A Holistic Approach to Hair Fall

Hair Fall is one of the most common issues people face, regardless of age and gender. How much hair fall is too much hair fall? What is causing hair fall? How can one stop hair fall? With so many questions revolving around this phenomena, here is an article that tries to touch up on every important aspect of hair fall and how to reduce it.

Hair fall is part of a natural process. Understanding the way in which hair grows and falls will help you be aware of the source of the damage and ultimately, aid in fixing it. Your hair structure has two major elements: the hair follicle, and the hair shaft. Hair follicle anchors your hair to the scalp, located just underneath your skin. Made up of a bulb, it consists of active cells that promote hair growth around the papilla which is responsible for providing blood supply to the follicle.

Certain amount of hair fall is actually quite inevitable. Like for any other body tissue, hair growth is a cyclic process that has four major stages lasting for a few years for each strand of your hair. The first stage, Anagen Phase, is when the hair starts shooting up from the follicle. Then comes the Catagen phase, where the hair stops growing and detaches from its roots. Then comes the resting sequence, the Telogen phase, where hair is dormant while new hair begins to grow from under it. Finally hair completely detaches from your scalp in the exogen phase.

This process ensures regrowth and balance. We lose around 50 to 100 strands of hair every day, which is merely 0.1% of your total hair volume, making no real difference to the way you look. However, it does become a matter of concern when hair loss becomes extensive with no end in sight. In fact, abnormal hair fall is many times the first symptom of your body going off the rails. For instance, studies show that hair loss increases when you have a nutritional deficiency or when your body is going through hormonal changes such as thyroid disorders. You would have also noticed that your hair fall escalates when you are under tremendous stress for days together or when you are not getting sufficient sleep. Some medication and cosmetic products have also proved to trigger hair loss. Ergo, preventing hair loss requires a more holistic approach as the issue does not start or end with just your hair. Let us understand a few easy fixes that one can achieve by changing certain habits. 

1) Fixing your sleep cycle:

Insufficient amount of sleep has proven to have a significant negative impact on your body. It can cause hair thinning and eventual falling. Prolonged lack of sleep can affect the growth of your hair, making your follicles weak, disrupting your whole hair growth cycle.

Stress and sleep are intricately interlaced. So much so that they are mutually inclusive of one other in a vicious cycle; sleep deprivation can lead to stress and being under a lot of stress and anxiety leads to sleepless nights. It is important to break this cycle by fixing up sleep schedules and exercising regularly.

2) Get some headspace:

In these times, meditation has become synonymous to the word ‘miracle’. Some studies suggest that yoga and meditation have almost a “reversal” like effect on your body. Getting headspace can reduce stress and help in improving sleep. Today, there are several apps that help you start your meditation journey for free. What is holding you back?

3) Gobble up on Nutrients:

Increased hair fall is an indicator of problems like iron deficiency especially in women. Hair cells are the second fastest multiplying cells in our body. They require an adequate amount of nutrients to function properly which is why hair fall is the first symptom of many deficiencies. Simple fix; eat nutrient-rich food. Almost all fruits and vegetables are loaded with vitamins and minerals that play a crucial role in keeping you healthy. Borderline deficiencies can also be treated by over-the-counter supplements. They work like magic (even though there is a lot of science backing it up) for reducing hair fall.

4) Picking the right hair care and styling products:

Chemicals in hair care and styling products are harsh and may cause your hair to wither and fall. These products can make your hair shaft weaker over time, deteriorating the quality, causing it to lose its shine, smoothness and strength. Continuous use of these products can also cause split ends. 

Reduce the frequency at which you use these chemically infused products. If the problem is persistent and profound, switching to a low chemically graded shampoo would do wonders to your hair. A new shampoo or conditioner might make your scalp feel oiler than usually in the beginning but as your hair gets accustomed to the product, your texture will balance out. Remember to spend an ample amount of time picking a shampoo. To stay on the safer side, pick a tiny bottle initially. It helps avoid wastage and is also easy on your wallet. 

Vilvah offers a variety of products that can help reduce hair fall. They include Herbal Shampoo (dandruff control), Hair Growth Oil, Nourishing Hair Mask, Light and Cream Conditioner,  These products are derived from 100% natural sources. The absence of chemicals is effective in making your hair stronger, bouncier and shiner.

There are several variables that influence how well a product can help you reduce hair fall. They include factors like age, gender, underlying health issues, etc. If your hair is falling at an unprecedented rate with no known reasons, it might be a wiser to go check in with a doctor.