Hair loss, thinning, increased shedding… these are all hair concerns no one wants to experience! But unfortunately, hair loss can be very common for many of us at different stages in our lives, especially as women. With such a long list of possible causes and types of hair loss, it can be concerning, confusing and worrying when we start to see increased hair fall and don’t know why. Often hair loss is out of our control, but you don’t have to live with consistently thin, unhealthy hair forever. So, let’s talk about what you need to know and understand about hair growth and loss. We’re answering your most frequently asked questions about hair loss and thinning and how you can support healthy hair growth with the right haircare routine, by practising good hair habits and by prioritising your physical health. Everyone has a unique experience with hair loss because there are so many different types and causes of thinning, often making it difficult to pinpoint the exact reason for hair loss. But by being aware of your symptoms and taking the necessary steps to care for your scalp and hair, you can help to support your best hair health results.
‘What can I do to stop my thinning hair?’
Before we can talk about what to do to address hair loss and thinning, you first need to identify and understand your specific symptoms because ‘thinning’ can often be used to describe a few different hair concerns. When trying to address ‘thinning’ you need to know if you’re experiencing hair loss from your scalp or if you’re seeing hair breakage as a result of damaged ends. It’s important to know the difference between these two scenarios because they require unique and specific action.
As we know, hair loss can be caused by various factors, including changes in our physical health, hormones, stress, medications, diet and even genetics. If you are losing hair from your scalp, it’s vital you take some time to understand what specifically has caused this in order to then be able to address the root cause and concern. We can’t expect to see hair regrowth if we don’t take the necessary steps to address the core issue. In addition to focusing on the cause of your hair loss, you also need to prioritise your scalp health. Healthy hair growth comes from a healthy scalp, so unless your scalp is receiving the proper care and nourishment, you won’t be able to enjoy the best hair growth results possible. We will continue to talk about how to enhance your scalp health as we answer each question.
Hair thinning, however, can also be a result of breakage from hair damage and unhealthy split ends. Our hair becomes damaged, brittle and prone to breakage when we use extreme heat temperatures when styling, fail to protect our hair, use the wrong hairbrushes, over colour/bleach our hair or simply don’t give our ends the nourishment and conditioning they need to remain strong. If your thinning hair is, in fact, breakage and not hair loss from your scalp, you need to focus on strengthening your hair and preventing further damage. Your haircare products and committing to weekly hair mask and oiling treatments are vital in helping to actively repair, hydrate, condition and strengthen your hair with the goal of preventing breakage.
‘My hair started to fall out suddenly and I don’t know why!’
If you’re seeing rapid, significant and unexplained hair loss from your scalp, there is almost always a root cause or triggering event. Sudden and noticeable hair loss can quickly become concerning when it feels like we’re losing hair for no reason. But when we understand all that can impact our hair growth cycle, we can start to identify what might be the cause of the extreme and unexplained hair loss.
As we’ve already discussed, hair loss can be brought on by various factors including health, hormones, diet and stress, which is why it can be quite common for many people to experience hair loss at some point in their lives. One possible type of hair loss that many face is telogen effluvium which is where a ‘triggering event’ affects your normal hair growth cycle. Our hair growth cycle is made of up four phases – anagen (growth), catagen (regression/transitional), telogen (rest), exogen (shedding). Shedding is a very normal and necessary part of our hair growth cycle in order to allow new hair to grow. However, telogen effluvium occurs when we experience a ‘triggering event’ which may be something like significant stress, an illness or surgery. It is this triggering event, this stress and trauma our bodies have experienced, that causes a large percentage of your hair follicles to prematurely enter the shedding phase, consequently resulting in sudden and extreme hair loss.
Whether your hair loss and thinning are, in fact, telogen effluvium or another type of hair loss, it is important to identify the cause and understand why your hair is shedding so you can take the right steps to address the concern and support healthy hair growth as your normal growth cycle returns. For telogen effluvium hair loss, specifically, the hair shedding most commonly starts three to four months after the ‘triggering event’ so consider all possible contributing factors that may be the cause of your hair concerns.
‘How long does hair loss last before I will see growth?’
This truly depends on the type of hair loss. Once again, if we’re talking about thinning, specifically thinning as a result of breakage, this can continue for a long period of time until you actively repair and strengthen your hair, as well as avoid further damage to prevent continuous breakage and thinning. However, when talking about hair loss from your scalp, the time period of shedding can be different for every person depending on the type and cause of the hair loss.
For cases of telogen effluvium, hair loss most typically lasts for about three to six months and commonly the shedding starts several months after the initial cause or ‘triggering event’. However, because it is usually a temporary form of hair loss, the great news is that after months of shedding, your normal hair growth cycle should return which means you can expect to see growth. So don’t panic and immediately assume that your hair won’t grow back if it starts to fall. Of course, there are some permanent forms of hair loss, including various types of alopecia; however, there is no need to be concerned about this until you have confidently identified and pinpointed your symptoms.
