Photo: Portra (Getty Images)
For many men, there’s nothing more emasculating than losing one’s hair. It symbolizes youthful strength and even male potency. That is why it’s no wonder that they usually panic when they encounter a problem such as thinning hair. It seems like it’s the beginning of the end. Of course, it’s not something you need to lose your sleep over. There are a number of things you can do to prevent further thinning and even encourage the growth. Here are a couple of ideas on what you can do to keep that mane strong and glorious.
Find the Cause
Like it is with any disease and condition, your first step should always be finding the underlying cause. Treating only the symptoms is often ineffective in the long run and does not guarantee that the problem won’t return. One of the main causes of thinning hair and, consequently, hair loss is genetics. If your father lost his hair in his early days, chances are you’ll have that gene yourself and will have to work hard to counter its effects. Another possible underlying cause is a hormonal imbalance. If your hormone levels are out of the ordinary, it could also be affecting hair growth. The best way to check it is simply to visit a doctor’s office as he will advise you on the best course of action. It might be that you need to undergo a treatment to level it all out and prevent future hair problems for a while.
Prevention
One of the most important parts of hair care is prevention. Here are a couple of ways you can make sure your hair stays healthy before you go completely bald. While this first suggestion may seem trivial at first, it can make quite a difference when it comes to your scalp’s health. Namely, whenever you wash your hair, you should take some time and massage your head as you apply the shampoo. This gentle massage will promote your scalp’s blood flow and result in healthier and stronger hair. You might not see the results right away, but that doesn’t mean you should give up. It will have long-term benefits and requires just a little bit more of your effort. Also, forget about hair dryers and hair gels if you plan on stopping the thinning. Hair dryers usually dehydrate your entire scalp and create a hostile environment for hair growth. The gels basically kill all the hairs in order to make them stand up as they do.
Home Treatments
Basically, hair health is all about keeping the scalp hydrated and healthy. Although many people don’t realize it, the scalp is like any other skin and needs proper care. If you don’t have a problem with being wasteful, you could try massaging honey into your scalp and leaving it on for about 10 minutes. It will remove all the impurities while keeping the head hydrated and bacteria-free. Some people also suggest using milk or olive oil to the same effect. Of course, your hair problem could be the result of a fungal infection so you’ll need to deal with that first before you could hydrate it properly. A lot of people swear by homemade vinegar, as it is apparently incredibly potent at killing the fungus. There’s no need to worry about the smell, as it usually goes away quickly.
Diet
Of course, a lot also depends on your diet. You need to know which minerals and vitamins are missing from your diet that is affecting the thinning hairline. For a healthy lock of hair, you will need plenty of iron and zinc, as well as Vitamin B. You also mustn’t forget to take a lot of protein. All of that encourages hair growth so you have to include it in your diet. How? Simple, just eat more green, leafy products like spinach and mangel. Fish, red meat, cheese, and eggs all have plenty of B12 vitamins, which is enough to satisfy your everyday needs. However, the point is that you can’t limit your diet strictly to these elements and expect to be healthy. For example, for the iron from the spinach to be absorbed, you also need plenty of vitamin C that you can find in a lot of citrus fruit. Diversity is everything. Grab a Greek yogurt once in a while to get the necessary amount of protein and vitamin that you normally take from meat. Eat diversely, but remember – iron, zinc, proteins and, of course, many instances of vitamin B.
Do you also have a problem with thinning hair? Have you taken our advice?
