Best Laser Caps for Hair Loss

WAYS TO PREVENT AND STOP HAIR LOSS NATURALLY

We understand that not everyone can afford laser caps, so we wanted to provide some tips for trying to stop hair loss naturally...

Hair loss can be stressful, frustrating and embarrassing! Many people feel like they have to "just accept" that losing their hair is a natural part of aging. Don't worry, help is here. if you're worried about losing your hair, don't give in just yet.

There are many reasons that you may be experiencing hair loss, from stress to unbalanced diet to the dryness of your environment. The good news is that there are solutions.

Check out this list of simple, natural ways that you can prevent and stop hair loss at any age.

Moisturize and Hydrate

One reason that hair loss can happen is simply due to prolonged dryness. Do you live in an arid climate? Do you experience dandruff (even seasonally)? Do you feel that your hair is losing or has lost its natural shine? If you said yes, try moisturizing your scalp.

There are a few options for scalp moisturizing, so let's get into the details.

Jojoba oil

It sounds like the name of a child's stuffed animal, but jojoba is actually an amazing option for intensive, natural moisture. Just a few benefits of using this oil include:

• Relief from skin dryness and flaking
• Anti-inflammatory effects
• Reduces chafing and redness
• Can help hair cells reproduce faster

The best part is that jojoba oil is non-greasy, widely available and fairly inexpensive. To use it, simply warm some oil in your hands and massage it into your scalp, letting it sit for approximately 15 minutes before washing your hair.

Rosemary oil

If you're a fan of essential oils, you may already have rosemary oil in your cabinet, but you probably didn't know that it is great for treating thinning hair. Rosemary oil is great because it:

• Has amazing antiseptic properties
• Can lead to noticeable hair regrowth
• Can act as a natural scalp stimulant

Best of all, it smells wonderful. Especially if you have some on hand, trying out rosemary oil on your scalp can be a great way to moisturize your scalp, reduce hair loss and strengthen new growth.

Safflower oil

Safflower oil comes from the seeds of a plant that is native to Iran, India and parts of North America, and it is a common ingredient in lotions and conditions because of its moisturizing properties.

Safflower oil has historically been used to treat baldness and hair loss because it:

• Penetrates the skin easily
• Dilates the blood vessels that feed hair follicles to increase nourishment to them
• Creates a more healthy environment for stronger hair regrowth

To use safflower oil, you can apply it topically to your hair and scalp and let it sit for an hour a day before washing it out, or you can take it orally by making a tea of the leaves of the safflower plant.

Drink Plenty of Water

Hair is comprised of over 25% water, so make sure that you are staying hydrated. Drinking at least 8 cups of water a day is the most widely known recommendation, but it's just a minimum.

According to the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine, men should drink approximately 15 cups of water on a daily basis, while women should drink about 11 cups of water a day.

If this sounds like a lot, try slowly increasing your water intake to ensure you are hydrated enough to support healthy hair.

Avoid Heating and Drying

Keep your hair from getting too dry by reducing the heat you intentionally apply to it through blow drying, heat treating (curling or straightening) and other heat-based hair styling.

Instead, squeeze excess water from your hair with a microfiber towel and then let it air dry to reduce the drying effect of heat treatments and the breakage that can result from being too harsh with a standard bath towel.

Especially if you live in a dry or hot climate, make an effort to drink that water to ensure your entire body is super hydrated. Hydrating well can help to support overall hair growth and hair health.

Avoid Extra Hot Showers

Hot showers can be very drying, because they strip the moisture from your scalp and hair. When your hair doesn't have enough moisture, it can begin to thin and eventually result in baldness.

Strive for warm showers, and make sure you do not let the water get scalding. Some people enjoy a really hot shower, so if you are one of those people, you may need to sacrifice that enjoyment in the interest of preventing hair loss.

Improve Your Diet

If your scalp is fairly moisturized already, you may need to get more protein, vitamins or minerals in your diet. Diet plays a huge role in whether your body is healthy and your hair is a major part in that equation.