‘Why won’t my hair grow past a certain length?'
This isn’t exactly a question about hair loss, but it most certainly is about hair growth and overall hair health. If you ever feel as though your hair simply won’t grow past a certain length – for example, maybe past your shoulders – there are two possible scenarios that you might be experiencing.
The first possibility for why your hair doesn’t grow or grows only at a very slow, almost unnoticeable rate, is that your scalp is suffering from not receiving enough care, attention and nourishment. It’s easy to focus solely on treating our hair, so, often, our scalp is forgotten. However, healthy hair growth starts with a healthy scalp. This means it’s vital to follow a natural haircare routine that not only targets your hair but also nourishes your scalp.
Two important tasks that your haircare routine must do to maintain your healthiest scalp possible is cleaning and nourishing your scalp. Washing regularly (according to your specific scalp needs) is essential so you are frequently cleaning and removing build up from your scalp. Our Sozo Hair Health Shampoo is an all-natural, sulphate free shampoo gel formula that provides a rich and effective clean without stripping or drying your hair. Achieving a clean scalp is important but we also don’t want our scalp to become dry from harsh sulphates and cleaning agents.
In addition to maintaining a clean scalp, our scalp needs nourishment. You can do this in several ways, including weekly hair mask treatments and prewash oiling. Our Sozo Hair Health Mask is a silicone free and deeply nourishing treatment for both your scalp and hair that can be used to soothe, condition and promote a healthy scalp. Prewash oiling is also a great way to target the scalp, reduce inflammation and increase blood flow and circulation to hair follicles to support healthy hair growth. Our Scalp & Hair Health Serum contains rosemary oil alongside a range of natural oils proven to help you do just this with consistent prewash oiling treatments.
Another possible reason why it feels like your hair isn’t growing is that, although your hair is growing from your scalp, your ends are damaged and you’re experiencing breakage, so you can’t maintain length. Once again, this brings us back to focusing on both our scalp and hair health to support hair growth, as well as strong, thick, healthy ends. The greatest benefit of using our Hair Health Mask and Scalp & Hair Health Serum for your scalp health is that these products are also powerful treatments for repairing, hydrating and strengthening your ends. So, with regular treatments you can experience results for both your scalp and hair health to, ultimately, help support growth and length.
‘How can I support hair growth naturally?’
Supporting your healthiest hair possible and encouraging hair growth requires consistency and being intentional with your haircare routine and habits. Here are some of the most important areas to focus on in order to experience your best results.
- Address the cause of your hair loss and prioritise your physical health. When our bodies and physical health are not at their best, we are fighting illnesses or our bodies are not receiving what they need, it can be difficult to see consistent and noticeable healthy hair growth.
- Maintain a healthy, balanced diet, focusing on consuming essential vitamins, minerals, iron and protein.
- Follow a consistent haircare routine that focuses on maintaining a clean and nourished scalp. This means using the right haircare products and washing regularly to remove build up from your scalp. Take the time to understand what’s inside your haircare products and whether each product you’re using is going to provide the results you desire. To understand and learn about all our Sozo Hair Health ingredients featured inside our natural, Australian hair products, you can read our complete Ingredient Glossary.
- Commit to prewash scalp and hair oiling treatments at least once a week. As we’ve already discussed, our Scalp & hair Health Serum has been formulated for prewash oiling treatments to target the scalp and hair. Simply apply it generously to both your scalp and hair at least 30 minutes before washing or for a couple of hours, then double shampoo and wash as normal. Not only is our silicone free hair serum a must-have haircare hero for prewash oiling, but it is also an ultra-lightweight, hydrating hair oil that can be used when styling to help protect, smooth, hydrate and increase shine. When using for styling, apply two to three drops at a time, only to your ends, then gradually add more depending on your hair type, thickness and length.
- Practice good hair habits. When we say ‘hair habits’ we’re referring to all the things that you do to and for your scalp and hair every day. Good hair habits include avoiding excessive heat exposure, preventing unnecessary damage to your hair, protecting against UV damage, making wise choices with your hairdresser when colouring and bleaching, using the right tools and hairbrushes and avoiding tight elastics or damaging hairstyles. With a conscious effort, we can make small changes in our daily routines to better care for our scalp and hair and experience our best results possible.
Although hair loss and thinning look different for every person who experiences it, we can all agree that no one wants to suffer with extreme shedding, a thinning hair line or spiny, unhealthy hair. Regardless of the cause and type, hair loss can be very worrying and is undeniably an unpleasant experience. But by understanding your symptoms, understanding different types of hair loss, seeking professional medical advice and prioritising your haircare routine, you can address hair loss and take the necessary steps to support your healthiest hair. Hair health and achieving new growth is a long-term journey that requires time and patience. But with consistency, you can support your best hair health results possible. So don’t give up!
Leave a comment