Don’t be so quick to blame genetics for your hair loss – here are lifestyle do’s and don’ts that promote healthier hair.
Admit it — we could all change some of our habits to lead a healthier lifestyle. Everyone’s idea of “healthy” can vary, but we can all agree: regular exercise, a healthy diet, and stress reduction are essential for a healthy life.
Easier said than done, right? Balancing work, errands, chores, grocery shopping, walking your pets, and paying bills — our routines are busier than ever. And it’s easy to underestimate the effect an unhealthy lifestyle will have on our health.
But our lifestyle and habits impact every part of our lives — including, believe it or not, our hair health. A healthy life can help your hair grow fuller, while unhealthy habits can worsen a receding hairline.
Can Lifestyle Factors Affect Your Hair Growth?
Yes! Although genetics play an important role in hair loss, particularly in male pattern baldness, other factors can increase your risk of balding or accelerate the process.
Stress
Stress, when left unchecked, can cause damage to your mind and body. Excessive stress can lead to two different types of hair loss: alopecia areata and telogen effluvium. Stress can also worsen or trigger skin conditions, including psoriasis and eczema.
These two stress-induced types of balding cause your hair to fall out weeks or months after the hair follicle is affected. This increased shedding can resolve independently, but you could also need treatment to promote hair regrowth.
A Poor Diet
Can diet make you lose hair? Unfortunately, yes. Your whole body needs nutrients to thrive and stay healthy, and that especially includes your hair. Your diet and hair loss are tightly connected – a lack of certain micronutrients can increase your risk of alopecia. They play a significant role in the hair follicle cycle and cell turnover, processes that typically keep hair healthy.
Some of the nutrients that affect your hair health include:
- Vitamin A
- Vitamin B complex
- Vitamin C
- Vitamin D
- Vitamin E
- Iron
- Selenium
- Zinc
An unhealthy diet can also lead to obesity, especially when combined with a sedentary lifestyle. Excessive weight is another factor that can accelerate balding while worsening your overall health.
A low protein diet can result in low keratin levels, leading to hairline recession and brittle hair. Similarly, foods with a high glycemic index — such as white sugar and flour — promote inflammation, which can negatively affect your hair follicles and skin.
Smoking
The damage that smoking does to your body extends far beyond your scalp. Smoking accelerates your body’s aging process, increases inflammation, and negatively impacts your circulatory system — all of which can worsen your hair health. The toxins in tobacco smoke can even affect the integrity of the keratin that your body produces, leading to weakened hair strands.
Skin Conditions
Different skin conditions can affect the skin on your scalp, resulting in hair thinning and even bald patches. These conditions include:
- Psoriasis
- Eczema
- Seborrheic dermatitis
- Lichen planus
- Contact dermatitis
How Can I Stop Hair Loss and Regrow Hair Naturally?
The good news is that many simple lifestyle changes can improve your hair health. We should all strive to maintain a healthy lifestyle, even if we have a head full of luscious hair. Developing healthy habits from a young age can help us prevent many health conditions in the future, but it’s never too late to get started.
We also know that it can be overwhelming to suddenly change your lifestyle. You may not know where to start or which choices to make. That’s okay! It’s easier to break things down into smaller steps and change your habits over time rather than all at once; that way, any healthy changes that you make will be more sustainable and enjoyable for you.
Exercise Regularly
Incorporating exercise into your routine is an excellent way to release stress and anxiety to promote your hair health. Exercise also improves your cardiovascular health, vital to maintaining a good blood flow to your hair follicles. It doesn’t matter which activity you choose, as long as you move your body regularly!
Follow a Healthy Diet
Wondering, ‘what should I eat to stop hair loss?’ Making sure that your body receives all the nutrients it needs is one of the simplest ways to promote hair regrowth. Your choice of diet and hair loss are connected, so make sure to include whole, fresh foods in your daily meals to support hair regrowth. You can also ask your physician about taking a daily multivitamin or other supplements.
Micronutrient-rich foods include:
- Leafy greens
- Lean meats and poultry
- Fatty fish
- Seafood
- Whole grain products
- Legumes
- Seeds and nuts
- Eggs
Quit Smoking
If you smoke, stopping this habit is probably the most important thing you can do to improve your hair health. Smoking cessation will make your hair follicles healthier and more robust — and the rest of your body, as well.
Other Ways to Promote Hair Growth
At the end of the day, while your lifestyle can help improve your hair health, it often won’t be enough to stop hair loss entirely. Even those who lead healthy lifestyles struggle with hair loss, and that doesn’t mean that you somehow “failed” at improving your habits.
Balding is common, and it’s best to start treatment early. Of course, you should still develop healthy habits — a healthy lifestyle is one of the main steps we all need to take to keep our bodies and minds in good shape.
Thankfully, certain medications are incredibly effective at promoting hair growth. Finasteride and minoxidil are both very effective in treating hair loss and stimulating regrowth.