Is Winter Increasing Your Hair Fall?
It can be unnerving to look at your hairbrush and see a copious number of your precious hair strands in the bristles. The stress of Covid and more than two years spent inside homes, it has become hard to identify the cause of the severe hair loss. However, the harsh winter season could have a direct connection to the amount of hair you are shedding.
However Dr Rashmi Shetty, celebrity dermatologist says that there is no need to panic. She explains, “It is normal to shed up to 100 hairs per day, but provided they are growing back,” You may wonder that it is too much to shed but remember that on an average you have 100,000 hair strands.
Six ways to deal with winter hair loss
Although it is medically impossible to stop shedding completely, there are certain simple habits you can incorporate into your daily lives to keep shedding to a minimum. Below we give you a few practical ways you can reduce your hair fall.
Your diet
Hair loss can surge due to nutrition deficiencies. Hence, if you are experiencing heavy shedding it may be time to have a good look at your diet. Avoid crash diets or elimination diets that involve excluding certain food groups completely. Increase your intake of green leafy vegetables such as spinach. Add salmon and nuts for essential fatty acids. Dr Shetty says that a diet rich in proteins is important. Proteins are an essential component of your hair. Foods such as chicken, eggs and fish should be consumed regularly. Consuming food rich in omega 3 fatty acids is important
Optimize your hair health with supplements
Ra ANAGEN
RA Anagen is full of beneficial amino acids, yeast, B vitamins and trace elements like zinc sulphate and melatonin amongst others. Ra Anagen strengthens and nourishes your hair from within thereby reducing hair fall.
Reduce heat styling
Excessive heat dries out the hair , and also damage your scalp. We are not suggesting that you air-dry your tresses during these cold months, but as much as possible, use the hairdryer with minimum heat settings to minimise the damage.
Avoid hairstyles that pull on your hairline
Ponytails and plaits look nice and may be trending but they could be the reason for your hair loss. This is because, hair on your scalp gets pulled and tend to break due to excess pressure. If you really have to tie your hair up in a ponytail, use a loose rubber band so that your hair is not pulled back too hard.
Keep your Hair and Scalp clean
Dr Shetty stresses on the need to keep hair clean. She says that some people tend to wash hair less regularly due to fear of increasing hair fall. Washing hair regularly is important to keep a check on your hair loss.
“Wash your hair at least twice a week with a mild shampoo and try to dilute the shampoo before applying. Also, avoid using hard water for washing hair as it leads to hair fall,” says Dr Rashmi Shetty.
A hot oil massage
Heat some organic coconut oil and gradually massage into your hair and scalp. Do not massage aggressively as that could create more hair fall. Oil massages can help improve blood circulation to the hair follicles and makes your hair stronger.
Dr Shetty is frequently invited as a faculty at several dermatology and plastic surgery society meetings including the American Association of Dermatology, Australian Association of Dermatology, Thai Derm Society & IADVL among others. Dr Shetty is also an international trainer for facial injectables like Botox and fillers with industry leaders like Allergan, Merz and Galderma. She has trained doctors across the world. She has been an integral part of the advisory board of many skin and hair care MNCs globally namely, Unilever for Pond’s, Vaseline and Lakme, Procter & Gamble for Gillette, Marico for Parachute’s haircare range, & Bio-Oil.
Credit: Audio notes provided by Dr Rashmi Shetty
Dr Rashmi Shetty, a specialist dermatologist, is an international speaker, teacher, and author with over 18 year
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