You can’t plant a beautiful garden in rocky, dry soil. Your flowers will die unless you ensure that they have the water and sunshine they need. Think of your scalp like the garden in which your hair grows. If your scalp is unhealthy, it can have a direct and significant impact on your hair health. If you already struggle with hair loss, tending to the health of your scalp can slow down shedding and keep the hair you still have strong and resilient.
Here are six ways you can take care of your scalp so your scalp can take care of your hair:
- Increase your protein intake. Hair needs a sufficient amount of protein to grow. Make sure you eat plenty of protein-rich foods like fish, beef, and eggs, as well as are beans, lentils, and soy.
- Reduce your stress level. Stress can negatively affect your health in a host of ways, including damaging your hair follicles. When your body overproduces hormones such as cortisol as a reaction to stress, it can lead to adrenal fatigue. In turn, the overproduction of stress-related hormones causes a corresponding drop in levels of other hair-critical hormones like aldosterone and androgens, causing hair to weaken and ultimately fall out. Find ways of alleviating stress that work best for you.
- Get more sleep. If you don’t get enough sleep, it will catch up to you. Our bodies use a lot of energy every day and won’t work as they’re supposed to if they don’t have a chance to recharge. One function that won’t work as well as it should is the repair and regeneration of hair follicles. Insufficient sleep gets in the way of this process, causing hair to stop growing, weaken, and eventually fall out more than it would if you got enough rest.
- Eat a healthy, balanced diet. To stop and avoid hair loss, be sure to eat a well-rounded diet rich in protein, biotin, vitamin E, vitamin A, and other essential nutrients.
- Keep hydrated. Water is as vital to healthy hair as it is to healthy plants and flowers. Hair shafts are composed of approximately 25 percent water, and dehydration weakens those shafts. Make an affirmative effort to drink lots of fluids – at least 64 ounces of water per day – so you can keep your thirsty hair from drying out.
- Wear scalp sunscreen. Balding individuals or those with thinning hair are particularly vulnerable to sunburn on the scalp. Too much sun can turn your hair brittle, dry, and more prone to breaks and splits. Additionally, sunburn on the scalp can not only be the result of having areas of thinning or absent hair, but it can also cause hair loss, at least temporarily. Protect your scalp with scalp sunscreen or a hat, especially in the summer.
Schedule an Appointment for a Hair Loss Evaluation Today
If you are concerned about your hair loss and are ready to do something about it, we invite you to schedule a hair loss evaluation at the Miami Hair Institute. Drs. Nusbaum and Rose are internationally acclaimed hair restoration surgeons with more than 40 years of combined experience. To receive a personalized evaluation and hair restoration plan, contact us online or call our office at 305-925-0222.