NERD ALERT: Understanding Hair Loss
Hi Beautiful,
Ever feel like your always leaving a trail of hair behind? While shedding is common, normal, and frankly inevitable (within 50-100 strands/day), experiencing a significant increase in hair loss may indicate health problems overall. Read on to discover the causes - and remedies - to thinning locks.
Why Am I Losing So Much Hair?
More often than not, discovering an abnormally clogged shower drain (or brittle nails and pesky breakouts) can be linked to heightened stress levels. And while keeping that work/life balance in symbiosis may actually make you want to pull your hair out, a significant increase in hair loss is typically brought on by a stressful, traumatic incident that occurred 2-3 months prior.
The loss of a loved one, losing a job, undergoing surgery or childbirth, or recovering from an illness are all reasons you may experience extreme hair loss, or otherwise known as, telogen effluvium. This is because while hair follicles usually have a life cycle of growth, transition, resting, and separating from the hair shaft, high stress triggers the resting stage - thus accelerating shedding. And while this is super annoying and may make you feel even more stressed - rest assured knowing that this type of hair loss is usually only temporary, and new growth typically resumes within 3-6 months.
Why else is your hairbrush covered in hair? Turns out, a lack of Vitamin D, hormone imbalance, menopause, chronic disease, and even over-supplementation of certain nutrients, like excess Vitamin A, can be linked to hair loss. Plus, brushing hair while wet (and in it’s most vulnerable state) and tying hair back in the same spot, every day, can further contribute to unwanted breakage.
So, What Can I Do?
When experiencing hair loss, it’s super important to discuss this issue with your doctor as it may indicate an underlying medical problem. You may be asked to take some lab tests like Ferritin (a test for iron levels), Vitamin D, and TSH (a thyroid-stimulating hormone test that ensures your thyroid is balanced) to ensure everything is as it should be.
The good news is, you can get a head start (excuse the pun) by taking some time to destress with meditation, yoga, breathing exercises, workouts, fresh air, and a little sun. Plus, incorporating ingredients like hibiscus into your beauty routine can do wonders for your locks. Rich in amino acids and antioxidants, hibiscus has become a staple in traditional medicine for ridding pollutants and stimulating hair growth. Widely-known for its topical benefits, users will find an array of options at their fingertips - from shampoos to powders, to pastes, sprays, and oils. Not to mention, filling your diet with foods (and bevvys) high in vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and collagen will further support hair health... and you know we’ve got just the thing! ;)
With Hibiscus Vanilla SkinTē, you can enjoy the perks of hibiscus plus an added boost of radiance from ingredients like collagen and horsetail (yes please!). Smooth and smoky, it’s the perfect beauty-boosting remedy for day, night, and every hour in between.
Sip Your Hibiscus
With love (and collagen),
Dr. B