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Hair Loss~ The Struggle

I hear this great concern from my clients often, My hair is losing its thickness and volume. What supplement can I take to bring it back to life? Much like skincare, there, unfortunately, is not one solo answer that will "fix" this issue. It is often a combination of factors that are creating hair loss. And since we are all so unique, yours could look very different than mine. Example: I may be deficient in B12 and Iron, but you may be living a high-stress lifestyle releasing an overload of daily cortisol. All of these examples contribute to hair thinning and hair loss, as well as affecting the quality of skin and nails. Let's look at 3 of the most common factors in har loss and ways to help target and heal the root problems!



  1. Hormone Imbalance. This usually occurs in men & women at 40+ years of age, but it can happen at nearly any age. Pregnancy can set hormones off-kilter, resulting in various symptoms such as exhaustion, depression, skin flare-ups, and much more. The shift in hormones such as estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone can reflect on our face, in our hair, and nails. The main culprit is often DHT. Dihydrotestosterone (DHT) is an androgen. An androgen is a sex hormone. During menopause, the body's production of estrogens and progestins can decline. Therefore, a female's sensitivity to male hormones such as DHT can increase at this time. If you're genetically sensitive to DHT, this can affect your hairline and hair thickness. DHT increases with more stress on the body, therefore habits such as smoking, alcohol over-use, high sugar/high processed food diet, lack of optimal sleep, and dis-tress can boost this hair-loss promoting hormone. What can you do? Improve your lifestyle with a clean diet (consume foods rich in lycopene such as tomatoes, watermelons, carrots, and mangoes that naturally block DHT production), get quality rest, try a Biotin supplement, and most importantly, ask your Primary Health Care Provider for lab work, targeting your hormone levels. Some PCPs may refer you to an Endocrinologist.

  2. Vitamin Deficiency. Without having proper bloodwork done, it is challenging to be certain of exactly what we may be lacking in our nutrients. The good news is that lab work can be as simple as asking your physician or doing an at-home blood test. Company's such as EverlyWell offer various tests helping the consumer find what they may be missing. Common deficiencies are as follows: Vitamin B's, Folate, Vitamin D, Zinc, Iron, Probiotics, and Collagen. What to do? Get your nutrient levels tested and then supplement accordingly. It can make all the difference in not only your hair's health but your overall well-being!

  3. Inflammation. We all experience inflammation. If you fall down and bump your knee, you will see the results of inflammation- a swollen, red, and tender injury area. It is our body's way of protecting us. However, chronic inflammation is deadly. Sounds extreme, but think of your blood vessels. If those are regularly subjected to high levels of inflammation, they run the risk of clogging or worse, bursting! What brings on an over excess of this frightening factor? In my research, I find the most significant culprit is poor nourishment, or should I say toxic intake? Many of the ingredients in processed foods stir up inflammatory reactions in our tissues, creating a cascade of aches and pains, and possible chronic conditions over time, such as arthritis, digestive issues, and skin issues. What can you do? Besides cleaning up your diet, consider supplements such as Omega 3's to help tame the flame, along with adequate hydration- water intake is critical in maintaining fluidity in the body.

In summary:

  • Purify your diet! Eat clean, wholesome foods.

  • Increase your water intake. This can help flush out inflammation.

  • Exercise.

  • Reduce stress (lowering the cortisol output).

  • Get a minimum of 7 hours of sleep each night.

  • Improve your gut health by taking a Probiotic supplement. You can also find beauty/skincare lines that create topical probiotic products. These may be very helpful in healing the skin and supporting hair health.

  • Get bloodwork done to check for hormone imbalances & vitamin deficiencies.

  • Consider supplementation of B vitamins, Vitamin D, Iron, Folate, Zinc, Omega 3's, Biotin (a B vitamin), Probiotics, & DHT blockers such as Saw Palmetto, Pygeum, Nettle, and Pumpkin Seed Oil.

Resources:


Let your hair shine!

In Grace,

Cara


#hairloss

#thinninghair

#hormonal

#hairhealth

#deficiencies

#DHT




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