“I do not want long, silky, strong and lustrous hair”, said no girl ever! Hair is considered a girl’s crowning glory for a reason. A head full of thick, long and healthy hair is an instant confidence booster and gives you the privilege of styling it the way you want without any need of extensions.
But a lot of women struggle to have the hair of their dreams. Hair fall, dull hair, damaged and lacklustre strands are extremely common issues amongst women. As annoying as this problem is, there are a lot of ways you can deal with it. From using the right kind of hair care products to indulging in regular hair spas, you need to put in the effort and pamper your strands regularly.
But if you have tried everything possible and your hair still does not show the desired results and continues to fall in large numbers every day, then the problem could run a lot deeper. To get to the root of this problem, it is really important that you first understand all the causes of hair fall to help eradicate the problem entirely and find the best possible treatment.
Read on to find out about most of the causes of hair fall and how you can fix them to help your hair grow better and longer!
- 1. Giving birth
- 2. Genes
- 3. Unhealthy diet
- 4. Certain types of medicines
- 5. Dandruff
- 6. Emotional or physical stress
- Frequently asked questions about causes of hair fall:
1. Giving birth
You would have noticed that all through your pregnancy, your hair looked its absolute best. It was soft, shiny, and super lustrous. This amazing change in hair happens due to the rise in all the good hormones that surge throughout your body during your pregnancy. But soon after the birth of your child, these hormones settle down and go back to being normal, and that’s when your hair starts to fall out in large numbers, making it one of the top causes of hair fall. This is a temporary condition in most cases and tends to settle down in a couple of months. But you could consult a doctor if it persists.
2. Genes
Another lesser known but potent reasons for hair loss is your genetics. If your parents or grandparents have struggled with similar problems such as the ones you’re facing, then it is probably hereditary. When it comes to hair fall due to genetics, women tend to lose hair around the crown or their hair parting. While you can’t really treat this problem with home remedies, you could consult a doctor, who would then prescribe medicines that help slow down the hair fall.
3. Unhealthy diet
A diet that is full of processed food, fried and fast food items eventually goes on to become a major cause of hair fall. This is because this diet is very unhealthy and lacks any sort of nutritional value. Since what you eat plays a major role in improving the health and look of your strands, a diet that lacks important vitamins and nutrients eventually makes your hair appear damaged and lacklustre. Try to include more nuts, lean meat, fish and other protein-rich foods in your diet if you want to stop hair fall and make your hair appear long and strong.
4. Certain types of medicines
If you are taking medicines to treat diabetes, high blood pressure, arthritis or depression, then that could be the hair loss causes too. This is because these medicines sometimes fluctuate your hormones and this leads to hair fall. If you have noticed an increase in your hair fall after starting or changing some medicine doses, we recommend you speak to your doctor to figure it out and work on this problem by either giving hair strengthening vitamins or changing the medicines altogether.
5. Dandruff
Dandruff is one of the biggest causes of hair fall. When you have dandruff, your scalp feels particularly inflamed and is flaky and itchy. When you rub or itch your scalp, you end up damaging your hair follicles and that leads to a lot more hair fall than usual. But if dandruff is the cause of hair fall, then there is absolutely no reason to worry, because this condition can be treated very easily. By simply using anti-dandruff products, you can get rid of the condition, and with it, hair fall too.
6. Emotional or physical stress
Stress is another major, albeit lesser known cause of hair fall. But this is not the usual stress that you are used to; it has to be something major and life-altering. This is because when you are stressed, your body recognises it as a sort of trauma and diverts all the necessary nutrients to the more useful functions to help cope with said stress and makes hair growth a lesser priority. Therefore, at a time like this, don’t be surprised if you have large chunks of hair falling out. To help combat this, try to reduce stress by doing yoga, meditation, exercise, picking up a hobby or doing anything else that will help you manage the stress.
Frequently asked questions about causes of hair fall:
1) What causes hair loss in women?
A. When it comes to hair loss in women, thyroid, pregnancy and anemia form the most major reasons. Additionally, Polycystic Ovary Syndrome or PCOS is a hormonal issue that is also known to cause hair fall in women.
2) Which vitamin deficiency causes hair fall?
A. A lack of vitamin D is said to be the biggest cause of hair fall. Some studies also indicate that a deficiency in vitamin D could lead to alopecia in certain cases.
3) Which foods are rich in biotin?
A. There are a lot of food items that are rich in biotin and help reduce hair fall and increase hair growth. Some of these foods are eggs, mushrooms, cheese, green leafy vegetables, sweet potato, cauliflower and spinach.
4) Can hair loss be a sign of something serious?
A. Yes, if you notice a lot of hair falling out suddenly, then it could be a sign of an underlying problem that could be serious. Mostly unprecedented hair loss could be an indication of hyperthyroidism, high blood pressure or arthritis.
Written by Urvi Dalal on May 07, 2020
Writer, avid reader and hardcore beauty enthusiast is the best way to describe Urvi Dalal. With over 5 years of writing experience in the beauty industry, you can trust her to have the latest skin, hair and makeup tidbits on her fingertips. In her time working as a beauty writer, she has had the opportunity to interact and work closely with a string of dermatologists, makeup artists and hairstylists. All that knowledge exchange, coupled with her flair and love for writing make it possible for her to bring you some authentic yet fun beauty content. When Urvi isn’t working, you’d usually catch her curled up with a big, fat book, drinking a cup of tea or practising her makeup skills; there is no in-between!