Many of us aspire to strong, thick and abundant hair, but the road to robust doesn’t come without its own set of questions and challenges.
Balancing expectations between having a head full of glossy tresses and, well, what most of us actually have is getting increasingly harder as celebrity images lead us to believe that lush, full and abundantly thick hair is the norm.
So while what we see on billboards might be daunting, the journey to full and strong hair is totally possible and definitely easier with an understanding of what causes *hair loss and breakage in the first place, plus, the best ways to prevent and address it.
Is the Amount of Hair I’m Losing Normal?
According to a dermatologist specializing in hair loss, Dr. Vicky Joliffe, it’s normal for us to lose 100-150 strands a day, and this number can be on the higher end in the warmer months.
Causes of hair loss can run the gamut from health issues, prescription medicine, prolonged stress and hormonal changes. Jolliffe adds that nutritional factors are also very important in the hair cycle and increased amounts of shedding have been found in people with thyroid problems, low iron, or low vitamin D.
As far as stress is concerned, Jolliffe says that in her experience, increased hair shedding in women is often seen as a response to stress. “Crash diets, illnesses, recent surgeries and childbirth are all known factors in causing increased hair shedding, by shifting the hair’s cycle from the growing part to the shedding part.”
