Most women rarely think about hair loss — after all, that's something that only happens to men, right?
Well, as it turns out, everyone is vulnerable to hair loss, and women become more and more aware of this as they age and lose some of their bountiful locks along the way.
In other words, it can come as a rude shock to lots of women when they have their first baby or go through a stressful experience at work and suddenly start experiencing hair loss.
We think it's about time to address the stigma — just like this mom with alopecia does every day — and have a frank conversation about what causes hair loss and what we can do to prevent it.
There are plenty of situations where women have learned to embrace the "bald is beautiful" mantra, and we agree 100 percent.
Still, lots of women might be losing their hair unnecessarily by falling into a few bad habits, so we think everyone should know what these behaviors are!
Thumbnail Photo: Wikimedia Commons
Hair Loss 101
So what exactly is hair loss for women?
Conceptually, it's simple enough: losing hair mass without growing it back again. This results in thin hair or bald patches.
It happens for a few different reasons, but often, hair loss in women is just a normal byproduct of aging and losing some of the hormones that give us lush locks during our childbearing years.
However, lots of us unintentionally make our hair loss worse, usually by not taking care of it, or taking care of it in a way that's actually damaging.
Read on below to learn more about every day habits that could be costing you your hair.
Mistake #1: Tying It Tightly
If you have long hair, there's a good chance you spend a lot of time sweeping your locks up into a ponytail or messy bun just to get them out of your face.
Unfortunately, tying your hair back all the time has an unpleasant side effect: traction alopecia.
When you repeatedly tug on your hair in the same spots, it will start to pull up at the roots, and the follicle itself may eventually wither away or scar.
If you wear your hair up often, or frequently wear it in a braided design, it's a good idea to cycle out these styles from time to time in favor of loose looks that put less tension on the root.
Mistake #2: Neglecting It
You hair deserves a good spa day from time to time, especially if it's feeling a little bit fragile!
Lots of women fall into the bad habit of just shampooing and conditioning their hair, but your locks need more love than that.
You hair will be much happier and healthier if you trim the ends regularly, and give it occasional hydrating masques of nutrient and vitamin-rich ingredient like avocado, seaweed, and honey.
Mistake #3: Coloring And Treating It
We know, we know, you can't just skip your monthly trip to the salon!
Still, it's time to consider cutting back on how often you treat your hair, as it's not meant to be subjected to heat and harsh chemicals. This fact only grows more true as hair strands start to thin.
If you color your hair, you may want to consider going gray or switching to gentler products.
If you perm, curl, blow-dry or otherwise heat treat your hair, try to save those techniques for only special occasions and find less harsh ways to style those locks.
Mistake #4: Drying It Artificially
One of the best things you can do for your hair is just let it air dry, instead of subjecting it to lots of processes to get it dry.
Blow-drying dries out your hair and makes it brittle, while towel drying tugs at the roots and can cause breakage.
Instead, after washing, pat it dry with a clean cotton t-shirt (no rough toweling), and gently comb it with your fingers, then let it air dry — this works best if you can shower at night to give it plenty of time to dry.
Mistake #5: Ignoring Underlying Problems
Thinning hair isn't always related to over-treatment, or even to the hormonal fluctuations of age — sometimes there's an underlying problem at work.
Maybe you have dandruff that causes you to pick your scalp subconsciously; maybe there's undetected psoriasis on your scalp that's keeping hair from flourishing.
Whatever the issue, it's important that you get underlying conditions treated by your GP or by a dermatologist in order to give your hair a better shot at getting healthy.
Mistake #6: Over-Brushing It
You know how Grandma always used to tell you to brush your hair 100 strokes every day? Well, no offense to Grandma, but she is way off the mark here.
Brushing your hair is healthy, especially because it can stimulate the scalp and send blood to the follicles to boost hair productions.
Brushing your hair excessively, however, just pulls healthy hair out by the root and causes it to thin over time.
Mistake #7: Skipping Professional Advice
Sometimes, hair loss has a deeper root cause (no pun intended!) than just mistreating it.
Hair loss can be a symptom of serious medical conditions, or it can be genetic female pattern baldness.
In both of these cases, taking the above steps might reduce and slow hair loss, but it won't help it grow back.
For that, you need to talk to your doctor and get an expert opinion.
What major hair-care sins did we forget? Let us know in the comments, and don't forget to SHARE with all the lovely ladies in your life!
