Wearing tight, restricting hairstyles like man buns, braids or ponytails can lead to traction alopecia: A condition that causes hair loss from constantly pulling on your hair and causing friction and tension.
8. Frequent Heat Styling
Subjecting your hair to heating styling from hair dryers can damage and dry out your hair, but what you may not know is it can also cause hair thinning and balding. Excessive use of hair dryers and heat tools, and washing your hair in hot water damages the hair shaft and can destroy hair follicles triggering hair loss. Let your hair dry naturally, wash it in lukewarm water, and finish with a cold rinse to lock in moisture and seal the cuticles.
9. Hormonal Imbalances
Hormonal conditions like thyroid disorders or testosterone imbalances can affect hair growth and replenishment of hair follicles. Have your hormone levels checked and if you’re diagnosed with a hormonal imbalance or thyroid issue take the recommended steps to remedy this to prevent further loss. A good diet also comes into play here.
10. Medication Warnings
Some medications, including ones for hypertension, depression, and chemotherapy, can contribute to hair loss. This happens because medications can interfere with your hormones, stunt hair follicles, and disrupt the normal hair growth cycles. Read the medication warning labels, maintain a well-balanced diet, and take supplements that promote healthy hair growth like biotin, zinc, and vitamin E.
11. Environmental Damage and Pollution
Air pollution isn’t just bad for your lungs, it’s bad for your scalp too. Environmental damage from pollution, air conditioners, heating, extreme weather, and the sun can all cause dry, itchy, and irritable scalps and a healthy scalp means healthy hair growth. In the worst cases, pollution can even damage hair follicles causing hair loss and baldness.
12. Washing Hair Too Much
Excessive hair washing is another culprit that speeds up male baldness. Washing your hair too often strips the scalp of natural oils which can stunt hair follicles and hair production. You don’t need to wash your hair every day and always use gentle, nourishing, chemical-free hair care products, ideally formulated to boost volume.
13. Dehydration
Ever heard the saying ‘You are what you eat?’. Eating nutrient-rich foods can encourage shinier, thicker, and healthier hair. While getting your recommended fill of H20—Harvard Health says men should drink 3.7 liters of water per day—flushes out toxins, aids digestion, and prevents hair from becoming dry, dehydration, and brittle which can lead to balding.
14. Get Moving
Sedentary lifestyles are the new smoking. From high blood pressure to premature death, sitting down for hours negatively impacts your overall health. When you don’t get enough exercise it can slow circulation and restrict blood flow to the scalp causing hair loss. Exercise regularly for your health, hair, and skin ensuring you rest and recover in between as overexercising can also speed up aging and premature hair loss.
15. Skipping Haircuts
Another factor that may be speeding up the balding process is skipping regular haircuts. Avoiding time at the hair salon has been proven to cause split ends and breakages which can expedite hair thinning. Get your hair trimmed every 6-8 weeks to boost its condition and maintain its health.