Even if you think about your diet and are vegan or vegetarian, for example, you may need a little more awareness about intake of protein, iron and vitamins. Here are a few ways to improve your diet to get strong hair that doesn't thin out:

Get More Protein

Hair is made of keratin, which is comprised of proteins that people typically get from their diet. Lack of protein can cause hair to stop growing, fall out or get thinner. Here are a few great sources of protein to add to your diet:

• Eggs, which are 7 grams of protein each
• Chicken, which comes in at 20 grams for just 4 ounces
• Cottage cheese, great for vegetarians at 13 grams a serving
• Beans, great for vegans (and anyone else too!) at 11 grams per cup
• Clean protein supplements like protein powders and protein bars. These even come in vegan and vegetarian options!

You can also use protein directly on your scalp; specifically, you can put an egg masque on your scalp. This is a proven natural remedy to help treat or prevent hair loss because of the high levels of protein in eggs and the way those proteins bond to hair follicles. Here's the one-two-three:

1. Get a bowl and mix together one egg with a tablespoon of olive oil
2. Wash your hair with shampoo, then put the egg masque in your damp hair for 10 minutes (improve the effect by using a shower cap for this step)
3. Rinse the egg masque out and use a mild conditioner afterward.

Increase Your Iron Intake

Iron deficiency is a common cause of hair breakage and loss, especially if you don't eat enough green, leafy vegetables, or if you are a vegetarian or someone avoiding red meat.

Women should be getting at least 18mg of iron daily up to age 50, and at least 8mg of iron after age 50. If you aren't getting enough iron, speak to your doctor about getting assessed for iron deficiency.

If you are deficient in iron, you can start taking iron supplements and increasing your intake of iron-rich foods that can support hair health and regrowth. Here are a few great ways to increase iron in your diet:

• Enjoy a lobster dinner - all shellfish are very rich in iron and delicious to boot!
• Make a big spinach or kale salad with strawberries for dinner
• Eat red meat, but not more than once or twice a week
• Get an over-the-counter iron supplement and take it with citrus, which improves bioavailability and absorption of the iron

Take Your Vitamins

Vitamins and minerals are critical for supporting healthy hair, especially vitamin A, which encourages healthy scalp production of its natural oils, vitamin B (which contributes to hair maintaining its color even as you age) and vitamin E, which is well known for its moisturizing effects.

Of course, you can always take vitamin supplements like your mom told you to, but these vitamins are also naturally occurring in the following foods:

Foods High in Vitamin A

• Fish like cod and tuna contain 100% of the daily recommended intake of Vitamin A in a single serving
• Butternut squash and sweet potato contain nearly half the daily recommended amount
• Spinach, kale and other green leafy vegetables contain 98% of the daily recommendation for vitamin A in just one cup of greens.

Foods High In Vitamin B
There are eight different B vitamins, so eating a variety of foods from this list can help you get all the nutrients needed to support healthy hair growth and stop hair loss and balding.

• Whole grains and legumes
• Nuts and seeds, like sunflower seeds and almonds
• Citrus fruits, bananas and avocados

Foods High In Vitamin E
Adults should intake about 15mg of vitamin E as a daily minimum, according to USDA recommendations. Try these foods high in Vitamin E to naturally prevent hair loss:

• Sunflower seeds contain 35mg of vitamin E in a 100 gram serving
• Almonds have 25 mg of vitamin E in a 100 gram serving
• Peanuts have 5mg of vitamin E per 100 gram serving

Try Unique Natural Remedies

People all over the world have been trying to combat hair loss naturally for thousands of years. Trying a few of these lesser known natural remedies can help you ensure that your hair doesn't get thinner and fall out.

Onion Juice

It may sound strange, but this old home remedy has actually been proven to work scientifically.

In a study published by the Journal of Dermatology, over 90% of participants who applied onion juice to their scalps twice daily saw improvement in their hair after just 6 weeks. To try it yourself, apply onion juice for 15 minutes, then wash it out.

A few reasons that onion juice works:
1. It promotes collagen regeneration
2. It increases blood circulation to hair follicles
3. The sulfur content is a powerful antibacterial

Garlic Paste

Garlic is a popular remedy for all kinds of ailments, so it should come as no surprise that people have tried it to manage hair loss. Much like onion, garlic has antioxidants, vitamins and minerals that condition the scalp, stimulating hair growth.

