Get Growing: How to Stimulate Hair Growth
80 million men and women in the United States suffer from hereditary hair loss. If you’re included in this number, you’re nowhere near alone. Thankfully, with advancing technology and a better grasp of science and the human body, there are ways in which you can help stop hair loss and stimulate hair regrowth.
While hair loss may be hereditary for some families, it doesn’t mean you have to give up and accept your own fate as the same as theirs.
Additionally, for many people, hair loss can be a result of over-styling or mental or physical health issues–as well as many other causes. It is important you don’t write off your condition as being purely heredity and investigate everything in your body before deciding what the issue is. Still, many of the ways to stimulate regrowth may be similar.
In this article, we’ll discuss some of how you can stimulate hair growth, both naturally and with serums. Read on for more information.
Addressing Mental Health Concerns & Hair Loss
In some cases, hair loss may arise as a mental condition known as trichotillomania, in which an individual has the uncontrollable urge to pluck at their hair. This may be the hair on the head, eyebrows, eyelashes, and leg hair or arm hair. In some cases, an individual who suffers long enough with trichotillomania will not be able to regrow their hair in certain patches due to the excess pulling overtime.
While hair growth serums and other things like hair transplants may help with hair regrowth, it is important that the issue is addressed thoroughly. If, for example, you suffer from trichotillomania and get your hair to grow back through treatment, only to pluck it out again, it can make treatment more difficult.
In this regard, you should see a licensed therapist or counselor who will help you address the underlying issues that cause you to engage in this behavior. Only then will you truly be able to regrow your hair.
Eating Disorders & Hair Loss
Another reason people may lose their hair is a result of eating disorders, especially anorexia nervosa. When the body is starving, it cuts off all non-essential life forces, including growing hair, which is not necessary for survival. This may result in a loss in patches or complete hair loss. For others, it may involve a dramatic thinning of the hair.
An eating disorder is psychological in nature, but the consequences are often physiological. As such, you must see both a physical doctor and get the appropriate mental health care necessary. Hair loss from an eating disorder is much more than cosmetic and can be a sign of the progression of the disease.
Get Checked Out at the Doctor’s Office
If you don’t have any pattern of baldness in your family, you may want to take this time to get a full check-up to make sure everything is running smoothly. According to Harvard Medical School, hair loss can result from a variety of medical issues you may not even be aware of.
Hair loss can be the side effect of more serious diseases like the early stages of some cancers or lupus. But it can also be caused by vitamin deficiencies, fungal infections, not eating enough, and various other causes.
Sometimes, hair loss can even be a side effect of medication you take for a completely different illness. If this bothers you a lot, it can be something you and your doctor discuss, such as products to counter it or to switch to a medication that doesn’t create this problem for you.
Going to the doctor to get a full check-up can help you rest easy, especially if you’ve been given a clean bill of health. It can also help you clarify what may be going on in your body and how you can stimulate regrowth.
Don’t Forget to Get Your Hormones Checked
While you’re at the doctor’s, it is important to check on your hormone levels. Both men and women can develop spikes in estrogen, especially during times of stress. If this happens, it can cause temporary, or even permanent, hair loss.
You can put your hormones in check with a treatment plan from your doctor, and this may cause your hair to regrow.
Medically, hair loss can be a tricky thing, and there may be more than one cause for it. However, by ticking each box, you’ll be able to get a complete picture of what’s going on in your body so that you can get a treatment plan going.
If your problem is purely physical, there may be multiple steps you’ll need to do with your doctor to get your hair back to its previous state.
Massage
This may seem a little silly to some, but massage can be very effective in helping hair regrow. Massage helps bring blood flow to the area, which can help stimulate hair growth, plus it feels great. Massaging your scalp, or getting your spouse to do it for you, can be a relaxing way of winding down in the evenings and can help energize you in the mornings when you wake up.
While this isn’t a cure-all that will most definitely get your hair growing again, it’s still a great way to bring blood flow to the area and help your hair restart its growth process.
Massage is especially effective when used in combined with other techniques, such as serums, prescriptions from your doctor, or improving your diet.
Get a Silk Pillowcase
A silk pillowcase can be the most gentle on one’s scalp and is perfect for those who are trying to regrow their hair. An ordinary pillowcase can sometimes cause breakage during the night, so it is important that you use a silk pillowcase. It can also help avoid your hair from tangling as you sleep, which can ensure silky smooth tresses in the morning.
Avoid Heat Styling
If you use a hair straightener or a hairdryer, it may be time to cut it out while you get your hair back to its original luster. Heat styling can pull your hair and lead to hair damage, including having your hair break off. It’s best to let your hair dry naturally rather than to dry it with a hairdryer.
For some people, this can mean major disruption for their day, especially if used to getting up and showering before work and then styling with heat. However, if you truly want your hair to regrow, you may need to shake up your routine and wash your hair in the evening or simply less often.
There are also plenty of no-heat hacks on the Internet to help your hair look its best without having to use heating tools.
Give Hair Styling a Break
Some men and women alike continually wear hairstyles that pull at the roots of their hair. Often, these include braids or hair that is kept up in a ponytail or bun habitually. While you might like the look, it doesn’t always do favors to your hairline. In fact, it can contribute to pattern baldness, and some people find they have permanent hair loss from wearing their hair a certain way too long.
JoJo Siwa, the teenage pop and YouTube sensation, even confessed that her signature updo created problems for her hairline at such a young age.
Avoid the pressure and the pulling, and let your hair breathe for a bit. Wear your hair down as much as possible, or leave it unstyled when you’re home or at the weekends. This can give your hair a break from the constant wearing and pulling.
Fish Oil Supplements
Fish oil supplements are a great way to get omega-3 fatty acids into your body, which is not only great for your joints but also good news for your hair. While they alone won’t cure baldness, they will help with some regrowth and make your hair look shinier and thicker.
Fish oil supplements are also fantastic in that they help with your immune system to make you feel overall healthier in yourself.
Cut Down on Your Shampoo Use
Shampooing your hair too much can strip your hair of its natural oils. As such, it can cause breakage and make your hair more prone to falling out. Some people erroneously believe that they need to wash their hair once a day, but most people don’t need to wash it more than three times per week.
You can keep it to a minimum by also simply washing your roots. The ends of your hair don’t necessarily need to be washed, and this can also contribute to the stripping of your natural oils.
Be mindful of how often you wash your hair, and use products like dry shampoo in the meantime to keep your hair looking clean and the grease at bay.
Use Cool Water to Rinse Your Scalp
Hot water on your scalp, while it may feel good, can actually damage the hair follicles. If you’re already struggling with regrowth, this can make the issue worse. Instead of going under the showerhead with high heat, make sure to keep the water as cool as you can stand it. This can also help seal your cuticles so that your hair is less likely to fall out once you begin combing it or towel dry your hair.
Be Careful When You Comb Your Hair
Those with long hair, especially, tend to be rough on their hair. If they have a knot, they may be merciless when it comes to trying to comb it out, pulling, and tugging at their hair. No matter if you have long or short hair, you should be gentle with it and comb your hair from the tip to the root. This way, your hair won’t accumulate even more tangles as you may your way through it. If you do have a tangle, be sure to separate and brush through as thoroughly and gently as possible. You may even wish to purchase detangle spray if this is an ongoing issue for you.
Stimulate Hair Growth Today
If you’re ready to stimulate hair growth, it is important that you check in with yourself mentally and physically, as well as treat your hair gently to keep the breakage to a minimum. In addition, hair restoration products can be an essential part of you hair regrowth journey. Be sure to cover all of your bases to maximize your chances of stopping hair loss and improving your confidence as soon as possible.
