No matter what you may have heard about shampooing and hair loss, the truth is this: washing your hair every day – with the right shampoo will not cause you to lose your hair. In fact, keeping your hair clean and removing product, oil, pollutants, and other buildup can actually improve your hair and scalp health.
DO wash your hair only when it is dirty, but know that thinner hair generally gets grimier faster than thicker hair. If you can, shampoo every other day to diminish damage from overwashing. To stretch the time between washes, try a dry shampoo with cornstarch or rice starch and a clear formulation.
If you are experiencing thinning or balding, our Bosley experts recommend washing no more than three times a week.
Avoid products with harsh detergents, like sodium lauryl sulfate,which can cause breakage. When you suds up, don't rub shampoo into the hair itself. Instead, gently massage it into your scalp and let it slide down through your locks.
Smoking causes inflammation throughout the body, which can worsen hair loss. Eat healthy. If you're not getting enough of some nutrients, such as iron or protein, this can lead to hair loss. Eating too few calories every day can also cause significant hair loss.
“Vitamins are essential for healthy hair growth and may help in preventing hair shedding and thinning,” says Michele Green, M.D., a cosmetic dermatologist in New York. “The best vitamins for hair growth include B vitamins, vitamin D, vitamin E, zinc, biotin and iron.
Seeing a visible scalp is often a sign of fine hair, and genetics can be the primary cause for this type of hair loss. However, other common causes of thinning hair include stress, hormone imbalances, certain medications, illness or infections and malnutrition.
If you're specifically searching for answers as to why hair is thinning at the front, your most likely culprit is hormonal shifts, as these do tend to lead to hair loss at the crown of the scalp. Changes in hormones is also one of the reasons hair density changes with age. The older you get the thinner hair can appear.
In conclusion, thinning hair can become thick again. There are a variety of treatments available, including dietary changes, topical treatments and medical procedures that can help thicken up your hair.
“Shampoo less and your hair will be more hydrated,” they said, which helps promote thickness. “Be sure to use sulfate-free products to preserve your hair's natural oils. (Their whole line of products is sulfate-free, should you be in the market.)
In fact, when you don't wash your hair enough, you allow oils and dirt to build up on your scalp and clog your pores, paving the way for actual hair loss. That's why finding the perfect frequency for your shampooing schedule is the key to caring for your scalp and avoiding hair loss.
“When your hair is greasy, your hair follicles tend to look wet, which makes it look thin ...” This is especially true for people with fine or thinning hair, which tends to get greasy faster — especially if you're using the wrong type of products.
In men, hair often begins to recede at the hairline on the forehead. Women typically have a broadening of the part in their hair. An increasingly common hair loss pattern in older women is a receding hairline (frontal fibrosing alopecia). Circular or patchy bald spots.
Nutritional deficiency may impact both hair structure and hair growth. Effects on hair growth include acute telogen effluvium (TE), a well-known effect of sudden weight loss or decreased protein intake [1], as well as the diffuse alopecia seen in niacin deficiency [2].
There is a wide range of conditions that can bring on hair loss, with some of the most common being pregnancy, thyroid disorders, and anemia. Others include autoimmune diseases, polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), and skin conditions such as psoriasis and seborrheic dermatitis, Rogers says.
Telogen effluvium is a common type of hair loss that affects people after they experience severe stress or a change to their body. Symptoms include thinning hair, usually around the top of your head. Treatment exists to reverse hair loss, but hair will typically grow back in three to six months without treatment.
Thyroid hair loss often looks like a general thinning across your scalp or eyebrows. Thyroid hair loss might develop slowly; patients with hypothyroidism or hyperthyroidism notice a gradual thinning of their hair rather than localized bald spots or missing patches.
Wearing your hair too long will make it look thinner
"Ironically, with thinning hair it's important to make sure you get your hair cut regularly," says Julie Hensman, from Hensmans in Northampton. "Thinning hair can get out of shape more quickly, making it look more obvious".