It’s never a good feeling when you find more hair on your brush, on the floor, in your shower drain, and everywhere else, other than your actual head. The only respite is that you’re not alone in this hairy battle. Hair fall is completely normal –– as a matter of fact, we naturally lose about 50 to 100 strands of hair per day (even more, if you have long hair). However, the feeling isn’t fun, especially if you are experiencing excessive hair fall. Having copious amounts of hair fall out from your head when you run your hands through it is alarming, as it points to more than just your hair. Excessive hair fall can be your body’s way of informing you that something is wrong from within. So what exactly causes your lovely locks to shed like a Collie in summer? We get to the root (pun intended) and figure out how to prevent excessive hair fall!
What causes excessive hair fall?
There could be several reasons for excessive hair fall, and many of them go beyond what meets the eye. Your skin and hair are a reflection of your body, and therefore when anything extreme like ‘hair fall’ occurs, you need to take it as a sign. This type of hair loss results in a change in appearance, meaning, your hair starts thinning, and losing volume and density.
#1 - Hormonal Changes
Once again, hormones have something to do with this phenomenon too! A lot of women tend to experience hormonal imbalances during menopause and childbirth, often resulting in excessive hair fall. The hormones that are often related to hair loss include:
a) Androgens
An increased sensitivity to the DHT androgen hormone (male hormones) can often trigger excessive hair fall in men and women.
b) Estrogen & Progesterone
High estrogen and progesterone levels (female hormones) are often triggered during pregnancy –– that’s the reason behind fuller and more voluminous hair. Post child-birth and during menopause, these hormones start reducing, resulting in the opposite, excessive hair fall and thinning.
c) IGF-1
Women suffering from PCOD often encounter insulin resistance impacting the quality of hair and hair fall.
d) Thyroid
Another hormone-related cause for hair loss (which is rather common) is thyroidism. Too much and too little thyroid can trigger excessive hair fall.
#2 - Stress
Unfortunately, in today’s day and age stress is a major concern for many health issues, including hair fall. When you’re stressed, your body produces excess cortisol (the stress hormone), and disrupts your usual hair cycle, resulting in excessive hair fall. Lack of sleep also triggers the same hormone––so if you’re not getting enough quality sleep, your hair will keep falling unnecessarily.
#3 - Excessive Exercise
If you’ve just started working out vigorously and are experiencing a sudden bout of hair fall, your workout is to be blamed. Physical stress is equally responsible for hair loss, as psychological stress.
Chronic physical stress results in telogen effluvium, a condition where your hair cycle slows down prematurely, resulting in more hair fall than usual. Too much exercise basically disrupts that cycle and also burns the nutrients required for healthy hair growth.
#4 - Deficiencies
Your hair requires a whole lot of nutrients to keep it healthy and maintain that volume. When your body isn’t getting enough nutrients, it tends to show it through your lovely locks. The most common deficiencies linked to hair loss are zinc and iron, however deficiencies in vitamins A, B12, C, and D, as well as fats, do have an effect on hair quality.
How to avoid and prevent excessive hair fall?
#1 - Combat stress
Stress is a daily part and parcel of life, and it’s very difficult to avoid it! You can, however, curb stress levels by involving yourself in activities that will calm and relax both your body and mind. In the morning and night, make sure you follow through with a few yoga stretches and meditation. Alternatively, you can also go for a run to help you combat your daily stress. Remember to not go too over-the-top with the exercising, especially if you want to stop your hair from falling. Adaptogens like Ashwagandha can help you combat stress. You can try out our Bring Me Bliss for stress-relief and better focus.
#2 - Take care of your locks
Having a proper hair care routine in place is essential for when you are looking to beat the fall! Make sure you use the right shampoo and conditioner for your locks, that’ll help strengthen the hair from the roots. A weekly oil massage is a must –– the massage helps boost circulation, allowing for the nutrients to nourish your hair and scalp effectively.
Avoid tugging or brushing your hair when it’s wet to prevent further breakage, and keep away from tight hairstyles that’ll pull on your roots and cause your hair to break. If you are experiencing severe hair fall, make sure to take a break from any sort of chemical treatments and heat –– these treatments disrupt your hair shaft, and can make the hair very brittle.
Lastly, get a trim every now and again to encourage healthier growth of hair. You can try our Healthy Hair mix that is a drinkable blend of adaptogenic superfoods that can combat hair loss and promote the growth of new hair follicles.
#3 - Watch your diet
Diet plays such a huge role in combating hair loss. Remember what you eat gets transported to your hair, and therefore giving your hair the right nutrients is a must. Include foods like eggs, dark leafy vegetables, nuts and seeds, salmon, citrus-heavy fruits, avocados, and whole grains, that are all hair-loving foods, and improve the quality and strength of your hair.
#4 - Seek medical advice
As we mentioned, excessive hair fall can be a small picture of a rather big internal conflict happening in your body. Therefore, if the condition has anything to do with hormonal fluctuations or any other health issue, it’s best to seek advice from a medical professional. The right kind of medication can help combat the issue, without triggering other problems.
A word from Cosmix
Excessive hair fall isn’t all that fun to deal with, especially when it starts showing on your head. Combating hair loss, however, is a combination of different treatments –– treatments that will nourish your hair and scalp internally and externally –– leaving you with a fuller and healthier mane. With the right diet, proper hair routine, and an almost stress-free lifestyle, you can prevent those extra strands from raining down on your #happyhairdays!
