Thinning hair can be a sign of a health problem. This hair problem may happen for various underlying reasons. Check out the common causes of your thinning hair.
The Root of the Thinning Hair Problem
1. Hair loss conditions
Thinning hair is one of the most evident symptoms of hair loss conditions. Sudden changes in hair density can signify that your strands are about to fall out.
Hair loss conditions like androgenetic alopecia, alopecia areata, anagen effluvium, telogen effluvium, and traction alopecia can usually be detected because of the thinning of your hair.
2. Hormonal Disturbance
Your glands secrete hormones, chemical messengers responsible for various metabolic processes in the body. A sudden shift in your hormonal levels can change the course of your hair growth.
What hormones are in charge of your growing mane? Androgens top the list. These male hormones are in charge of face and body hair growth. However, an androgen by-product known as dihydrotestosterone poses risks to your hair follicles. These threatening hormones deter your regular hair growth cycle, thereby causing more strands to rest and shed.
Your mane also needs an adequate amount of melanocyte-stimulating hormones (MSH) to keep your hair and scalp protected from sunlight's ultraviolet rays.
On the other hand, your melatonin hormones control your body's sleep cycle. Your hair growth cycle depends on your sleep cycle. Thus, you need enough melatonin to keep the ball rolling.
Hormones produced by your thyroid gland are also primary regulators of the body. These signaling hormones control your weight, energy levels, growth, temperature, and other vital functions in the body. However, too much triiodothyronine or T3 hormones can cause hyperthyroidism and affect your hair growth's quality.
3. Stress
Shouldering many life problems can stress you out, which can endanger your hair's lifeline. Stress can trigger DHT production, attacking your hair follicles. These stress-induced hormones cause the thinning and losing of your hair strands.
4. Age
Age is not just a number; it also affects the quantity and quality of your hair strands. As you grow older, your androgen levels also decrease in number. This hormonal depletion can cause your hair to become thinner and slower.
5. Sleep
As mentioned earlier, your body produces melatonin to keep your sleeping patterns in check. How does a good night's sleep affect the quality of your strands? Like your body, your mane also needs time for hair restoration. Whenever you sleep, your body has more time to focus on your hair's protein synthesis.
6. Childbirth
Women are warriors who can endure all the bodily changes during and after childbirth. After pregnancy, a woman's body experiences an abrupt decrease in female hormones. Low estrogen levels can upset the follicle growth cycle and push them into the resting phase. These follicles become inactive, disallowing them to receive nutrients necessary for thick hair growth. In turn, more strands become thinner.
7. Nutrient Deficiency
A deficiency of specific vitamins and minerals can cause adverse effects on your mane. Even if your hair is made of dead cells, you still need to feed your hair follicles, the living part of your hair, to survive.
Thinning hair may be a sign of iron deficiency. Iron is a mineral that stimulates hemoglobin production in your red blood cells. Without iron, your blood cannot deliver oxygen and other nutrients to your hair follicles.
Protein deficiency can also be another cause of thinning strands. Your hair is made of a protein called keratin. Your body is prewired to allocate the energy and nutrients to the most vital bodily functions in case of emergencies. Hence, your body may not be able to supply enough protein for your follicles in case you experience protein deficiency.
8. Harsh chemicals
Women always desire to look best with their hair using hair dyes and other hair treatments. However, most hair products contain chemicals that are harsh for your growing locks.
Bleaching is one of the most invasive hair treatments. Women who undergo this treatment use bleaching agents to strip the hair's natural color. The chemicals open your hair cuticles to allow the penetration of the hair dye pigments. This process makes the strand layers thinner and leads to having dry and brittle hair.
Having long and straight hair has been the beauty standard portrayed by various TV commercials. This representation has encouraged women to undergo hair rebonding, breaking down your hair's natural bonds to form new bonds. You can get the straight hair that you desire at the expense of the strand quality. Since the involved chemicals have thinned your locks, your hair will become more vulnerable to strand breakage.
