How Some New Year's Resolutions May Cause Hair Loss
It's the time of year when everyone is full of good intentions and primed for the annual challenge of making - and sticking to - New Year's Resolutions. But what you may not realise is how some of January's most common goals may affect your hair's health, or even cause hair loss.
Here we examine a few of the most popular New Year's Resolutions and look at which can help hair health, and which may involve exercising caution in order to prevent them having a negative impact on your hair.
After the festive party season many people choose to have a 'dry January', avoiding alcohol and giving their livers a bit of a rest. But did you know that giving up drinking could also help improve the health of your hair? Alcohol consumption may dull the hair's appearance, whilst heavy drinking and hair loss are also thought to be linked. Hair loss caused by artificial additives is also a concern for drinkers, given they can be found some types of alcohol, including beer and whisky.
If you're looking to shed your festive season chub, make sure you take a healthy approach to weight loss as crash diets and rapid weight loss can cause hair loss. Extreme dieters often report their hair falling out as drastic new regimes shock their follicles into temporarily halting hair growth. This can be due to telogen effluvium or the autoimmune disorder Alopecia Areata. For those considering surgical options, it is worth understanding that hair loss can also occur after weight loss surgery. Take a balanced, sensible approach to weight loss in order to avoid these types of side effects and try to include foods that help hair health in your eating plan.
Stopping smoking is always a good idea. Smoking causes numerous serious and potentially fatal diseases, as well as being linked to hair loss. Smoking can exacerbate genetic hair loss and can also cause your hair to appear dull and brittle so giving up can only be good for your hair as well as your health in general. There are many organisations who can help you to quit smoking, or you may choose to start 'vaping' (using an e-cigarette) in order to help kick the habit.
Exercise is important for our physical and mental wellbeing, however, if taken to extremes, it can cause health complications, including hair loss from excessive exercise. Make sure you take advice from a doctor or exercise professional before embarking on a new workout routine to ensure you understand your limits as, when done safely, exercise may help to improve your hair's health. Another area associated with exercise, particularly weightlifting, is the use of protein shakes and performance enhancers such as creatine, which have been linked to hair loss, especially in men, so caution is advised as alternative boosters are available.
As the pressures of modern life increase s0 too does the amount of early-onset male pattern baldness and female pattern hair loss, as well as other temporary conditions which can cause thinning hair. With this in mind, it's proving increasingly important to regularly take time out to avoid stress - a known cause of hair loss. This can be as easy as getting enough sleep, attending yoga classes or practicing meditation, but don't discount the simple pleasure of spending time with friends. Recent studies show that men who spend time with their male friends are less stressed, which may well benefit their hairlines too!
Whatever your resolutions, we wish you the best of luck with them. And should seeking treatment for hair loss be on your To Do list, simply call 020 7730 6666 or send us a message to book your free hair loss consultation. Alternatively, if you are unable to attend one of our Central London clinics, you can complete an Online Consultation for our home-use service. Once one of Belgravia's specialists has diagnosed your hair loss condition, they will talk you through the treatment options available and formulate a bespoke programme to help you regrow your hair, featuring clinically-proven medications and additional hair growth boosters.
Here we examine a few of the most popular New Year's Resolutions and look at which can help hair health, and which may involve exercising caution in order to prevent them having a negative impact on your hair.
Give Up Drinking
After the festive party season many people choose to have a 'dry January', avoiding alcohol and giving their livers a bit of a rest. But did you know that giving up drinking could also help improve the health of your hair? Alcohol consumption may dull the hair's appearance, whilst heavy drinking and hair loss are also thought to be linked. Hair loss caused by artificial additives is also a concern for drinkers, given they can be found some types of alcohol, including beer and whisky.
Lose Weight
If you're looking to shed your festive season chub, make sure you take a healthy approach to weight loss as crash diets and rapid weight loss can cause hair loss. Extreme dieters often report their hair falling out as drastic new regimes shock their follicles into temporarily halting hair growth. This can be due to telogen effluvium or the autoimmune disorder Alopecia Areata. For those considering surgical options, it is worth understanding that hair loss can also occur after weight loss surgery. Take a balanced, sensible approach to weight loss in order to avoid these types of side effects and try to include foods that help hair health in your eating plan.
Stop Smoking
Stopping smoking is always a good idea. Smoking causes numerous serious and potentially fatal diseases, as well as being linked to hair loss. Smoking can exacerbate genetic hair loss and can also cause your hair to appear dull and brittle so giving up can only be good for your hair as well as your health in general. There are many organisations who can help you to quit smoking, or you may choose to start 'vaping' (using an e-cigarette) in order to help kick the habit.
Exercise More
Exercise is important for our physical and mental wellbeing, however, if taken to extremes, it can cause health complications, including hair loss from excessive exercise. Make sure you take advice from a doctor or exercise professional before embarking on a new workout routine to ensure you understand your limits as, when done safely, exercise may help to improve your hair's health. Another area associated with exercise, particularly weightlifting, is the use of protein shakes and performance enhancers such as creatine, which have been linked to hair loss, especially in men, so caution is advised as alternative boosters are available.
Take Time To Relax
As the pressures of modern life increase s0 too does the amount of early-onset male pattern baldness and female pattern hair loss, as well as other temporary conditions which can cause thinning hair. With this in mind, it's proving increasingly important to regularly take time out to avoid stress - a known cause of hair loss. This can be as easy as getting enough sleep, attending yoga classes or practicing meditation, but don't discount the simple pleasure of spending time with friends. Recent studies show that men who spend time with their male friends are less stressed, which may well benefit their hairlines too!
Whatever your resolutions, we wish you the best of luck with them. And should seeking treatment for hair loss be on your To Do list, simply call 020 7730 6666 or send us a message to book your free hair loss consultation. Alternatively, if you are unable to attend one of our Central London clinics, you can complete an Online Consultation for our home-use service. Once one of Belgravia's specialists has diagnosed your hair loss condition, they will talk you through the treatment options available and formulate a bespoke programme to help you regrow your hair, featuring clinically-proven medications and additional hair growth boosters.
The Belgravia Centre
The Belgravia Centre is a world-renowned group of a hair loss clinic in Central London, UK. If you are worried about hair loss you can arrange a free consultation with a hair loss expert or complete our Online Consultation from anywhere in the world for home-use treatment.
View our Hair Loss Success Stories, which includes the world's largest gallery of hair growth photos and demonstrates the level of success that so many of Belgravia's patients achieve.