To try garlic paste, create a paste of garlic cloves in your blender or food processor and apply it to the scalp overnight, before washing it out in the morning with a mild shampoo and conditioner.

Apple Cider Vinegar

Another in the standby list of home remedies, apple cider vinegar is especially good for de-clogging hair follicles that are prone to bacterial invasion. When hair follicles are clogged, they are unable to receive the healthy oils in your scalp.

Clogged follicles can eventually cause hair loss and even baldness. To prevent this from happening or help fix the problem, rinse your hair with a mix of apple cider vinegar and water a few times a week.

Aloe Vera

Aloe Vera is yet another great natural home remedy for everything from sunburn to hair loss. If your scalp is irritated or inflamed, or if you have clogged follicles, aloe vera can correct these concerns.

To use it, simply apply an aloe vera gel directly to your scalp and allow it to dry fully before washing it out, or find a mild shampoo that contains aloe vera.

Get Better at Stress Management

It's true that the hormone cortisol, a stress response hormone, can actually contribute to turning your hair gray or making it fall out. Learning how to manage your stress better is a way to naturally prevent hair loss.

Reduce Alcoholic Beverage Intake

Alcohol is one common way to cope with stress, but it also reduces hair growth. If you regularly drink alcohol and keeping a great head of hair is a priority for you, consider reducing your alcohol intake to help reduce hair loss.

Stop Smoking

Every smoker knows that smoking is a bad habit, but did you also know that it can result in hair loss or thinning? It's true: smoking not only poisons your lungs, but it also blocks many of the beneficial nutrients that hair needs to grow.

Quitting smoking will add years to your life and help you to improve the health of your hair. Instead of managing stress with smoking or alcohol, try some of the following options for better stress control:


Meditation: because learning to control your mind is a critical aspect of learning how to reduce your stress response to situations you can't control.

Meditating can be as simple as focusing on your breath for a full minute and is scientifically proven to significantly reduce stress.

Therapy or counseling: because it's helpful to let your problems out, rather than letting those problems simmer inside and build up stress that can cause hair loss.

Talking to a trusted friend or speaking with a licensed therapist can help you to feel a little more calm and able to make sense of the things that worry you.

Physical activity: because getting your heart rate up is a proven way to release feel-good endorphins into your bloodstream and reduce your stress levels.

Take 15 minutes to go for a jog or start practicing a few yoga poses the next time you think you can feel your hair turning grey. Soon, you'll be feeling much more relaxed and in control.

Mindfulness practices: because being able to relax yourself and get your blood pressure down in a stressful moment will reduce your hair loss or stop it from graying too soon.

Mindfulness isn't the same as meditation, although they are similar in some ways. Mindfulness is really just about finding ways to be more present in your daily life, which can help reduce stress and increase hair health.

Be Kind to Your Hair

Many people are too rough with their hair, causing breakage, damage, hair loss and even balding. There are many ways that hair abuse happens, so make sure you aren't harming your hair by doing the things in the list below.

Mistakes to avoid:

Using Harsh Products

Using harsh hair products is a common way that hair ends up damaged and thinning. For example if you are using a shampoo or conditioner that contains alcohol as an ingredient, you are inadvertently drying your hair out.

Natural is better, especially when it comes to caring for your delicate hair. If you're focused on protecting your hair, get rid of products that contain alcohol, parabens and other chemical products as ingredients.

Instead, find a mild shampoo and conditioner that are made with natural, organic ingredients that stimulate hair health like jojoba oil or coconut milk. This will help prevent hair loss and encourage thickening.

Brushing Wet Hair
When your hair is wet, it stretches and is more easily damaged by things that don't harm dry hair, like brushing. Brushing your hair when it is wet can pull and damage the fragile strands of keratin.

This results in frizzy hair, hair breakage and over time, eventual hair loss or even baldness. Instead of brushing when wet, use a wide-toothed comb to detangle and then let your hair air dry, which will help prevent hair damage and loss.