9. Tight Hairstyles
Sporting ponytails, braids, or buns can amplify the beauty of your hair. Reality check: it can damage your hair's inner beauty. This hairstyling habit can trigger a hair loss condition known as traction alopecia. When you repeatedly tug your hair, you may stress your follicles and damage them in the long run. Tight hairstyles also impair the hair cuticles, thereby thinning your strands.
10. Illnesses
Various medical conditions can have thinning hair as a common symptom or side effect.
Cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy are most likely to experience thinning hair and hair loss. Radiation helps kill the cancer cells in the body, though it can also destroy even the healthy ones, including your hair cells. As a result, strands become thinner and fall out in no time.
Other medical conditions like diabetes and cardiovascular disorders also have thinning hair as an adverse effect. High glucose levels and improper blood circulation can affect the quality of hair growth.
How to Treat Your Thinning Hair
Nobody wants to flaunt thin locks. Here are some ways to treat this hair thinning problem.
1. Have a healthy diet.
Beauty starts within. You need to look after your body and ensure its healthy status. How do you do that? Eat healthily. Feed yourself with nutrient-loaded meals, especially foods rich in vitamins B7, B12, C and D, iron, zinc, and protein.
2. Manage your stress.
Stress is constant; you just have to learn how to deal with it. Therefore, it is essential to protect yourself from too much pressure to avoid thinning hair. How can you manage your stress levels? First, you must recognize the underlying cause of your problem. Then, come up with a plan to avoid the stress-inducing factor next time. Do not forget to enjoy nutritious meals, and never deprive yourself of sleeping whenever you're exhausted.
3. Consume vitamin supplements.
Vitamin deficiency is one of the factors of thinning hair. Thus, you must enjoy a hearty supply of hair vitamins to keep your hair thick and bouncy. Sometimes, you can't get all the vitamins that you need in a single meal. Therefore, take some time to ingest multivitamin supplements for hair nourishment.
4. Improve your haircare habits.
The physical stress caused by your haircare habits can make your hair thinner. What must you do to avoid traumatizing your hair strands?
First, always use a soft hairbrush to prevent damaging your hair cuticles and weakening the strands. Second, stop over-brushing your mane to avoid strand damage. Third, don't frequently sport tight hairstyles such as up-dos and braids, for it can injure your follicles and affect your hair quality. Lastly, the use of hair styling tools must be minimal. Heat causes your strands to crack and lose moisture. This water loss can shrink your follicles, giving your hair a thinner look.
5. Sleep adequately.
A good night's sleep is always a smart move to maintain your body's good health. Sleeping 6-8 hours a day already can save your locks from thinning and shedding. Every time you are fast asleep, your body is busy regenerating, including hair follicle growth and restoration.
6. Avoid harsh salon treatments.
As much as possible, avoid getting salon treatments, especially if you are unsure of the applied products. Most of their products are far damaging for your strands. Frequent exposure to harsh chemicals can impede thick hair growth. You can opt to have a salon-like experience without the need for hair-damaging salon items. Use natural ingredients to create your homemade hair masks, dyes, and other hair-boosting treatments.
7. Use thickening shampoo and conditioner.
Whenever you shop for some self-care products, never skip the haircare aisle. Of course, one must always remember to buy excellent thickening shampoo and conditioning products for your hair. However, choosing what to buy in a sea of hair-thickening items can be confusing.
So what will you do? Ensure that the thickening product is created from naturally-farmed ingredients like olive oil, coconut extract, eggs, onion juice, and fenugreek seeds. These components can boost the thickening power of your favorite hair growth essentials. These products do not only cleanse and moisturize your locks, but they especially provide nutrients that can augment thicker hair growth.
Get to The Root Of The Problem.
Thinning hair is a dangerous hair condition. Therefore, identifying the root of your thinning problem is very important. Once you've known the underlying cause, properly treat this hair issue immediately.Don't Stop.
Never stop tending your hair with love and care. Discover the best hair growth products for your thinning hair problems. Achieve your 'thick hair' goals by using the best hair thickening shampoo.