Causes of Hair Loss - Symptoms You May Be Suffering from Hair Fall

1. What are the causes of hair fall?
   
2. How to identify if you have the symptoms of hair fall?
   
3. How to stop hair fall caused by breakage?
   

It can get distressing to watch your hair strands gather on the hairbrush when you comb your tresses. Having said that, *hair fall is a common problem that almost everyone experiences at some point in life. But knowing that you’re not alone and shedding 80-100 hair strands daily is simply a part of your hair’s growth cycle, is reassuring. The problems arise when this shedding goes out of control. While this hair fall usually goes unnoticed since new hair regrows at around the same time, hair loss becomes prominent when new hair strands don’t replace the ones that have fallen out.  

• Heredity:

  Genetic inclination towards hair thinning is the most common cause of hair fall. This usually happens with ageing and appears gradually in predictable patterns.

• Hormonal conditions:

  Hormonal changes are a prominent cause of *hair loss in women. Pregnancy, childbirth, menopause, and thyroid are some of the known causes for temporary or permanent hair loss in women.

• Heat styling:

  Using heat styling tools like a straightener, curling iron, or blow-dryer, can give you great, manageable hair. However, when you expose your tresses to such extreme temperatures, it damages the cuticles. Heat also weakens the protective sheath around your hair, making them brittle and prone to breakage.

• Over-processing:

  Trying out a new hair colour or getting a perm are fun ways of experimenting with your tresses. But if your hair goes through such chemical processes regularly, the hair cuticles can break down and cause damage.

• Diet:

  What you eat has an impact on your hair health as well. Your tresses need nutrients like zinc, iron, and folic acid to grow and stave off breakage that leads to hair fall. If your diet doesn’t include foods rich in these nutrients, it can weaken your hair and make it prone to damage.

If you lose hair strands with rounded ends, it indicates that you are losing hair due to natural or biological causes. If they break from the middle and appear to have damaged ends, it implies that this hair loss is caused by breakage due to heat styling, chemical treatments, prolonged exposure to heat, and extreme humidity. Understanding the cause of hair fall helps you choose a treatment that can keep the condition in check.

Identifying the symptoms of hair fall can give you an early start to find the right solution to the problem.

• You might notice a bunch of hair coming out when you comb your hair or gently braid them
• The most common type of hair loss occurs gradually with age. In men, it starts with a receding hairline on the forehead, while women experience broadening of the part of their hair.
• Some people experience hair loss in patches or circular spots on the scalp.

If your hair fall occurs due to breakage, here are certain things you can do to protect your hair from further damage:

• Use hair strengthening products

  Styling tools can remove all the moisture from your hair and make it dry, fragile, and vulnerable to breakage. Restore your hair’s lost strength with Pantene Long & Strong Shampoo. Infused with active Pro-V nutrients, this shampoo revives and rejuvenates brittle, damaged hair. Plus, it’s gentle on your tresses as it contains 0% paraffin, mineral oils, and colourants. For hair that needs more than regular TLC, this Pantene shampoo is the perfect guard against hair fall*. For better results, pair it with Pantene Long & Strong Conditioner that treats brittle hair and reduces damage.

• Have lesser chemical treatments

  When you perm or straighten your hair, it alters your hair’s natural structure. Regular chemical treatments can weaken your tresses and affect their growth as the solutions used in these processes contain ammonia, which cause burns to the scalp and damage the follicles. Plus, if the burns to the scalp are severe, chances are that your hair might become parched, dull, and brittle.

• Consume a healthy diet

  A healthy and balanced diet goes a long way in strengthening your tresses and preventing hair loss. Processed food items contain additives and artificial ingredients that can be harmful to you if consumed in large quantities. A plant-based diet ensures that you get all the essential nutrients to keep your scalp and hair healthy. Consider adding spinach, eggs, sweet potatoes, salmon, chia seeds, pumpkin, berries, and avocado to your diet.

• Be gentle on your hair

  Your hair is delicate, and you need to take a lot of care while handling it. Do not comb your hair when it’s wet as it is at its weakest. Also, don’t use a towel to dry your hair; use a cotton t-shirt instead. This reduces friction and prevents breakage. To protect your hair while styling and to reduce damage, always use a heat protectant spray before you start styling it.

It’s best to deal with hair fall at the beginning itself as it reduces the intensity of hair damage. So, don’t lose sleep over these hair problems as you can always reverse the damage and protect your tresses by incorporating these tips and these Pantene products in your daily hair care routine. 

*All references on this page refers to hair fall or hair loss due to breakage