Bad Habits That Contribute to Hair Loss

There’s a lot of conflicting information in circulation about things that can cause hair loss. Are you shampooing too often? Not often enough? Do you need to cover your hair when you’re outside to prevent sun damage? Should you stop wearing a hat?

In this post, we present some habits proven to be associated with hair loss. If you’re losing your hair, consider scheduling an appointment with Dr. Dana Brownell at NeoGraft Hair Restoration. She can help you determine the reason you’re losing hair, suggest tips to prevent future hair loss, and let you know if you’re a good candidate for hair restoration. 

In the meantime, avoid the following habits, which can contribute to hair loss. 

Over-treating your hair

If you color, perm, or relax your hair, you may be causing damage to your hair — and eventually you can even damage the follicles your hair grows from. Once a follicle is damaged, it may no longer grow hair, and you may develop bald spots. 

Consider finding a style that doesn’t require coloring, perming, or relaxing. When you stop using the harsh chemicals, you’re preventing future hair loss.

Tight hairstyles

The medical name for hair loss resulting from wearing it pulled tightly is traction alopecia. If you lose hair due to traction alopecia, you can’t regrow it without hair restoration treatments. Explore styles that don’t require tight pulling to prevent hair loss. 

Poor diet

In order to grow strong, healthy hair, your body requires a sufficient amount of certain nutrients. Biotin (a water-soluble B vitamin), iron, protein, and zinc are important nutrients for your overall health. When you have deficiency in any of them, you may experience hair loss.

Habitually rubbing, pulling, or twisting your hair

Some people tug on their hair when they’re under stress. People with an urge to pull out their hair have a mental disorder called trichotillomania; if you have trichotillomania, you may not even be aware of the habit! Others twist their hair around their fingers or rub strands of hair. 

All of these habits can cause hair loss and sometimes even destroy follicles. Breaking the bad habit is the first step to regrowing your hair. If you have follicle damage, you may need hair restoration treatments as well. 

Living with chronic stress

While stress may not seem like a habit, in some ways living with chronic stress is the result of many seemingly small habits. For example, if you habitually volunteer to the point of overcommitment, you create stress. Or if you stay up too late and oversleep most days, your habits are probably making your mornings more stressful. 

Sometimes you can’t control stress, or you’re simply experiencing a temporary stressful period in your life. In those cases, your hair is likely to regrow when the stress stops. If you live with chronic stress, though, you may need to take careful steps to reduce it.

Get an expert opinion

Although it’s possible that your habits are contributing to your hair loss, it’s also possible that something outside of your control is the underlying factor in your hair falling out. For example, your hair loss could be hereditary, the result of a hormonal imbalance, or due to an autoimmune condition like alopecia areata. 

The best way to find out why you’re losing hair is to talk to a doctor with expertise in hair loss like Dr. Brownell. In addition to diagnosing the cause of your hair loss, she can suggest ways for you to cope with it, whether that means changing your habits or exploring the possibility of hair restoration.

Dr. Brownell’s suggestions are always based on your specific situation, and she’s here to help you do something about hair loss. Contact NeoGraft Hair Restoration in Westport, Connecticut, by calling our office or requesting an appointment online.