What’s causing my hair to fall out? Myths are everywhere, most of them spread like truth and believed by everyone. Hair loss myths are no exception. We decided to find the truth behind the most popular thinning hair myths, and you will be surprised by our findings.
Let’s get straight to the point. Are the following causing my hair to fall out?
The frequent use of hats or hair bands
A hat cannot cause hair loss any more than it can cure it. It is more likely that you started using hats or hair bands once you noticed your scalp becoming more visible. Then, hair loss continued increasing and you blamed the hat. But no, using a hat or a cap does not cause hair loss. The constant use of hair bands can make your hair fragile, which can slightly contribute to thinning hair.
Washing it too often
It is not the water and is not washing it too often the reason for your hair loss, unless you are pulling your hair out while washing it; it’s actually very important to wash your hair regularly, minimum twice a week to prevent sebum from clogging your follicles. Also, try to use an exfoliating shampoo once a week to deep clean follicles and buildups.
My hair care products
It is not the hair products you are using, actually the hair that is falling out naturally is the one you see in your hands when applying your hair care; we shed about 100 hairs a day. Hair loss is a more complex situation that cannot be caused by shampoo and neither can it be cured by it.
The water from my city
It is never the water the one causing thinning hair or hair loss, but it might be the adjustment to a new country or city. Stressing about a big new change can cause your hair to fall out. Stop worrying about the water and relax. People who have prolonged mental stress will experience more hair loss than usual.
Chemical treatments
Hair coloring, permanent straighteners, Keratin treatments, among others. are not harmful if applied correctly. Now, you should never have these treatments done all in the same day because it will weaken the hair shaft causing hair breakage which will, in turn, result in thinner hair. In this case, hair is breaking from the shaft and not from the roots, so we cannot really call it “hair loss” even though you’ve lost hair density.
Hair drying with heat
Drying excessively or at a very hot setting is not a good idea. Make sure you always hold the blow dryer away from the roots and scalp. Heating the roots excessively will damage the hair and follicles and it might cause hair loss. Hold the dryer towards the lower end of the hair to prevent it from falling out.
Hair loss and age
Not every person who is aging is going to lose hair. There are a bunch of 80 year olds with a full head of hair, even more than some people in their 20’s. So hair loss is not directly attributed to aging, but more precisely to other factors we have mentioned before.
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Hair loss cannot be treated
Honestly, nowadays technology is very advanced in treating hair loss and that’s because there are more people losing hair than before due to stress, diet(s) and overall changes in lifestyle… It’s thought that in the future the human species will be bald, but some professionals, like hair restoration surgeon Dr. Alan Bauman, believe this won’t be the case since science is constantly evolving and new ways of reversing hair loss and regrowing your hair are being developed day by day.
Hair loss post-pregnancy
Now, for the 9 months of pregnancy, women do not shed a single hair. Three to four months postpartum, they do experience the loss of all the hair that didn’t fall during 9 months; Since they lose the excess blood produced during pregnancy, and hormones are now regulated, thinning hair starts and lasts for about two to three months. After that period, hair follicles settle down and regrow normally. So no, pregnancy does not cause direct hair loss.
Hair loss facts
There are a group of women who experience thinning on the top of the head, on the top of the scalp, develop a receding hairline, or hair loss on the sides. This is called Female Pattern Baldness.
The same goes for men. The most common cause of hair loss they experience is called Male Pattern Baldness and its signs are thinning on the crown, on the top, on the sides, or developing a receding or mature hairline.
Regarding nutrition, we are what we eat right? So if you are not having a balanced diet, you are sacrificing nutrients to your body, but also to the head and follicle. If, on top of that you have a genetic predisposition or hereditary factors, hair loss is going to manifest sooner than later and regardless of your age or gender.
Traction alopecia is also a very common cause of hair loss, especially on women. Like we said before, ladies who tie their hair very tightly into a ponytail will cause the follicles to weaken and experience permanent hair loss in the long term. This type of hair loss is not treatable. So girls: be careful! Try wearing your hair down every time it’s available for you.
It is important to address the problem. Causes for hair loss are numerous, but so are the treatments nowadays. Visit a professional –not your hairdresser but a Hair Restoration Doctor– and do something about it. Because by the time you’ve notice it, you’ve already lost about 50% of the hair in that area. Remember to reach out if you have any questions or concerns. We are “hair” to help. Always!
