6 Simple New Year’s Resolutions For Healthy Hair

Written by Rali Bozhinova, Superintendent Trichologist, The Belgravia Centre

Another year is gone. A year full of memories, time spent with your loved ones, goals you’ve achieved and some that you’ve scheduled in your mind for next year. Welcoming the new year always gives that exciting and motivating feeling of a new positive beginning, a chance to reflect on the past 12 months and plan for the next 12. ‘New year, new me’ might sound daunting, but making a list of simple and feasible goals can help you go a long way.

Resolution 1: Cook Something New Each Month

Everyone should have a balanced diet but it also has to be diverse. This will help you eat a wide variety of foods and consume all the important nutrients required for your hair and skin. Trying to cook something new at least once a month will make dinner planning more interesting and help you explore new recipes. Including fresh fruits and vegetables will also help you absorb all the wonderful vitamins that may otherwise get lost during the cooking process.

The cells in your hair follicles require energy so they can grow and make hair fibre. This energy comes from the nutrients that you consume daily. Having dietary deficiencies such as low vitamin D or low iron can slow down your hair growth and even contribute to conditions such as telogen effluvium, or worsen pre-existing male pattern hair loss or female pattern hair loss. Vitamin D deficiency has also been associated with alopecia areata and scarring alopecia.

To ensure that you have a balanced diet, you should aim to include the following:

 

• Fresh fruits and vegetables such as blueberries, pomegranates, and spinach
• High-fibre starchy foods such as potatoes, pasta, and rice
• Dairy or dairy alternatives such as goat’s milk, oat milk, and soya yoghurts
• Protein-rich foods such as meat, eggs, and pulses
• Unsaturated oils and spreads such as olive oil, pumpkin seed oil, and avocados
• At least 6-8 glasses of water per day

Resolution 2: Prioritise Yourself

No matter how busy your life is, you should find a few minutes just for yourself to help you decompress, manage your life stressors better, and mostly, stay in good mental health. Being under severe stress may not be the only reason why people experience hair loss, but poorly managed stress can lead to a number of other problems such as not eating or sleeping well, and overall, not looking after yourself. Sometimes this can trigger changes in the hair cycle and you may experience increased hair shedding. If you already have a hair loss condition, the increased shedding may aggravate it further.

 

To help you manage stress better, you can try the following:

 

• Go for a walk more often
• Exercise
• Engage in your hobbies
• Talk to your friends and family
• Practise mindfulness

 

Resolution 3: Do Not Ignore Your Health

Don’t forget that if you have any health concerns, you should contact your doctor promptly so they can be addressed. There are many health conditions that can lead to hair loss and you should therefore keep yourself in good health if you want your hair to stay healthy, too. Some common health conditions that can contribute to hair loss include:

Changes In Your Thyroid Function

Your thyroid gland is responsible for your metabolism, energy, sleep, weight, and hormonal balance in your body. Under- or over-active thyroid that is left untreated very often leads to hair loss

Inflammatory Bowel Disease

There are many types of inflammatory bowel diseases and if they are left untreated, you won’t absorb all nutrients from your diet and this will lead to multiple dietary deficiencies such as anaemia, low iron, low vitamin D, and low vitamin B12

Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome

Also known as PCOS, this condition is fairly common in women and can lead to hormonal changes, fertility problems, weight gain, and hair loss. Women with PCOS often experience female pattern hair loss which requires ongoing treatment

Severe Dietary Deficiencies

Your hair growth cycle is dependent on various vitamins, minerals, and amino acids to grow your hair long and healthy. Any disturbance in this process can cause increased hair shedding and aggravate underlying hair loss conditions

Severe Scalp Infections

If scalp infections are left untreated, they can cause serious irritation, scaling, itching, hair breakage, hair loss, and sometimes, permanent scars. If you are suspecting a scalp infection, you should speak with your GP or dermatologist

Resolution 4: Be Kind To Your Hair

In the new year try to be kinder to your hair and embrace your natural locks more often.  The constant use of straighteners, harsh hair products, and ignoring your hair needs can dry your hair, leading to breakage, scalp irritation, and hair loss. To help you be kinder to your hair, we recommend:

Trim The Split Ends

If you notice split ends, visit your hairdresser more often so they can be removed. This will help you reduce hair tangling and further breakage, it will also make your hair appear healthier and shinier

