Here's what we know. We have not found the magic bean that cures all hair loss. The amount of existing hair you retain and the measures you'd have to take to replace it are completely unique to each person's situation.
What's not unique, however, is the part of hair loss you can control. No one gets out of hair loss caused by chemo, but there are plenty of hair loss causes that can be prevented with simple lifestyle tweaks. So, while you can't do everything, you can do these things.
- Get enough iron, zinc, Vitamin C, and Vitamin B. Omega-3 fatty acids won't hurt either.
- Manage your stress. You already need to do that for every reason under the sun anyway. And now you know that stress can send 30-40% of your hair follicles into the resting phase prematurely. So simmer down some.
- Read your prescription drug labels. If you're worried about hair loss, just keep an eye out for life changes that might up your chances. If a medicine has the side effect of causing hair loss, it should be indicated on the bottle. Talk to your doctor if you'd like to find an alternative.
- Take care of your hair and scalp. Seriously, having a healthy scalp is so important for your hair. Your scalp is where your hair LIVES. Be gentle. Keep it clean. If it's dry, deal with it instead of ignoring it. If you ever start losing your hair due to a scalp condition, you'll wish you'd given it a little more TLC.
- Don't burn your hair or scalp. "Burn" is a strong word. What we really mean is, don't over-dry, fry, or chemically alter your hair. Minimize dyes. Space your treatments out a little farther from one another. Move your shower to a time when you can let your hair air dry. All of these things will prevent unnecessary follicular casualties.
- Understand your hair. You can't really expect to prevent something you don't understand at all. There are two vital areas of study when it comes to hair loss. The first is how hair grows. The second is how hair loss happens, but it's different for women than for men. If you cover these two bases, you'll be much more likely to be able to prevent damage from day to day and to find the right solution if you do run into a problem.
We can't feed you your vitamins, but we can help you understand your hair.
If you have something not-quite-right happening with your hair, give us a call at Mane Image. Our initial consultation is free, and it's where we get to the bottom of what's causing your thinning or hair loss. We're in this for the long run, and the time when you have the most options is at the very beginning of hair loss. We'll get you on a path to keeping as much of your natural hair as you can, and we'll help you make informed decisions all along the way.
