There’s no time like the start of a new year to break bad habits, especially when it comes to hair loss. For many people, a few simple lifestyle changes can help keep the hair on their heads.

Here are some simple things you can do to help curtail hair loss.

Lifestyle Changes to Help Prevent Hair Loss, Tip 1: Diet

Eating different foods full of vitamins and minerals can help prevent hair loss. Hair is a protein, so eating healthy protein full of Omega-3 fatty acids, like salmon, for example, can improve hair health. Nuts and seeds are also full of Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids. Add them to your meals or include them in your diet as snacks to help improve your hair. Foods high in zinc, iron, Vitamin D3, and Vitamin C (to help iron absorption) are also great additions. Remember, those vitamins and minerals are often best absorbed in the body in their natural forms, so try to rely on whole foods rather than simply popping a supplement, unless recommended by your doctor.

Lifestyle Changes to Help Prevent Hair Loss, Tip 2: Get Moving

Exercise has a range of benefits, from weight loss to improved cardiovascular health to better balance as you age. But did you know that exercising can help with hair loss too? Stress, which produces a hormone called cortisol, can be a major trigger for hair loss. When cortisol is released into the body at high levels, it can cause hair to fall out, especially in those already predisposed to it. The good news is that exercise has been proven to help reduce stress. You don’t need any fancy equipment or gym memberships; just get moving to start feeling better and reducing hair loss.

Lifestyle Changes to Help Prevent Hair Loss, Tip 3: Hairstyle

If you think you’re losing your hair, the way you style it could be a culprit. Constantly pulling the hair back away from the face and securing it tightly with rubber bands can exacerbate the issue, as can brushing or shampooing too roughly. Take it easy on the styling tools as well. Blow dryers, curling irons and straightening irons can sometimes reach incredibly high temperatures, and can be very damaging to hair.

Try switching to a milder shampoo, using a gentler brush and cutting back on styling your hair using heat. You may also want to explore different styling products. Alcohol based gels, sprays, and even dry shampoos can dry out the hair and cause strands to stick together, so more of them come out when they’re combed or brushed.

Simply changing your part to the other side of your head can give those precious strands a break from daily combing in the same direction, in other words friction, day after day.

Lifestyle Changes to Help Prevent Hair Loss, Tip 4: Stress

Exercise is one way to beat hair loss by relieving stress, but it’s not the only method. Incorporating stress-relief techniques such as meditation, light stretching, and massages, or using essential oils or aromatherapy candles, can help clear the mind, ease the muscles, calm stress, and potentially halt hair loss.

Lifestyle Changes to Help Prevent Hair Loss, Tip 5: Sleep

Sleep is essential for our bodies, but most people don’t get enough of it. When you sleep, the cells in your body repair and regenerate. When your body doesn’t get enough sleep, a number of negative effects take place. Your body’s immune system becomes weaker and as a result, the roots of the hair become weak as well, and can become more susceptible to falling out.

Lack of sleep can also cause an increase in levels of cortisol, which as noted earlier, can lead to hair loss.

The diet and exercise tips above, along with stress relief techniques and a good night’s sleep may help you start the new year off towards a healthier head of hair. If you are experiencing hair loss, Limmer Hair Transplant Center has a number of options for you. Contact us today to schedule a consultation.