Brush Gently

When detangling your hair, try using a wide-toothed comb or a detangling brush to help you detangle your hair more gently. Start from the ends and gradually work your way up to the roots

Wash Off Your Products

If you use products such as gel, wax, and hair spray, don’t forget to shampoo regularly and remove those products from your hair. Otherwise, the build-up on your scalp can be irritating and your hair can look rough and messy after a while

Stop The Thermal Trauma

Avoid using strong heat on a regular basis such as that from hair straighteners

Slow Down With The Chemical Trauma

Reduce the chemical trauma applied to your hair from bleach, relaxers, and perms

Reduce The Physical Trauma

 

Avoid the use of extensions and tight clips. Reduce the physical trauma caused by tight hairstyles such as tight ponytails, buns, and braids. Of course, you can still style your hair, but consider leaving the roots looser and remember that if your hairstyle gives you a headache, you should loosen it as it can give you traction alopecia, too.

 

Resolution 5: Do Not Fall For Hair Myths

There are many hair myths that you may find online but falling for them can sometimes cause you more harm than good. To help you stay away from the most common myths, please rest assured that:

It’s Okay To Wear Hats And Helmets

This is of course, as long as they are not so tight that they are harming your scalp or pulling your hair while you wear them. Wearing a hat can be actually beneficial for your hair as it will protect you from the sun and from the harsh weather in winter.

It’s Okay To Shampoo Often

You should adapt your shampoo frequency to your hair type, scalp oiliness, routine, and lifestyle. However, you should never avoid shampooing with the aim to reduce hair loss. Regular shampooing keeps your scalp clean and healthy, reduces itching and dandruff, and helps to keep your hair in good condition.

It’s Okay To Exercise

Regular exercising brings so many benefits that will improve your health, that you should never worry about hair loss while you exercise. Exercising can improve your mental health, your blood circulation, and your metabolism. All of this combined is likely to help you keep healthier hair

It’s Okay To Style Your Hair

Just do this in moderation. Choose loose hairstyles, use heat protectors, avoid damaging techniques such as bleaching, tight braids, and daily hair straighteners, and wash off the build-up of styling products from your hair regularly.

It’s Okay If You See Early Signs Of Hair Loss At A Young Age

Just because your relatives experienced hair loss later in life, doesn’t mean that you are immune to it. There are many myths about this, and it’s important to understand that there is no rule that hair loss should come from one particular member of your family, or at a specific age. There are many types of hair loss and each one can happen for a different reason. Additionally, genetic hair loss can start at any age after puberty and does not have to be obvious in your immediate family. However, it’s okay if you see signs of hair loss because treating any hair loss condition early makes you more likely to have a positive outcome and the hair loss specialists at The Belgravia Centre can offer you bespoke treatments and a huge amount of support.

Resolution 6: If You See Hair Loss, Talk To An Expert  

If you have noticed any signs of hair thinning or hair loss, it is important that you talk to an expert as soon as possible. They will examine your hair, discuss your medical history, lifestyle, and hair care routine, and give you treatment recommendations tailored to your specific case. To help you get a head start, follow these steps:

If you just want to ask a question:

• Call us on 020 7730 6666 and ask to speak with a hair loss specialist or
• Get in touch with us online

If you would like to book a free consultation at our Central London clinic:

• Call us on 020 7730 6666 and ask to book an appointment or
• Request a clinic appointment by contacting us online
• You can collect your medication on the day of your appointment, or we can post it to you

If you would like to have an online consultation:

• Complete an online consultation form – this will take you 5-10 minutes
• We will get in touch with you on the same or next day and help you book a Zoom consultation with a hair loss specialist
• We can post your medication to most parts of the world

The Belgravia Centre’s pharmacy is dedicated to preparing bespoke treatment formulations tailored to our patients. Medications are prepared in oral or topical forms of various strengths and with various additives to maximise their effectiveness. This helps us choose a treatment plan that suits your type and severity of hair loss, your medical history, and your lifestyle. Additionally, our qualified hair loss specialists are available 7 days a week to support you with advice and answer your questions.

Take a look through our hair regrowth photo gallery – which is the largest gallery of its kind in the world and contains over 1,000 sets of hair growth photos and verified reviews from patients of The Belgravia Centre. You can filter the photos by pattern and severity of hair loss so you can find similar cases to your own.