The Curse Of The Falling Hair

This article has been researched and written by Arelang Naturals^® in-house writers.

Ever heard your partner complain about how your hair is all over their house, bed, bathroom, the drain and life? Well, us too. For the most part, a little bit of hair fall is natural, something thats ok when it gets caught in your hair brush. But when you lose hair every time you touch it, well that's a major problem. And no! It's not a problem only because you may be balding. 

Did you know that hair growth and fall can be impacted by malnutrition as well as micronutrient deficiencies?

Before we get into how diets affect the hair and other stuff about hair fall control it is important to understand the structure of this thing that grows on your head. 

Hair has two parts, the shaft or the strand that you see and the follicle that is under your skin, which is where it grows from. The follicle is sensitive and is the most actively dividing unit in the human body. Fun fact, your hair grows at a rate of 0.355 mm per day! That is fast! Now it is no wonder that the follicle needs care, protection, and most importantly nutrition to do what it does.   

On average, human beings lose 100 strands of hair every day. Which, as we said earlier, is normal and not noticeable because they are constantly being replaced. But, when the hair roots are damaged during their growth phase and there isn't a healthy environment to replace falling hair, the rate of hair loss increases drastically. 

So how does your hair get into this healthy environment? What kind of environment does it need to grow?  

For quality hair growth, your blood needs to transport oxygen and essential nutrients to the follicles. As hair grows, it pushes through the skin and oil glands to become longer. These oil glands make your hair lush and shiny. The hair also needs keratin, a structural fibrous protein, that helps form the tissues of the hair, nails, and the outer layer of the skin. The key point to note here is that without micronutrients, your hair will not get the boost it needs to grow. 

Let’s look into what your hair needs to grow and what deficiencies can do to it: 

1. Iron: The most common nutritional deficiency, a lack of iron is known to cause hair loss. The higher the ID the higher the loss of hair. People most at risk are premenopausal women and postmenopausal women.   
2. Zinc: Zinc deficiencies after multiple organ functions. Zinc plays an important role in protein synthesis and follicle function. 
3. Fatty Acids: Deficiencies of polyunsaturated fats can cause hair thinning, fall, lightening, and balding. 
4. Vitamin D: Studies show that Vitamin D helps follicle cycling. 
5. Vitamin A: Vit-A is known to activate hair follicle stem cells and stimulate growth. A lack of this suppresses hair growth.  
6. Antioxidants: Studies show that oxidative stress may have an impact on hair growth. It is known to cause hair loss.  

These are just a few of the many that impact hair growth. A lack of good quality nutrition and increasing stress levels can wreak havoc on the body and its development. It is essential to start fixing diets and supplement the lack. Here are some tips that act as hair fall control:

1. Have a veritable diet: It is essential to eat your greens and your colored vegetables. They have a host of essential nutrients that your body and hair need to grow. It is increasingly boring to eat bowls full of salads that don’t give the body enough of what it needs. Hence, try supplementing with plant-based products like Replenish With Greens and Replenish With Phytos. 
2. Eat enough protein: Protein helps your hair grow. Generally, 50 gms of protein a day for adults is an adequate quantity. 
3. Include a list of nutrients in your diet: We mentioned earlier in the blog, the essential vitamins, minerals, and nutrients that you need in order to grow. It is important to identify the current quantities of these that your body can absorb and supplement only the lack. If required, schedule an appointment with your doctor. 
4. Eat Antioxidants: Foods that are rich in antioxidants help fight oxidative stress and help prevent damage to the hair and overall health. Antioxidant-rich foods or natural plant-based supplements like Rekindle and Replenish from Caim by Arelang need to be a part of daily diets. Fun fact, topical application of antioxidants is known to promote hair growth.
5. Reduce stress: As we’ve mentioned in one of our previous blogs, stress is not just the exterior feeling of being stressed. It leads to a serious hormonal imbalance in the body and wreaks havoc on the system. Modern-day lifestyles promote stress and it is crucial to find a moment or two to relax. Stress is a major precursor to hair fall. To avoid drastic differences in hair, start supplementing with adaptogens that help control stress and improve mood. 

While there are a lot of hair fall solutions available in the market like topical treatments, shampoos, and more, it is essential to also focus on the food you are putting into your body. It is also pertinent that you stay away from chemical treatments and products and move to more natural plant-based, cruelty-free products. This is what no one will tell you about how to reduce hair fall.

There is no magic to prevent hair loss. It is a science and needs patience and persistence. As we love to say, self-care and treating your body right are the key to most of our health-related problems.