We’re all afraid of growing bald. We all lose hair everyday (it’s a natural part of the hair growth cycle) but as we grow older, our body loses its ability to generate new and healthy hair. You may notice it takes longer to grow hair, or the strands are thinner (hence the development of the much dreaded bald spot). Heredity can increase risk for thinning, but environmental exposure and constant hairstyling and hair coloring can weaken your hair and damage your scalp. However, these tips can help you make your hair thicker.
Hair massage
Hair massage can increase blood circulation to the scalp. You can use coconut oil, or also olive oil and jojoba oil. The best way to do this is to mildly heat the coconut oil and the rub into the scalp with gentle circular movements. Then, wrap a damp towel around your hair. Hair experts recommend doing a hair massage at least once a week in order to strengthen and nourish the scalp.
Practice a proper diet
A balanced diet that is rich in vitamins and minerals can help boost your scalp’s health. This includes a daily intake of fruits and vegetables. However, since the nutrients in vegetables are often lost in the cooking process, you may want to consider getting multivitamin tablets. It is also important to take in lots of water.
Don’t overwash
You don’t need to shampoo your hair everyday. Overwashing your hair can accelerate hair loss. That’s because some chemicals in shampoo that remove dirt (such as sodium laureth sulfate) can weaken the scalp.
If you have very oily hair or live in a very polluted environment, dilute shampoo with water so you don’t use too much.
You can also
Brush hair properly
Don’t pull at wet hair. Use a large-toothed comb to smooth out tangles. You can also apply a leave in conditioner to help smoothen it out.
Avoid overstyling
Chemical treatments and daily blowdrying and curling can damage the hair and the scalp. Hair can break, lose its natural luster, feel rough, develop split ends, and become brittle. Choose a hair cut that is flattering and needs minimal styling, and use natural hair coloring treatments like henna which may be gentler on the scalp.
You can also invest in proper styling tools like wide tooth combs made of bone, which are gentler on the hair than plastic combs.
Photo from thewestminsterpractice.com