Habits that are causing your hair to thin

Here's why your hair is thinning

Authors:

Nyakinyua Kibugi

March 14, 2019 6:06 PM

Taking hot showers

Reasons your hair is thinning (Courtesy)

One thing that a lot of people fear is losing hair.

If you think about it, hair is kind of a big deal right? Like, you would have to live as a baldie if you suffered severe hair loss or wear wigs always. Normally, baldness is linked with genetics but hair loss can also be due to many other things including lifestyle choices. For the majority of people, especially women, hair loss occurs along the hairline and this is due to excessive braiding, lack of wearing protective styles, causing strain on the scalp with overly tight hairstyles, to mention but a few. But what about when the hair starts getting thinner? We have the reasons for that.

1. Poor diet.

Believe it or not, what you eat has a direct impact on your skin and hair health. You can reverse hair loss by eating a well-balanced diet consisting of foods that are high in protein, iron, omega 3 fatty acids, vitamin E and zinc.

Woman eating vegetables(ebony) Pulse Live Kenya

2. Taking very hot showers.

Hot water strips the natural oils and moisture from the hair and it becomes dry and brittle and that can lead to your hair thinning and falling off. Instead, use lukewarm water in the shower and if you can, rinse your hair with cool water.

Hot showers can cause your hair to thin (Courtesy) Pulse Ghana

3. Oral birth control pills.

If your hair is shedding more than usual, it could be due to birth control pills. A pill that contains androgens can cause hair loss for someone who is androgen-sensitive.

4. Not washing your hair for long.

Failure to wash your hair often will lead to product build-up and dead skin cells can clog the follicles, making it hard for new hair to grow. To ensure good health of your hair, wash it at least twice a week.

5. Using excessive heat on the hair.

Using hot styling tools such as straighteners, curlers and blow dryers will expose your hair to extreme heat which then damages the cuticles and proteins that your hair is made of.

Flat ironing hair gif Pulse Live Kenya

6. Certain medications.

Some medicines such as anti-anxiety and anti-depressants can cause hair loss because they can disrupt with the normal cycle of hair growth, causing hair to fall out prematurely.

ALSO READ: 4 diseases that cause hair loss

Authors:

Nyakinyua Kibugi

We would love to hear what you think about the content on Pulse

Give us your feedback (win a $50 voucher)