Seasonal Hair Loss

If you’re worried you're losing more hair than normal lately it could be seasonal hair loss.

Seasonal hair loss happens to everyone, and up until a little while ago I was just as alarmed and mystified as you. Brushes, combs, plug holes and even the floor were constant reminders that my hair was falling out far more than it normally did. I couldn’t help thinking that if it didn’t slow down soon then I wasn’t going to have much hair left.

I’ve since found out that it’s a natural shedding process much the same as animals moulting.

As the seasons change and summer turns into autumn the leaves begin to fall from the trees and many people become alarmed when they notice they are losing far more hair than normal. Whether you’ve been aware of it before or not this seasonal hair loss returns every year between August and November and generally lasts for 4 - 6 weeks.

Apparently, during summer and spring, the sun’s rays increase the secretion of hormones, these hormones help to regulate your hair’s growth, and cause an accelerated growth during the summer months when the weather is hot. This triggers a greater loss in autumn of hair that has reached the end of its life cycle. Each hair usually lives for about six years before dying.

Fact:

You cannot prevent seasonal hair loss. The hairs that fall out have already been dead for several weeks. The answer is to promote new hair growth to replace the falling hairs so that your hair maintains its thickness.

Thinning hair happens when old hairs are lost faster than new hairs are produced.

Knowing about seasonal hair loss can help you to prepare for this natural transition.

Does your diet affect seasonal hair loss?

Thick healthy hair needs vitamins and minerals, proteins and oils to help it grow strong and lustrous. All food is not equal and some foods actually accentuate seasonal hair loss according to the Belgravia Centre in London. Most people are aware that a varied healthy diet is good for your health and your body, but not many know that some foods if eaten in excess actively encourage your hair to fall out.

Conditions such as Alopecia, the centre says, will result in hair loss regardless of your diet and other factors such as stress and malnutrition are also thought to play a part.

If you are suffering from excessive seasonal hair loss and you notice your hair is slowly getting thinner every year then the first thing you should do is check the following foods to see if they form a large part of your every day diet.

Sugar

Number 1 culprit is sugar because sugars cause Endogenous Glycations to occur in the bloodstream, fructose and galactose are the worst culprits because they have approximately ten times the glycation activity of glucose. This includes similar nutrients that get broken down into sugars during the digestive process such as starchy foods. When sugar causes glycation, it attaches to the proteins of collagen, causing the collagen to “cross-link”. When collagen cross-links, it becomes stiff and inflexible, this leads to an ageing effect at a cellular level, causing the protein structures within the hair follicles to disintegrate, thus causing increased hair loss.

However, opting for 'sugar-free' alternatives is not the answer because when a product is marked as 'sugar-free' it usually means that sweeteners and chemicals have been added instead. The artificial sweetener most used is aspartame and, according to the FDA, aspartame can cause hair loss and thinning hair as well as being a contributing factor for arthritis, bloating and depression.

Salt

Sodium chloride, or common sea salt, is a vital nutrient, necessary for the transmission of information between nerve cells, among other things. However, high concentrations of salt in the bloodstream can cause high blood pressure, known to medical professionals as hypertension. Because vigorous hair growth requires a healthy supply of blood to the scalp, hypertension can negatively affect the growth of new hair.

Excessive amounts of protein

Protein is another vital nutrient, needed by the body to build a huge number of structures, including hair shafts. However, when eaten in extreme quantities for instance, in a high protein diet, proteins can deplete the body of other vital nutrients - such as calcium and water. There may also be a link between high-protein diets, particularly animal protein, and the formation of plaque in the blood vessels, when plaque platelets become attached to the insides of blood vessels they can seriously cut down the flow of blood to all parts of your body, including your scalp.

Fatty foods

Many convenience foods contain too much low quality animal proteins and fat which can cause weak brittle hair that falls out easily. Always eat high quality, healthy fats such as omega 3 fatty acids which can be found in natural sources like nuts, salmon and olive oil.

Going on a low-fat diet and choosing 'low-fat alternatives' is just as harmful because, these days, many people who do not eat enough fat, or the right type of fat, and this can lead to problems such as premature aging, dry wrinkly skin and dry brittle hair that falls out easily.

When a food or food product is labeled as low in fat all the fat has been removed, but to make it palatable other ingredients have been added such as sugar, salt, chemicals and other additives.

Foods for healthy hair

Your hair needs many nutrients to remain healthy and lustrous. You can get most of them from everyday foods:

Zinc - Walnuts, pecans, cashews, almonds, oysters and wholegrains

Selenium - Brazil nuts

Calcium - Milk, yoghurt, cottage cheese

Omega 3 fatty acids - Salmon, walnuts and ground flax seeds

Iron - Poultry, lean meat, wholegrains, salmon

Biotin - Eggs, cauliflower, liver, avocado, and raspberries

Vitamin B12 - Eggs, wholegrains, salmon

Vitamin A - Carrots, dark green leafy vegetables

Vitamin C - Dark green leafy vegetables, citrus fruits

A healthy head of hair that bounces and shines is the result of good nutrition and although you cannot prevent seasonal hair loss you can reduce it and encourage the growth of healthy new hair to replace the hair that naturally falls out.

Daily brushing with a good quality bristle brush will help to remove dead hairs and massage your scalp at the same time. Brushing your hair stimulates blood flow to the scalp and encourages new growth. Try brushing your hair upside down to increase the blood flow even more.

If your diet is lacking in vital nutrients then Perfectil for skin, hair and nails will compliment your present hair care routine from the inside with essential vitamins and minerals to help maintain the overall appearance of your hair. While special shampoos and conditioners can help to retain the moisture levels in your hair, supplements work at a deeper level in the hair follicles where the real building and repair work takes place.

Combat the distressing effects of seasonal hair loss with Perfectil for skin hair and nails.

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