Beware Of The Method Used
If your stylist uses thinning shears, as long as they are used correctly, you should avoid damage, but razoring, another popular method of thinning, can cause your ends to look dry and frizzy. “If over thinned, your hair can look thin on the ends and more bulky at the roots looking like you have thinned split ends,” Streicher explains. “Unfortunately there is no way to treat that.”
Female Pattern Hair Loss
In women, hair slowly thins all over the scalp, but the hairline usually doesnt recede. Many women experience this type of hair loss as a natural part of aging, although hair loss may begin any time after puberty. Female pattern hair loss can cause hair to thin dramatically, but only rarely does it lead to baldness.
What Are The Myths About Hair Loss
Myths about hair loss are widespread. Nothing in the following list is true:
- Youre losing hair because you shampoo it too much, or because youve colored it or gotten a perm.
- Dandruff causes permanent hair loss in women.
- Stress causes permanent hair loss in women.
- If you shave your head, your hair will grow back twice as thick.
- If you stand on your head youll increase circulation, stimulating hair growth.
- If you brush your hair 100 strokes a day that will make your hair healthier.
- Hats and wigs cause hair loss in women.
- Hair loss only affects intellectual women.
Read Also: How To Stop Hair Loss During Perimenopause
Is Your Hair Thin Or Thinning How To Tell The Difference
Whether you have thin hair or not, were all guilty of getting up close and personal with the bathroom mirror, analyzing our strands to see how theyre holding up. But how do you actually figure out if your hair is thinning or if its just naturally thin? Kind of a stressful investigation, but no worries we did the work for you. Heres our guide to differentiating between hair types, and how to make the call on thin or thinning hair.
Fine Hair
First things first, lets get clear on how fine and thin hair are defined. Fine hair actually refers to the width, diameter, or circumference of the individual hairs on your head. If you have fine hair, the individual strands of hairs on your head are smaller roughly 50 microns in diameter. Its important to note that just because the individual hairs might have a small diameter, it doesnt affect how many hairs you have on your head. You can have fine hair and still have a lot of it! Coarse hair, on the other hand, is typically about 120 microns in diameter.
Some other characteristics common to fine hair include silky softness, lack of volume, sometimes fragile and prone to breakage, and easily greasy. Heres the crazy thing about fine hair, because it has nothing to do with the amount of hair on your head and everything to do with the kind of strands on your head, you can still have fine hair made up of course strands and it doesnt mean the overall density of your hair is thick. Still with us?
Thin Hair
Thinning Hair
Is All Hair Loss Permanent
There are a few causes of temporary hair loss. As previously mentioned, a sudden shock or stressful event can trigger temporary hair loss as an emotional response. an underlying condition, sudden weight change or poor nutrition can all cause temporary hair loss as well. Finally, cancer or certain diseases can cause temporary hair loss, with many patients seeing their hair return once they recover. Again, if you believe you are experiencing hair loss due to an underlying condition or disease, consult with your doctor.
Recommended Reading: Can Dry Itchy Scalp Cause Hair Loss
Wearing Your Hair Out Often
I know first hand, that when we get our hair done we want to wear it out and let the whole world know that we look good.
I used to go to the salon and after I got my hair permed or straightened, I enjoyed wearing it down. It was great to see the new hair growth and how long my hair had grown.
I also loved to leave it down and just let the wind blow in it. I was happy when I wore it out because it was either in braids or under a wig somewhere for weeks. Looking back, I can see now, why there was so much hair loss and damage.
When you wear your hair out it is more susceptible to the out door environments . The outside environment and the weather can cause breakage to your hair strands.
Wearing Your Hair Out In Cold Weather
In the winter months we try to stay warm by using central heating or hot air heaters to keep ourselves warm. When we use these heating tools in our home, car or work, it sucks the moisture right out of the air leaving our hair vulnerable to becoming dry, dull and brittle.
Going outdoors is equally as harmful. The cold winter winds cause split ends, breakage and damage to our hair shaft. If you use certain products in your hair that solidify when cooled , the cold weather can cause these products to solidify onto your hair strand and cause them to snap off or get tangled easily.
