We are always told by the media that life is fast-paced and we have little time to overselves, and with a hectic lifestyle often something suffers. In this case lifestyle and hair loss in men can go hand in hand with the decisions and choices we make in our daily lives. The options we choose can sometimes lead to hair loss in men. Here we look at a few lifestyle choices we make and how they may affect us. Specifically how they may lead to hair loss.
We are now probably more conscious of our lifestyle choices than at any other time before. How factors such as diet, smoking and stress can cause hair loss. External factors such as sun exposure and hair products can act as triggers for hair loss. There are many factors that can influence the quality of our hair. As a result your lifestyle choices do matter and impact on how healthy your head of hair is. We set out to discuss just a few examples how lifestyle and hair loss in men can be treated.
Stress
It’s probably the most common feeling. We all have a degree of stress in our lives and much of the problem is diagnosing the level of stress. We all deal with it in different ways; some men thrive on stress to keep them on their toes. However, other forms of stress can be less productive such as chronic periods following a job loss or bereavement of a close friend or relative. These lifestyle factors can be overwhelming and impact negatively on someone’s health.
Linking stress to hair loss
Stress induced hair loss is common and many people suffer from this at some point even without realising it. With the hair loss condition called Telogen effluvium, in times of stress the body produces certain hormones that cause the hair follicles to enter the resting hair cycle stage, you will shed hair naturally but this hair is not automatically replaced straight away. This can also affect the hair growth quality over time. This condition can continue for months before settling down again. Occasionally the hair growth can return to normal but this is not always the case.
The unfortunate irony to this cause of hair loss is the self-induced state it causes; the person stresses further that their hair will not grow back, resulting in more stress which exacerbates the problem.
Diet
Diet does not always mean being on a diet, it also refers, in general, to what we eat – how healthy the foods are that we eat on a regular basis and how they affect our overall state of health. But what you eat can also effect the condition of your hair. You may have heard the phrase ‘you are what you eat’.
We do not automatically consider the foods we eat impacting on the health of our hair. For example, some foods are high in saturated fat, sugar and salt, such as junk foods which are also generally low in essential nutrients. The effects of eating these types of foods will be seen not just in the overall well-being of your body, but in your hair as well. Therefore a poor diet lifestyle and hair loss in men can go hand in hand if not careful.
Nowadays, we are bombarded with information on what we can eat to improve our diet, what supplements to take to enhance our nutritional intake. The Medical News Today article gives a few ideas on the benefits of healthy eating and hair growth. Our bodies needs an adequate supply of certain vitamins and minerals to help sustain our overall health. Our hair is no different. The vital nutrients can be found easily in everyday foods, and often by simply increasing the consumption in some areas of your diet can have a positive effect, rather than having to make massive changes. More informative about healthy hair foods can be found here.
Obesity
Diet then neatly leads on to the lack of one, or a poor diet leading to being overweight or obese. There are many very serious effects of being overweight; the production of thyroxine and insulin can come under severe strain leading to diabetes, and obesity puts a strain on the heart, blood pressure and cholesterol. It could be argued that with all these factors to consider hair loss is a minor negative consideration.
The flip side to this oppressive health condition is trying to lose the weight too fast, “crash dieting”. The individual rapidly reduces their calorie intake with the desire to achieve immediate weight loss. There is an immediate and high risk of losing vital nutrients essential for hair growth. As a result it is common to see an increase in hair loss and certainly a reduction in hair quality. The hair becomes lifeless, damaged and lank, often fine and miniaturised.
Sun exposure
The sun can be good and bad for us in respect to our hair and other aspects of our health. Good in moderation as the suns rays stimulate the production of Vitamin D which can also be found in supplements and some foods. Vitamin D is important for healthy teeth, bones, and our hair quality.
We have been made very aware for years of the dangers of over-exposure to the sun. With too much sun causing malignant melanoma to name just one condition. In respect to the hair most of the common conditions are cosmetic. Too much sun causes the hair to become dry and brittle, often resulting in split ends and a general lifeless hair quality. Take precautions if you live in a sunny climate or intend to spend time lying on a beach or generally being exposed to the suns strong rays. Either wear a hat or use sun screening products to protect against sun damage.
Steroids
Performance-enhancing drugs are prevalent in the bodybuilding world with some high-profile athletes over the last few years having tested positive. Being exposed to their illegal use, to get an edge over their competitors.
There are a number of steroids that do not carry the risk of hair loss. But the majority with androgenic compounds cause DHT side effects. The greater the androgenic rating of the steroid, the greater probability genetic hair loss will be affected.
Male pattern baldness is caused by forms of testosterone binding with hair follicles and causing them to shut down. While steroids will not induce hair loss, if the hair loss gene is active it will help it along and speed up the process of thinning. Once you decide to stop using steroids the damage is already unfortunately done as you’ve sped up what would have happened naturally.
Lifestyle and hair loss in men
While the most common form of hair loss in men is genetic male pattern baldness, the above causes and many other lifestyle influencers can play a big part. If you are concerned about thinning, damages, excessive hair loss or would just rather not lose anymore hair then contact us today.
