Tips For Styling Thin Hair
Styling thin hair is similar to styling fine hair: youre going to be looking for root lifts, says Hall. Things like dry shampoo, mousses, and thickening sprays can all help create volume and fullness where there isnt any naturally. Unless you have fine and thin hair, you could also use a thickening paste, which is more of a creamy pomade, or a lightweight balm if you have a shorter style and want more hold. Salt sprays, when sprayed on damp hair and left to dry, can create natural-looking texture and volume as well.
When youre choosing products, avoid shine. Use light, matte, not-shiny products to give you some texture that doesnt look too structured, says Axe master barber Pedro Rosario. Think about it: you may notice more scalp through thin hair when its wet, so products that are shiny will give the same effect. And if you know that your hair is actually thinning, and not just naturally thin, Hall recommends looking for treatment-based products that will help style your hair without damaging it further. A shampoo or conditioner, for instance, thats specifically formulated for thinning hair will likely contain ingredients to help keep the scalp and hair follicles healthy and the hair strong.
What The Experts Really Want You To Know About Hair Loss
We asked two dermatologists to reveal the truths and dispel the myths around male hair loss
Hair loss means something different to each man. To a lucky, unfazed few its just a natural part of getting older, to others its a loss of their identity, to some its a distressing sign of fading youth. As a bald man that used to obsess over his long blonde hair like it was a key personality trait, I can tell you its completely normal to experience all three like they’re different stages of grief.
But however you feel, just know that youre not alone in the process. In fact, 6.5 million men are estimated to be currently experiencing a form of hair loss in the UK right now, 50% of men will go through it over the age of 50, and for hair loss are at an all time high.
Despite all these mammoth statistics, hair loss is not something we discuss openly. As evident above, we’re more likely to use a search engine than speak to an expert or our friends and family, which could be the reason why so many weird myths have been circulating around the condition e.g. wearing a hat too much will make you go bald, brushing your hair too much will result in hair loss, too much product will make it fall out – all of which are nonsense.
Hair Extensions According To Your Hair’s Porosity
Whether for low or highly porous hair, hair extensions are a chemical-free way to experiment not just with color, but with different textures, lengths, and styles. Luxy Hairs Balayage and Ombre Extensions are clipped-in and are the fastest, easiest, and safest way to play with color with your natural look while also adding length and fullness in just minutes. Experiment without the damage for a refreshed look or sun-kissed dimension, a perfect option as we move into warmer weather!
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How Much Hair Fall Is Too Much
If you observe more than 150 hair strands falling out throughout the day, you can consider it an abnormal hair fall. It is recommended to consult your doctor or Ayurvedic consultant to find out the underlying causes of your hair loss. Sometimes, hair loss could be an indication of serious illness in the liver or imbalanced thyroid conditions.
The Last Word
Factors like underlying medications, age, pollution, stress, etc. can also accelerate your hair loss. Apart from medications, an appropriate lifestyle and diet are the primary factors that can be your weapons to keep your hair loss in control. Ayurveda suggests exotic therapies, diet, and lifestyle to control hair loss while keeping your doshas in balance.
At Vedix, we customize your hair care regimen based on your hair needs by evaluating your current dosha levels.
Protect Ends With An Essential Oil
The ends of your hair can bear the brunt of damage that happens while you sleep. Even if you sleep on your back, you might end up crushing longer locks without even knowing it.
You can help protect your ends by using essential oils before you head to bed. Argan oil, almond oil, jojoba oil, or even coconut oil are all good places to start. Secure your hair in a braid or with a fabric scrunchie, then warm a few drops of the oil between your palms by rubbing your hands together. You only need a tiny bit. Apply the oil to your hair, focusing especially on the ends. This can help seal your hair against friction and prevent split ends from getting started.
