Though holidays are filled with joy and excitement, they can also cause increased stress due to the extra financial strain resulting from the holidays. Also, the consequences of the global pandemic may further worsen your stress levels. Stress impacting your mental health is quite common, but do you know it can also cause hair loss? Read on to learn more about it.
How Can Stress Cause Hair Loss?
Stress can lead your adrenal glands to produce more cortisol (a major stress hormone in the body), causing hormone imbalances and increased skin sebum production. This diminishes the supply of essential nutrients to the hair while the cortisol signals your hair follicles to shift from the growth phase, causing hair loss. Also, increased sebum levels clog the scalp pores, obstructing hair growth.
Tips to Prevent Hair Loss During Winter Holidays
Stress causes hair loss, but not immediately. It can take 6-12 weeks to months for you to experience hair loss after a stressful event. Therefore, you can prevent seasonal hair fall by following these simple hair care tips.
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Maintain Good Hair Care Routine
Never pull back your hair while washing and combing because it can cause tension on the follicles, stressing them, thus causing hair loss. To avoid this, wash and comb your hair forward, towards your face.
Besides:
- Brush your hair regularly, as it helps manage the scalp and improve blood circulation.
- Maintain your hair in a balanced condition, ensuring it isn’t too dry or oily.
- Avoid frequently using the hairdryer, as it can make your hair brittle and weak, thus causing hair loss.
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Use Scalp-Friendly Products
A healthy scalp is crucial for your hair growth. When it is cold or dry, it is quite common to get dandruff that causes flaky, itchy, and unhealthy scalp conditions. In such circumstances, use gentle shampoos and conditioners specific for scalp conditions to keep your scalp healthy. You can also use hair packs that suit your scalp to maintain a healthy scalp.
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Eat a Well-Balanced Diet
Eating a well-balanced, nutritious diet is crucial for healthy hair and scalp. Therefore, eat foods rich in vitamins, zinc, iodine, iron, carbohydrates, fat, and proteins to stimulate hair growth. Hair-friendly foods also include eggs, fish, berries, avocados, spinach, nuts, seeds, etc.
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Treat Health Issues
Health conditions such as hypothyroidism, hormonal imbalance, and iron/iodine deficiency can contribute to hair loss. Treat them to prevent hair loss. Also, avoid overusing medications and supplements, such as testosterone, whey, human growth hormone, and DHEA (Dehydroepiandrosterone), as they can also cause hair loss and thinning.
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Avoid Unhealthy Habits and Environments
Tobacco smoking and exposure to air pollution and radiation can damage hair follicles, increasing your risk of hair loss. Therefore, avoid such an environment to prevent hair loss. You can cover your hair with a scarf or a hat when you go outside if you cannot avoid pollutants and radiation.
Follow these simple tips to combat hair loss caused by holiday stress. However, if you are still experiencing hair loss symptoms despite caring well for your hair, consider getting medical help. This will help you determine if an underlying medical condition is causing your hair loss.
Related Read:
IS STRESS CAUSING YOUR HAIR LOSS? HERE IS THE SOLUTION!
12 BEST HAIR LOSS TREATMENT FOR MEN
Contact the
Mane Center for Advanced Hair Restoration today if you need effective hair loss treatment in Chevy Chase. Our experienced surgeon, Dr. Burka, specializes in the latest hair restoration procedures with desired results.
