YOU don’t need to break the bank to have luscious locks – although there are loads of pricey masks, serums and treatments out you can have glossy thick hair for next to nothing.
Dr Sophie Shotter shared some cheap and cheerful ways to reduce hair loss and keep your tresses healthy from vitamins to the shampoo she swears by.
Speaking on the Age Well podcast, Sophie explained that there are loads of different reasons hair can start to fall out, so if you’re concerned about hair loss the first step should always be to speak to your GP.
That said, there are a few little tips and tricks most people can use to get their mane looking luscious.
Biotin health benefits
Biotin has been all the rage for a while now in the world of haircare, and for good reason.
The B7 vitamin is often used to help people with hair loss and brittle nails, though there is no scientific proof to prove its effectiveness a lot of people swear by it.
You can buy it for £6.99 from Holland & Barrett, but be warned, it doesn’t work for everyone.
“If you’re not deficient in Biotin then no matter how much you take it’s going to have relatively little effect on your hair,” Sophie explained.
That said, taking certain supplements can be beneficial to most people, namely Iron, zinc, magnesium B12 and vitamin D – but always check with your doctor beforehand.
Sophie recommended “taking an iron supplement with vitamin C which helps iron absorption” to help hair loss specifically.
How often you should wash your hair
Since everyone’s hair is different there are no set rules as to how often you should wash your hair.
However, you don’t want to over or under-wash your locks, since this could lead to more issues.
“Washing your hair at least three times a week is sensible,” the doctor said.
Picking the right shampoo
While hair growth shampoos won’t treat certain conditions, such as alopecia, they can benefit a lot of people, Sophie said.
So don’t chuck your volumizing shampoo just yet – they can be a good step to include in your hair routine if your locks are fine or thinning.
In particular, Sophie raved about two products – Pureology shampoo, which you can snap up for £23 in Boots, and K18’s hair mask, which you can buy for £30 from SpaceNK.
Sophie even said she prefers the K18 hair mask to Olaplex products, which have become a cult favourite for hair fans.
Reasons for hair thinning
Genetics
Is your dad bald? Or did your mum’s hair get drastically thinner after her 35th birthday?
Sadly, your family history is your biggest determinant for whether you’re going to lose your hair as you get older, TV’s Dr Amir said.
“It accounts for both male and female patterned baldness and tends to happen gradually, and it has predictable patterns,” he said in a video shared on Instagram.
Hormonal changes
Changes in hormone levels in both men and women can lead to temporary and permanent hair loss.
“This is especially the case for those going through menopause,” the expert said.
his type of hair loss is known as androgenetic alopecia and can often resemble male-patterned baldness, which begins at the crown of the head.
Menopause, with its drastic decline in oestrogen and progesterone, inadvertently gives more ‘playground’ to androgens.
Oestrogen and progesterone are predominantly female hormones, while androgens are male.
Excess androgens are associated with hair loss.
Alopecia
For people with alopecia, the immune system attacks the hair follicles and causes hair loss – this can occur anywhere on the body.
According to the charity Alopecia UK, around 400,000 people in the UK either have the condition or have had it in the past.
The cause is unknown, but iron deficiency and stress could trigger the condition, although many experts dispute this.
In some cases, alopecia areata can turn into alopecia totalis, when hair loss can spread across the entire head, or alopecia universalis when it affects the entire body.
There is currently no cure for the condition, however, there are several treatments available, but none are guaranteed to work.
Medications
Drugs used to treat cancer, arthritis, heart problems and depression can all lead to hair loss.
But never stop taking a prescribed medicine without speaking to a clinician first.
Nutritional deficiencies
Not getting enough of the right nutrients could be to blame for sudden hair loss
This includes diets that are too low in protein and iron, according to the NHS.
It might be a good idea to see a doctor to ask for a blood test to check and see if they have a nutritional deficiency and then look at increasing certain vitamin levels with the help of a supplement.
Treatments For Thinning Hair: Do They Work?
Most hair loss does not need treatment and is either:
- Temporary and it’ll grow back
- A normal part of getting older
Hair loss caused by a medical condition usually stops or grows back once you recover.
There are things you can try if your hair loss is causing you distress. But most treatments are unavailable on the NHS, so you’ll have to pay for them.
No treatment is 100 per cent effective.
Finasteride and minoxidil are the main treatments for male pattern baldness.
Some wigs are available on the NHS, but you may have to pay unless you qualify for financial help.
Other hair loss treatment options include steroid injections or cream, immunotherapy, light treatment, tattooing, hair transplant and scalp reduction surgery
SOURCE: NHS