Wearing Your Hair Out In Hot Weather
Protective Styling can help you to keep your hair safe, protected and growing longer, stronger and healthier
Why Is My Hair Thinning And How To Stop It
Hair loss, or hair thinning, is more common than wed think, affecting approximately 30 million women in the United States alonethats roughly one in four of us. Yet, despite these numbers, it seems a lot of us are unsure why hair loss and hair thinning happen in the first place.But, do not worry. Weve spoken with dermatologists and hair experts to talk us through some of the reasons for hair loss and some potential solutions that could prevent further hair loss and hair thinning. All it takes is making a few minor adjustments to some of your everyday habits or creating awareness around the issue to find out which solutions work for you.
Recommended Reading: What Causes Hair Thinning In Teenage Males
Playing In Your Hair Too Often
I am guilty! If I can just touch my hair, I will. I never want anyone else to touch my hair, but I will sit there and touch it all day if I can! However, playing in your hair too often can cause thinning and here is why. When your hair is out you will play in it more often. By you running your fingers through your hair or twirling it around your finger, you are causing your hair to lose its natural moisture and you may accidentally snap, snag or damage your hair with the friction from continued movements or from your skin, nails or jewelry.
I dont know why we do this, but we are putting our hair at risk for damage. I am now a pro at keeping my hair protected and you can be also.
Bad Habits That Make Your Hair Thinner
Even if youre trying to lose inches from your middle, chances are you never want to hear the word thin in reference to your hair. But if youve been shedding more than usual, its not too late save your strands.
Many aspects of our lifestylefrom what we eat to how we style our hairaffect the strength of hair fibers, says Alan Baumann, MD, a Boca Raton-based hair transplant surgeon and physician specializing in hair loss. And thats good news: Thicker hair is just about making a few simple tweaks to your lifestyle. Here, the 10 worst strand saboteurs, and how to get them out of your routine for good.
You May Like: How To Fix Women’s Hair Loss
Using Hot Styling Tools
Scorching temps damage the proteins that make up your hair and its protective cuticle. Once the cuticle is damaged, the moisture balance is disrupted and your hair is more prone to breakage, says Dr. Bauman.
Save your strands: Limit your hot tool usageeven your blowdryerto two or three times a week, and start with the coolest setting possible. Always apply a heat-protection spray, which creates a thermal barrier to reduce friction. Here are 4 tips for less damaging heat styling.
Gro Ageless Gray Delay Hair Supplement
GRO AGELESS Gray Delay Hair Supplement is designed to delay gray hair naturally and deliver a collagen-rich shine. It also supports healthy hair roots and thickness, reduces shedding, diminishes stress and supports healthy sleep.
This daily supplement contains the following ingredients:
- Vitamin Blend of B6, B12, folic acid and PABA, plus minerals , help to prevent premature graying.
- Selenium, Copper, KeranatAntioxidants and minerals combat free radicals, support hair health and help reduce shedding.
- GABA, L-Thealine, Venetron®and 5-HTP arebotanicals known to help alleviate stress, encourage sleep, and increase serotonin production.
Don’t Miss: Does Laser Treatment Work For Hair Loss
Surefire Ways To Stop Thinning Hair
As many as two-thirds of women will experience hair thinning, according to a Harvard Medical School study. So, if you have fine hair already or notice your hair has been thinning as of late , it might be time to make some changes to your routine to prevent breakage and even worse, hair loss. To keep you ahead of the thinning-hair curve, Cosmopolitan.com talked to New York hairstylist Kevin Mancuso, creative director for Nexxus Salon Hair Care, about how to treat, prevent, and plump up skinny strands.
1.Loosen the tension. Constantly pulling on your hair and causing tension on your strands by putting it into tight ponytails, excessively blow-drying it straight with a brush, or wearing extensions without giving you hair a break every few months can permanently damage your hair follicles and actually cause hair loss or traction alopecia . Mancuso advises his clients with thinning hair to choose looser styles rather than tight updos all the time and to opt for a brushless blow-dry first before styling, both of which give hair a break from styling practices that can thin strands out even more.
Follow Nicole on .
How Common Is Hair Loss In Women
Many people think that hair loss only affects men. However, it is estimated that more than 50% of women will experience noticeable hair loss. The most significant cause of hair loss in women is female-pattern hair loss , which affects about one-third of susceptible women, which equals out to some 30 million women in the United States.