Sleeping on Loose Hair
If you have long hair, don't sleep on it when it is loose. When you have loose hair on the pillow and move during the night, you end up breaking and damaging the keratin shields that protect your hair.

Instead, braid your hair loosely at night, being careful not to pull it tightly, which can also result in hair breakage. You can also try wearing long hair up in a night cap or hair turban made of soft microfiber.

Taking these precautions will help you to protect your hair even during the night, ensuring that you avoid tearing or damaging your hair in a way that can lead to hair loss or balding.

Environmental Chemicals

Even if you make sure to use mild, natural hair products, the modern world is full of harmful chemicals that can enter our bodies and harm our hair. Try to reduce the chemical products in your home, including toxic cleaning products.

When you can reduce your exposure to chemicals, you are also helping to create the most healthy environment for your hair. This prevents against and can stop premature hair loss.

A few common sources of environmental household chemicals:

• Auto supplies
• Cleaning supplies (like drain cleaners, bleach, ammonia or borax
• Antifreeze

Tight Hair Styles

Wearing longer hair in very tight hair styles is damaging to the hair and can result in hair loss over time. This is because tight hair styles pull at the fine hairs around the face.

As a result, hair loss happens as the weakened hair strands eventually break from these tight hair styles, causing the hairline to get pushed back from the hair that has been lost.

A few of these damaging hair styles include:

• Tight buns (think ballerina buns)
• Tight braids, including cornrows
• Tight ponytails and other tight styles

Instead of tight hair styles, opt for wearing your hair down more often or wear it in a loose style of braid or chignon that doesn't pull as much as other styles can do.

Dramatic Color and Style Changes

Many people like to experiment with changing the their hair significantly, but hair coloring, perming and chemical straightening can be very damaging to hair and cause significant hair loss. Avoid coloring your hair to prevent this kind of hair loss.

Instead of coloring, perming or chemically straightening your hair, experiment with different styles and cuts to express your individuality, or opt for non-permanent hair dyes made from more natural ingredients. These products don't last as long, but they do protect against hair loss.

Sun Exposure Damage

Did you know that UV radiation is not only bad for the skin, but it's also terrible for your hair? It's true. Studies show that UV radiation is responsible for protein deterioration in the hair and for reducing the color intensity of hair.

Protein deterioration in the hair results in weaker, less healthy hair that becomes dry, brittle and prone to thinning. A few ways to protect your hair from the sun include:

• Using hair sunscreen spray: Yes, hair SPF is really a thing and can be found at your local drugstore.
• Wearing a hat: try a floppy brimmed hat or a fun safari hat to jazz up your style, or go for a cozy beret during winter to protect your hair from the sun.
• Carrying a parasol or umbrella: a great option for rain or shine. On sunny days, use an umbrella to keep your hair from getting sun damaged and prevent hair loss.

Bad Sleeping Habits

Sleep is critical to having a healthy life and healthy body, including healthy hair. People who don't get enough sleep tend to go grey sooner and lose their hair faster.

If you don't have good sleep habits, it's time to start developing them to protect your hair, if nothing else. Establishing good sleep habits can help you feel more energized, be more productive and protect your hair from hair loss that comes along with being sleep deprived.

Here are a few ways to practice good sleep hygiene:

• Give yourself a bedtime and stick to it. Sleep happens better when it's on a schedule, so set a time to go to bed and a time to get up and train yourself.
• Avoid screens for an hour before bed. The blue light emitted by televisions, iPads, and even your phone can stimulate the brain and keep you up longer at night.
• Sleep in a dark, cool room. Pitch black at 68 degrees Fahrenheit is considered the ideal sleeping conditions that can help you make the most of your hours of shut eye.

Conclusion

There are dozens of ways to naturally prevent and stop hair loss, from managing environmental factors to addressing your diet and breaking common bad habits that can impact the health of your hair.

Increasing your protein, vitamin and mineral intake is just one piece of the puzzle, as is learning to manage stress better and protecting your hair from chemicals, dyes and the sun. Taking a holistic view of caring for your hair will help you to have a beautiful, healthy head of hair for many years to come.