Maintaining our health and keeping up with a youthful appearance requires proper nutrition and care, of which healthy food, sleep, stress moderation, and exercise are all vital components. Hair loss or thinning can have a psychological impact, affecting confidence, mood, and performance which can leave many looking for a solution.
Instead of undergoing a surgical procedure or ingesting a cocktail of medications or supplements, there are much simpler, natural ways to halt and reverse the effects of hair loss or thinning.
Here are 15 easy tips from the health specialists at ageRejuvenation to help maintain a thick head of hair:
15 Ways to Keep a Thick Head of Hair
1. Avoid Hot Water –– Warm water is more effective at cleaning hair and removing oils from the scalp than cold water. The effects of thermodynamics help to loosen grime and oil, removing unwanted substances during a normal wash. However, excessively hot water can dry out the scalp and hair follicles, causing hair to become brittle and prone to damage.
2. Use Deep Conditioner –– Instead of quick, minimal hydration that showering conditioners provide, a deep conditioner saturates your roots and hair follicles, providing them with the nutrition needed to fortify strands for a thick head of hair. Be mindful of ingredients as the best deep-conditioning serums will not contain harmful ingredients such as proplyene glycol and sodium laurel/laureth sulfate. Look for conditioners containing natural components such as avocado oil, shea, argan, olives, and jojoba.
3. Consume Protein –– Increasing your protein intake can positively affect the way your hair grows; too little of it in your diet and your body will ration protein, sending it to the muscles instead which can stall hair growth or cause it to become short and brittle. The average person with minimal activity should be eating .5 g of protein per lb of total body weight, those who exercise should consume more. Great protein sources for hair growth are beef and seafood, and regular implementation of these protein sources are integral in hair growth.
4. Avoid Using Hot Blowers/Hair Tools –– Just as hot water dries out and damages hair, the extreme heat of beauty tools like curling irons and blow dryers can weaken the natural protective coating of hair strands. This causes the hair follicle to be more brittle, causing breaks and split ends. Using lower heat or air-drying is recommended to maintain and protect your healthy hair. Added bonus: cool water in the shower and air from your dryer can close the hair cuticle. Use a low, gentle temperature when working with these tools and avoid either using them daily or for long periods of time to encourage thick, healthy hair.
5. Scalp Massages –– By adding pressure to your scalp, such as the gentle stimulation of a scalp massage, you can increase blood flow to the entire area, improving growth and follicle health. This can have a positive effect on hair growth, as the improved blood flow keeps nutrients flowing towards your hair follicles.
6. Avoid Junk Food –– Hair loss or thinning can be a first sign of poor health, since proper nutrition impacts every aspect of our body’s performance it makes sense to start here. Processed and pre-packaged foods contain chemicals to preserve them and many highly-processed foods lose their nutrients in the manufacturing process, which are then added back in or fortified. The body struggles to absorb these “added nutrients” and filling our bodies with food that does not contain the vitamins and nutrients we need can lead to malnutrition. Choosing minimally processed or whole foods such as organic, wild caught, and free-range will allow the nutrients in our food to be as nature intended.
7. Stress Reduction –– While it’s impossible to eliminate all the stress in our life, it’s important we balance our stress out with healthy activities and take steps to minimize it whenever possible. Stress and the high levels of cortisol that come with it can have a negative impact on the way hair follicles function. Both Telogen effluvium, when hair falls out prematurely, and trichotillomania, when people unknowingly pull out their hair in frustration, are effects of severe stress.
8. A Good Night’s Sleep –– Sleep deprivation negatively influences the chemicals and hormones in the body, altering everything from levels of anxiety and stress, memory to mood and even impacts hair quality. To regulate the chemicals that maintain the body’s proper function and to ensure thick and healthy hair, adults should get around 7-9 hours of sleep every night.
9. Biotin –– Also known as Vitamin B7, can promote healthy hair and nails as well as a variety of other beneficial effects. Biotin can be found in small amounts in foods such as organ meats, fish, and eggs. Biotin deficiency is fairly uncommon, but supplementation can be helpful especially when hair and nail growth and quality is a concern.
10. Cod Liver Oil –– One of the most powerful over-the-counter supplements, cod liver oil has been used for centuries as a homeopathic cure to a variety of ailments. This supplement, derived from the liver of cod fish, is rich in Vitamins A and D and has a healthy dose of omega-3 fatty acids, which will help to thicken hair and nourish hair follicles.
11. Avoid Hats –– Just as laying for too long on your hair or wearing your hair tie too tight can leave a physical impression, wearing a hat has a similar effect and can rub against sensitive hair follicles, irritating and rubbing them dry––causing hair to break or split.
12. Essential Oils –– The natural oils that keep hair healthy can deplete with time or lose their capability with exposure to wind, heat, and intense hair products. To replenish them and to nourish hair at the same time, you should implement essential oils––such as lavender, peppermint, and cedar wood––in soothing applications on your scalp regularly.
13. Control Inflammation –– Inflammation, one of our body’s natural defense mechanisms, may cause damage to hair follicles and could be one of the major causes of hair loss and thinning. White blood cells help protect the body from foreign invaders by attacking anything foreign to the system or perceived as a threat. Inflammation causes an influx in white blood cells which concentrate primarily in our tissues, not the blood stream. When white blood cells attack the hair follicle, the cells can be damaged causing hair loss and even causing the cell to go dormant.
14. PRP –– Platelet Rich Plasma, PRP, uses your body’s own growth factors, extracted from your blood and then reintroduced into the area of concern. Your body’s growth factors are then able to rejuvenate the cells in the surrounding areas causing hair to grow thicker and fuller, while encouraging once-dormant hair follicles to become active again. This result is maximized using mesenchymal exosome cells in conjunction with your body’s own growth factors for faster and longer results in less treatments. Read more here.
15. IV Therapy –– The body may struggle to receive the nutrients it requires from diet alone, especially those with digestive issues such as leaky guy, Crohns, and IBS. For those who can’t seem to get enough vitamins and nutrition from food, IV therapy is available to maximize your nutrient absorption and help the body to function optimally. Healthy bodies allow for healthy hair growth.
Convenient Solutions for Thick, Healthy Hair
At ageRejuvenation, our health specialists offer tailored solutions to patients around the Tampa Bay and Manatee County area for those suffering from thinning or unhealthy hair. Our procedures are convenient and effective, and treatments get started as soon as you give us a call at 888-865-8370 or stop into one of our offices!
