With so many hair loss treatments on the market, you’d be forgiven for thinking thinning hair would soon be a thing of the past, but according to those in the know hair loss affects more of us now than ever before.
And it’s not just male-pattern baldness that’s taking an upward trajectory – hair loss in women is on the rise as well. So what’s behind this so-called baldness epidemic? Well, theories abound, but there are a few things that most hair loss experts agree are probably contributing to the problem:
Diet and lifestyle factors
These days, we lead busy lives and that means we often don’t have much time to look after ourselves. With limited leisure time, we often consume fast food or junky snacks rather than cooking a meal and this can leave us lacking in vital nutrients that contribute to healthy hair growth. Smoking, excessive alcohol consumption and even birth control can all play a part in premature balding, too.
Stress and hair loss
This is a biggie. Stress is a known cause of hair loss, both indirectly – as it tends to lead to or exacerbate many of the lifestyle factors mentioned above – and directly. We are all much more stressed now than we used to be, which is in part due to the massive technological advances that have been made over the past half century.
Because everyone now has a smartphone and/or tablet, that means we can receive and deal with work-related calls and emails at any time of day or night – and because we can we feel we ought to – which in turn means we never properly switch off.
Fashion
It might sound unlikely, but changing fashion does have a role to play in hair loss. Of course it isn’t relevant to everyone, but the recent trends for hair extensions, cornrows, dreadlocks and even the “man bun” all put strain on the hair follicles. When worn long term, these hairstyles can all lead to hair loss.
What can we do?
If you are not yet losing your hair, but are concerned about doing so in future, you would be well advised to take a good look at your lifestyle, try to improve your diet and reduce any unnecessary stress.
If your hair has started thinning already, why not visit a hair loss expert for advice? There are myriad remedies available to help reduce or even reverse hair loss, or you could style it out with scalp micropigmentation (SMP).
