This article has been updated since it was originally published on May 24, 2021.
If you’re finding more hair on your brush than usual these days, it’s easy to panic. It’s even easier to rush to the store or Amazon and stock up on every single supplement and shampoo that claims it will restore your hair to its natural (fuller) state. But it’s important to take a minute, breathe, and think about whether some of the things you are doing could be contributing to hair loss OR whether you may have a condition that is causing it — one that could very well be treatable. Although some natural hair loss can happen with age, hormonal changes, or changes to your medication, a dramatic shift in hair density doesn’t have to be your fate. We spoke with Dr. Robin Evans, M.D., a board certified dermatologist at Southern CT Dermatology and a clinical instructor at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, who provided three tips (and a few bonus ones) for stopping hair loss.
Eat foods rich in iron.
When looking at hair loss, Hathaway says there may be many different factors at play. “As I mentioned adrenal fatigue and a sluggish liver play a major role, as do low iron levels,” Hathaway says. “I would recommend increasing one's intake of iron heavy foods such as legumes and nuts. In addition to adding in those foods focus on Ashwagandha, a powerful herb that you can purchase in tea, tincture, or capsule form helps the growth of DHEA. DHEA or Dehydroepiandrosterone is an important and naturally created hormone in our bodies that helps produce healthy hair growth as it rids free radicals from hair follicles.”
Put The Brakes On Chemical Treatments
There’s nothing better than emerging from a salon with red carpet hair. But if your routine involves chemical treatments, it may be time to put the brakes on them.
“Stop chemical processing of your hair—minimize relaxors, straighteners, keratin treatments etc, which can all lead to breakage and weakening of the hair shaft resulting in hair loss,” Evans says. “Hair coloring is ok as long as you don't develop significant itching, rashes, etc after coloring which could be signs of an allergy to the dye, which could lead to hair loss.”
Take Hair Vitamins
There’s a caveat here. Although there are a lot of hair vitamins on the market, they aren’t all equally good.
“Take a high quality hair loss vitamin like Nutrafol — have your dermatologist determine which formulation is best for you and be sure you have no contraindications to taking it like pregnancy or breast feeding,” Evans says.
These three tips may be incredibly important, but there are other steps you can take to ensure your hair is its healthiest. The first: “Avoid fad diets with excessive weight loss; exercise in a healthy way - treat eating disorders with an appropriate healthcare practitioner,” Evans says. “All of these things can lead to hair loss.”
Even the way you wear your hair could be contributing to hair loss.
“Avoid wearing your hair pulled back in tight ponytails or braids—make any hairstyles a little looser,” Evans says. “The tight pulling can lead to hair breakage and result in weakening of the hair shaft and hair loss.”
There may be no instant cure for hair loss — and there’s no doubt that it’s scary. But you can feel more empowered when you take steps to curb it and treat it at the source.
