How To Care for Thinning Hair

If you’re looking to grow out your hair this year or just want it to look fuller and more youthful, thinning strands can sometimes pose a serious threat to your scalp health.

To help you troubleshoot hair loss, here are a few important things to know to stay one step ahead of the shed:

What causes hair to thin?

Before you panic, it might be helpful to know that some hair shedding is natural. The American Academy of Dermatology Association states you can expect to lose anywhere between 50-100 hairs a day between washing, brushing, and the natural turnover processes. However, if you’re noticing more substantial loss, there could be more going on.

A few things can contribute to excess hair loss, but in the simplest terms, it has a lot to do with your health and hormones.  According to Penn Medicine, hair loss affects more than 40 million men and 20 million women in the United States. Both men and women can experience chronic anxiety which can spike stress hormones and accelerate hair loss. Additionally, for women, excess shedding can also be triggered by abrupt hormonal shifts from taking oral birth control, or during pregnancy and menopause.

While most of these factors may be somewhat beyond your control, what you can do is adopt new habits to prevent thinning and get healthy growth back on track.

How often should you wash thinning hair?

If you are dealing with hair loss, one of the best things you can do is to actually do less. Because frequent washing with the wrong products can be damaging to sensitive or struggling hair, experts say that less shampooing and conditioning is a good first step to heal damaged follicles and allow your scalp to rejuvenate, unless your shampoo and conditioner are tailored to hair and scalp health.

A Few More Tips for Healthier Hair:

1. Skip aggressive heat and pressure 

Hot water can be too drying or stripping, which can cause more breakage. Your best bet is cool or lukewarm water and also be sure to turn down heavy pressure in your shower to avoid additional stress to the hair.

2. Opt for natural and nourishing products 

Because certain formulas are harsh on the hair, you’ll want to reach for products that promote moisture retention and infuse the hair with hydration. Natural formulas tend to be best, so look for shampoos and conditioners that contain more botanical ingredients and are sulfate-free.

3. Show your scalp some love 

The scalp is where your hair’s natural oils and moisture are produced, so stimulating and protecting it is very important to supporting healthy follicles. Consider adding in a bit of scalp massage each time you wash.

4. Add a supplement that promotes growth and repair 

Getting enough nutrition can be difficult even for the best of us and can really take a toll on healthy hair. If this is your challenge, a daily supplement like Hush & Hush’s DeeplyRooted can help protect against the root causes of thinning hair and shedding. It features ingredients like ashwagandha, hyaluronic acid, collagen, and other polypeptides that encourage thicker, stronger, and more voluminous locks.