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Stages Of Hair Growth Miniaturization
Hair is made up of the hair follicle and the shaft . In the hair bulb, located at the base of the follicle, cells divide and grow to produce the hair shaft, which is made from a protein called keratin. Papilla that surround the bulb contain tiny blood vessels that nourish the hair follicles and deliver hormones to regulate the growth and structure of the hair.
Hair follicles, much like all cells, have cycles. A natural part of the cycle involves shedding around 50 to 100 hairs per day.
Each follicle produces hair for 2 to 6 years and then takes a break for several months. While the hair follicle is in its rest phase, the hair falls out. There are around 100,000 follicles on the scalp, but because each follicle rests at a different time and others produce hairs, hair loss is usually unnoticeable. More noticeable hair loss occurs when there is a disruption to the growth and shedding cycle, or if the hair follicle is obliterated and replaced with scar tissue.
Scientists now understand that pattern baldness occurs through a phenomenon known as miniaturization. Some hair follicles appear to be genetically oversensitive to the actions of dihydrotestosterone , which is a hormone that is converted from testosterone with the help of an enzyme held in the follicles oil glands.
The only two drugs approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to treat hair loss are minoxidil and finasteride .
What Causes Hair Loss
Doctors don’t know why certain hair follicles are programmed to have a shorter growth period than others. However, several factors may influence hair loss:
- Hormones, such as abnormal levels of androgens
- Genes, from both male and female parents, may influence a person’s predisposition to male or female pattern baldness.
- Stress, illness, and childbirthcan cause temporary hair loss. Ringworm caused by a fungal infection can also cause hair loss. Learn what you can do to help reverse hair loss caused by stress.
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The Golden Rule For Brushing
You’re not raking fall leaves be gentle. “Even if you use the best brush, vigorous brushing can remove layers of your hair’s protective outer cuticleand this can weaken strands and make them more vulnerable to damage from other things, such as daily styling, UV rays, and color processing,” says Anabel Kingsley, trichologist at Philip Kingsley.
via-barneys.com
Emotional Stress And Your Hair
When you’re dealing with a life-altering event, like a divorce or break-up, bankruptcy or other financial problems, the loss of a home, or the death of a loved one, significant emotional stress can also disrupt the normal cycle of hair growth. Significant emotional stressors can cause temporary hair loss, but once stress is brought under control, normal hair growth is usually restored.
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What Is Androgenetic Alopecia
Almost every woman eventually develops some degree of female pattern hair loss. It can start any time after the onset of puberty, but women tend to first notice it around menopause, when hair loss typically increases. The risk rises with age, and it’s higher for women with a history of hair loss on either side of the family.
As the name suggests, androgenetic alopecia involves the action of the hormones called androgens, which are essential for normal male sexual development and have other important functions in both sexes, including sex drive and regulation of hair growth. The condition may be inherited and involve several different genes. It can also result from an underlying endocrine condition, such as overproduction of androgen or an androgen-secreting tumor on the ovary, pituitary, or adrenal gland. In either case, the alopecia is likely related to increased androgen activity. But unlike androgenetic alopecia in men, in women the precise role of androgens is harder to determine. On the chance that an androgen-secreting tumor is involved, it’s important to measure androgen levels in women with clear female pattern hair loss.
Hair Care Based On Type And Texture
Now that you know more about your hair type and texture. Whats next?
The importance of knowing your hair texture versus hair type establishes the platform upon which your hair care regimen should be built, explained Blake Vicari, a color specialist at Salon SCK in New York.
But shopping for hair products can cause overwhelm due to the sheer volume of available products that promise everything from shine to curl definition and frizz-control to mega volume. To help, here are a few tips from professional stylists.
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Different Types Of Oiliness In Hair
Ok, so your hair is oily. But is it oily all over, or just close to your scalp? Because if your hair is greasy close to the scalp, but dry and damaged towards the ends, you probably have combination hair, which is a different type. In this case, to control the oiliness on different regions of your hair, you might need different types of hair products for different parts of your hair. For instance, you might need to use a shampoo for greasy hair on your scalp and a shampoo for dry, damaged hair on your ends.