Recommended Reading: What Causes Flaky Scalp And Hair Loss
Medications To Treat Hair Loss
Treatment depends on the underlying cause, says Dr. Scott. Sometimes simply addressing a medical condition prompting hair loss will be enough for the hair to regrow. In other instances, a woman might consider a medication like minoxidil , which helps with certain types of hair loss, or another treatment to replace or regrow lost hair.
A newer option being used to treat hair loss is platelet-rich plasma injections. For this treatment, the doctor draws your blood, divides it into its separate components, recombines the blood fluid with a high concentration of platelets , and introduces the resulting preparation back into the scalp.
The science on this isnt totally worked out. We still dont completely understand the mechanism behind PRP, but growth factors contained in platelets can stimulate regeneration of hair follicles and other tissues as well, says Dr. Scott.
In addition, low-level LED laser lights have been found to be helpful in regrowing hair in some cases. Its likely that even more treatments will be developed in the near future.
Heres How The Hair Growth Cycle Works:
Ok, its science-y but very cool, basically each hair follicle on our scalp undergoes three stages of a life cycle, explains Dr Wong.
AnagenThis is the active growing phase, which can last between 2-7 years during which the hair becomes longer and thicker.
CatagenAfter anagen, the hair follicle moves into the short transitional phase called catagen when the hair fibre stops growing, followed by the resting phase telogen which lasts around 3 months.
TelogenDuring telogen the old hair is gradually pushed up towards the skin surface before it is then shed naturally and replaced with a new emerging anagen hair.
On a typical head of hair each follicle is at a different stage at different times so you probably wont notice it happening. Very cool. This cycle continues repeatedly throughout our lifetime and each hair follicle is cycling independently of neighbouring follicles meaning that human hair growth is asynchronised, says Dr Wong.
Its important to note that hair loss is a very common problem for women much more so that people realise. “Research shows that at least 1 in 3 women will suffer from hair loss or reduced hair volume at some point in their lifetime,” says Anabel Kingsley. So, if you are losing strands, it’s important not to freak out, your mane willrecover. In the meantime, here’s everything you need to know…
You May Like: Can Hair Loss Caused By Stress Be Reversed
Use A Scalp Serum Or Hair Oil
Fonte recommends using a scalp serum to help encourage the ideal environment to promote the appearance of less hair fall and more hair growth.
Bumble and bumble stylist Reanne Mistretta agrees and says that different types of oils are known to make a significant improvement in hair thickness by preventing breakage. âAdding an oil to your routine, like Bumble and bumble Hairdresserâs Invisible Oil, can help moisturize hair strands and keep them healthy,â says Mistretta.
Intense Emotional Or Physical Stress
When you’re experiencing something stressful or traumaticnot your average day-to-day stress, but something big and life-altering like a divorce, a death in the family, a significant job change, or a big moveyou may experience a temporary halt in hair growth as your body puts its resources toward getting you through said big event.
“Hairs dont all grow at the same rate,” Dr. Schlosser explains. “Some are growing, some are resting, and some are actively being shed. When you have these conditions, your body halts hair growth, and then things get restarted and all these hairs that have been halted start to get pushed out at the same time.” The same thing can happen with physical stress and trauma, like having a big operation, being hospitalized, or even losing a significant amount of weight very quickly.
Usually this type of hair shedding is temporary. But if it bothers you, check in with a dermatologist to learn more about styling changes and products you can use to make your hair look and feel fuller.
Read Also: What Oil Is Good For Thinning Hair
Hidden Causes Of Thinning Hair In Women
If youre a person who has experienced or is experiencing unexplained hair loss, you know how devastating it can feel. And the truth is that up to 40% of women experience hair thinning by the age of 40, but as a society, we dont talk about it a lot.
Although its normal to lose up to 100 hairs a day, when you feel clumps of hair running down your back after shampooing, see it on your pillow in the morning, and glean shocking glimpses of your scalp when your hair is wet or unstyled, you know something is not right.
The good news is that thinning hair, at any age, doesnt have to be something you just live with or try and cover up. There is a reason for it, and oftentimes you can get your beautiful locks back.
Having experienced thinning hair myself , and helped many patients get to the bottom of their hair loss problems Ive learned thinning hair in women is often rooted in one of the following health issues.