Age, genetics, hormonal imbalance, and medication are some of the common causes of hair loss. While most of them are uncontrollable, ongoing research indicates environmental factors can contribute to male pattern baldness. At the Advanced Medical Hair Institute, we consider all possibilities before creating a comprehensive treatment plan.
How Can Environmental Factors Contribute To Hair Loss?
Good genes and young age are not a guarantee that your hair will remain healthy. Your daily routine and hobbies could play a role in your hair loss. These factors include:
- Stress
When you experience stress, your body secretes cortisol in response. Such hormones inhibit new hair growth by prematurely forcing some hair follicles into a resting phase. This situation leads to telogen effluvium, a condition that causes your hair to fall while washing or combing.
Stress, anxiety, depression, or other mental issues might also cause trichotillomania, a disorder that prompts one to pull hair. Severe stress may result in alopecia areata. This autoimmune condition haphazardly interferes with the hair growth cycle, resulting in patches of hair loss.
- Harmful hairstyling methods
Most everyday hair styling products are safe because they’ve undergone rigorous regulatory testing. However, as men focus more on grooming, they’re also likely to adopt harmful practices. One of them is damage from overusing heat styling appliances, which results in hair breakage.
Avoid using too much dye, as well as pulling too tightly while styling. Although brushing your hair also stimulates the scalp, doing so too aggressively can be counterproductive. If you must apply any chemicals, ensure the procedure is done by a skilled professional.
- Poor diet
Protein is an essential nutrient for hair growth. Sugar-rich junk food, as well as a strictly vegan diet, might deny your follicles the nourishment they need. Certain types of fish, such as mackerel, swordfish, and sharks, contain high levels of mercury that may adversely affect your hair.
There are several healthy diet options you can adopt for thicker, darker, and healthier hair. They include water, salmon, vegetables, freshly squeezed juice, peanut butter, and Greek yogurt. They ensure your body receives crucial nutrients such as Vitamins, Omega-3, iron, proteins, and calcium. The trick is to eat a varied, healthy, and balanced diet.
- Unhealthy lifestyle habits
According to research, smoking can damage your hair by adversely affecting the DNA of your hair follicle. Repeated exposure to second-hand smoking can also cause these issues. In addition to benefiting your lungs, quitting smoking is also good for your hair.
Alcohol abuse may not directly cause hair loss, but it’s a contributing factor because excessive consumption leads to dehydration. Over time, your hair starts thinning due to dry follicles. Another adverse effect of alcohol use is high acidity, which ultimately depletes protein stores.
- Environmental pollution
There’s a range of pollutants that can contribute to hair loss, including air and waterborne toxins. If you live in a highly polluted environment, you may develop sensitive scalp syndrome, whose symptoms include an oily scalp, itching, pain in the hair roots, and dandruff.
You can reduce exposure by covering your hair while in such environments. Another solution is washing the hair to remove any toxins.
Luckily these environmental factors rarely cause permanent hair loss. You’ll notice positive results a few months after implementing some changes. They include quitting alcohol and smoking, adopting a healthy diet, and taking better care of your hair. Regular workouts will also help you manage stressful situations.
Contact Las Vegas Hair Restoration Expert
At the Advanced Medical Hair Institute, we have a reputation for providing advanced hair treatment solutions. Our lead surgeon, Dr. Joseph Williams, performs comprehensive tests to ensure he pinpoints the cause of hair loss. His skill, experience, and tech-savviness allow him to recommend customized, high-quality, and natural-looking procedures. Please schedule a consultation today for more information.
