Hair care tips to minimise hair damage

Nov, 06 2019 | By Dr. Sangay Bhutia (Hair Transplant Specialist in Delhi)


Hair Care Tips

There is a reason that your hair is called your crowning glory. A head-full of healthy hair can do wonders for a person's appearance. Even studies show that people with nice hair are considered attractive, and it signifies youth and vitality.

However, living the modern day life, dealing with deteriorating environmental conditions, stress, bad eating habits, lack of physical activity, can all wreak havoc on a person's mane. Lifestyle plays a huge role in how a person's hair and skin appears. A bad lifestyle, for a lot of people, can mean myriad hair issues including hair fall, dull, lifeless looking hair, premature graying, and hair fall.

So, what does one do to minimise the damage to hair? Here are a few tips:

Cool down
Hair dryers, straighteners, curling irons are basic hair tools that most people use almost on an everyday basis. The key to using these tools without causing damage to hair is just to go easy on the temperature. Hair dryers can be used on a cool setting, straighteners can be used on a mild setting, while curling irons should not be left on the hair for more than 10 seconds.

A little precaution while using hair tools goes a long way in preventing damage. If you are someone using one or the other hair tool every day, try doing it on alternate days. Or don't use it if you don't have any social or professional engagements on a particular day. Also, never try to straighten or curl wet hair. Wet hair is a lot more prone to damage than dry hair.

Avoid over-shampooing
If you are not living in extreme hot and humid conditions, or playing sports which make you very sweaty every day, there is no reason to shampoo your hair every day. Over washing and over shampooing can strip the hair off its natural oils making it dry and brittle. The purpose of washing hair is to remove the oil buildup on the scalp. Washing alternate days in hotter places and two to three times a week in colder weather is enough to maintain clean hair and scalp.

Do not tie your hair too tight
People who wear their hair in very tight buns, braids or ponytails risk traction alopecia. It is a kind of hair loss caused by repeated pulling of hair. If you tie your hair regularly, and see redness on the scalp, itching, scaling, blisters, or bumps, you might be tying it too tight and causing stress to your hair and scalp. It can easily be avoided by wearing your hair open or in more comfortable hairstyles. It is also important to avoid chemical processing of hair, for weaves and braids.

Destress
Stress is one of the biggest enemies of hair and a leading cause of hair fall. It is important to understand the life cycle of hair to understand how stress can cause hair fall. Hair grows in three phases, growth phase or anagen, telogen or the resting phase, and exogen, when the hair falls. Stress disrupts the process, and throws hair out of the resting phase, causing it to fall prematurely.

The bright side to this is that stress can be controlled and stress related hair loss can be stopped. People can try meditation, exercise, music, or yoga to deal with stress. It is also advisable to seek medical help if these activities do not help in controlling stress.

Eat well
A healthy diet can prevent and even repair damage internally. A diet rich in vitamins like A, C, E, and B12, iron, protein, is extremely helpful in making hair healthier, stronger, and preventing damage. All these nutrients can be found in fish, eggs, lean meats, leafy vegetables, and nuts.

Avoid smoking and drinking
Both the intake of alcohol and smoking constricts the blood vessels affecting the flow of essential nutrients to the scalp. Avoiding smoking and drinking can prevent damage to hair, as well as premature graying, and dull-looking hair. Smoking and alcohol can also inhibit the growth of hair

Drink up
A quarter of the hair shaft is actually made of water. Drinking about 8-10 glasses of water can help make hair stronger. Hair needs moisture which will prevent it from becoming dry and brittle, and also prevent dandruff. Dehydration can stop hair growth and cause hair fall. So keeping yourself hydrated is not just good for your health but it can prevent a lot of damage to hair.

Keeping the hair clean, eating well, sun protection, exercising regularly, and leading a healthy lifestyle in general, is not just good for the body, but it can prevent damage to hair as well.


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