Going back to oily hair, here are a few tips to deal with it:
- Add essential oils and other natural ingredients that help regulate sebum production to your homemade hair masks
- Look for a gentle, sulfate-free shampoo, packed with natural ingredients that can prevent excess sebum production and remove hardened sebum from the scalp and hair shaft, such as apple cider vinegar
- Dont wash your hair more than 2-3 times a week because youll be stressing your sebaceous glands and put them into overdrive
- Avoid brushing your hair too often to prevent damage to the hair shaft
- Avoid heat styling your hair.
Hair Care Based On Texture
Fine hair will benefit from being cared for with a soft touch because it is both delicate in structure and prone to becoming limp if weighed down with too much product.
Individuals with fine hair will want to avoid products with heavy moisturizers as this tends to weigh hair down and flatten it. And since fine hair already is a challenge to curl, its best not to introduce any additional styling whenever possible, said Pugh.
Medium and coarse hair will most often benefit from products to control frizz. Plus, being less prone to breakage or being weighed down by product means these hair textures can be styled more often.
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Your Scalp Is Itchy Or Flaky
Although an itchy scalp doesnt necessarily mean youre losing your hair, many conditions that can cause your scalp to itch can also cause hair loss.
For example, hair loss is a well-known symptom of tinea capitis — a fungal infection that affects your scalp and causes your skin to itch.
Other conditions that can affect your skin and cause itching, such as seborrheic dermatitis, may cause hair loss if you scratch your scalp too aggressively. Its also common to experience mild itching with alopecia areata hair loss.
With this said, there isnt any scientific research to show that male pattern baldness — the most common cause of hair loss in men — results in an itchy scalp.
What Is Fine Hair
With fine hair, the size of the actual strands of hair is smaller than other types. Its missing the inner structure called the medulla, says trichologist Bridgette Hall, which makes the physical diameter of each strand smaller. It also contains less protein, which can make fine hair seem floppy and a little fluffy, she says. Its usually smooth, without a lot of natural volume, and is usually seen in lighter hair colors like blonds. Its important to note that since fine hair refers to the actual size of the hair itself, it does not have anything to do with density, which is how much hair you have. You can have fine hair and have a full head of hair, says Hall.
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Hair Shedding Often Stops On Its Own
Its normal to shed between 50 and 100 hairs a day. When the body sheds significantly more hairs every day, a person has excessive hair shedding. The medical term for this condition is telogen effluvium.
Excessive hair shedding is common in people who have experienced one the following stressors:
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Lost 20 pounds or more
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Given birth
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Experiencing lots of stress
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Had high fever
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Recovering from an illness, especially if it included high fever
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Stopped taking birth-control pills
Most people notice the excessive hair shedding a few months after the stressful event. For example, a new mom can see excessive hair shedding about two months after giving birth. The shedding usually peaks about four months after giving birth. This shedding is normal and temporary.
As your body readjusts, the excessive shedding stops. Within six to nine months, the hair tends to regains its normal fullness.
If the stressor stays with you, however, hair shedding can be long lived. People who are constantly under a lot of stress can have long-term excessive hair shedding.
Why Am I Going Bald
Hair loss can occur for a range of reasons. However, for men, the most common reason for hair loss is androgenetic alopecia, or male pattern baldness.
Male pattern baldness is caused by a combination of your genes and the effects of an androgen hormone called dihydrotestosterone, or DHT.
In men genetically prone to hair loss, DHT can bind to receptors in the scalp and miniaturize, or shrink, the hair follicles.
This prevents your hair follicles from producing new hairs and results in the gradual loss of hair that many men experience during their 20s, 30s, 40s and beyond.
Our complete guide to DHT and male hair loss explains this process and its hormonal origins in more detail.
In some cases, other factors, such as medication, stress or skin infections, could cause you to shed hair. Weve discussed these in more detail in our guide to the causes of hair loss.
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