Have you ever felt like your hair was falling out faster than what you find comfortable? Or do you brush your hair to see your comb loaded with chunks and strands? Or maybe you feel like you’re leaving a trail of hair everywhere you go? You’re not alone. But good news: research shows 95% of people who experience excessive shedding recover (Asghar). This excessive shedding of hair is a common and reversible temporary body status. It is usually the result of normal human experiences, such as stress, pregnancy, childbirth, major life events, or even worldwide pandemics (Popescu). All of these, and more, can potentially disrupt the hair-growth cycle. Not only that, you typically won’t notice the effects until 2-3 months after the trigger disruption. It’s important to note that you should consult with your medical provider if excessive shedding lasts longer than six months.
To better understand what you may be experiencing, you need to know how the hair-growth cycle functions. Your hair follicle has a four-stage growth cycle:
Anagen phase: This is the growth phase of the hair growth cycle. In this phase, the cells in the root of your hair are rapidly dividing. As a result, a new hair is formed, pushing the club hair (the hair that has stopped growing or is no longer in the anagen phase) up the follicle and eventually out. The hair grows about 1 to 1.5 cm every 28 days, faster in summer and slower in winter. Scalp hair stays in this active growth phase for about 2-5 years. Around 90% of scalp hair is in this phase at any given time. If you have difficulty growing your hair past a certain length, it could be because you have a shorter active growth phase.
Catagen phase: This is the transition phase of the hair growth cycle. During this 3-6 week phase, your follicles prepare for the resting phase. Growth stops, your hair follicle shrinks, and deeper portions of the follicle collapse, forming the club hair. About 3% of your scalp hair is in this transitional phase at a given time.
Telogen phase: This is the resting phase of the hair growth cycle. During this time, the follicle is inactive for three to five months, and new hair begins the growth process. The hair shaft matures into club hair, which is eventually shed in the exogen phase. About 10% of your scalp hair is in this phase at any given time. It is during this phase that most people experience disruptions in the hair-growth cycle, resulting in unexpected amounts of hair loss.
Exogen phase: This is the shedding phase of the hair cycle. At the end of the telogen phase, older hairs that have finished their life will fall out to make way for the new. Shedding 25-100 telogen hairs every day is considered normal.
This information hopefully helps you understand the “when,” but it is harder to pinpoint the “why” of unexpected hair loss. Unless a medical issue must be addressed, the leading causes are related to stress and nutrition. So here are some lifestyle considerations, including herbs and nutrients, you can implement in your daily routine to help your body support hair growth:
Foods to eat: eggs, citrus fruits, berries, spinach, sweet potatoes, avocados, brown rice, oats, lean meat, fish, nuts, seeds, olive oil, sweet peppers, oysters, meat, bone broth (Jones and Landes)
Foods to avoid: sugars, pastries, white bread, refined carbohydrates, carbonated drinks, alcohol, dairy (Jones and Landes)
Stress is one of the most significant contributing factors to hair loss due to its impact on the hair-growth cycle. There are lots of tools available to help with stress, many free on our website (www.rcherbals.com), but here are some simple options you can pick from to add to your routine:
4-7-8 breathing: Breathe in for 4 seconds, hold for 7 seconds, and exhale for 8 seconds. Focus on breathing, and make it the only thing present in your mind to help yourself ground.
Guided imagery: take a few minutes to breathe and calm the mind. Imagine your favorite soothing scene which has personal significance.
Positive self-talk: repeat a positive phrase to yourself, i.e., “I am safe” or “I am loved,” while breathing in through the nose and out through the mouth.
Go for a walk: this doesn’t have to be elaborate or fancy. A short walk around your house, yard, or neighborhood can help calm and reset your mind.
Ask for a hug: I wrote a piece in the 2023 Almanac on the power of eight-second hugs. So if you have someone around you, ask for a long hug.
Get creative: get a coloring book, some colored pencils or crayons, and spend a few minutes being a kid. Fold some paper origami. Doodle. Make squiggly lines. Practice penmanship. Sing. Play music. Dance. Sculpt. Craft. Build. Play.
Wiggle: shaking, dancing, or moving your body has been shown to activate the parasympathetic nervous system (PNS) (Won and Kim), which helps calm the mind and body. You need at least 10-30 seconds of wiggling to activate your PNS.
Exercise: regular exercise is associated with emotional resilience to acute stress (Childs and de Wit). This is largely due to the change in hormone responses and the impact on neurotransmitters in the brain, such as dopamine and serotonin. While research suggests 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise weekly (20 minutes a day), we all start somewhere. Sometimes we need something less daunting, especially while creating new positive habits. If you don’t regularly exercise, that’s okay. This can be as simple as a five-minute sitting couch workout, stretching, dancing, or other simple movements to start.
Herbs
Fo-ti: this herb has long been used in traditional Chinese medicine for thinning hair or hair loss. It has proven benefits for hair growth due to its impact on dermal papilla cells, located at the bottom of hair follicles. These play a pivotal role in hair formation, growth, and cycling (Sun). It also has been studied to positively impact gray hair, both to maintain your natural color and delay the onset of new grays (Han) (Thang).
Garlic: Garlic is well known for its benefits to the cardiovascular system. Thus garlic helps encourage circulation to the scalp, allowing hair to grow (Ezekwe).
Pumpkin Seed Oil (PSO): because it is so rich in nutrients, specifically phytosterols, it has fantastic benefits for the hair, even for men. Phytosterols help stop the conversion of testosterone to DHT. DHT, or dihydrotestosterone, is an androgen hormone that links to receptors on hair follicles in your scalp, causing them to shrink and become less capable of supporting a healthy head of hair. In one study, men were given 400 mg of PSO daily over 24 weeks. Change over time was assessed, and the group who took PSO had a mean hair count increase of 40% at 24 weeks as opposed to the placebo group at 10% (Ezekwe).
Rosemary: this medicinal plant has many diverse actions, including helping with hair growth. In a single-blind, randomized clinical trial, rosemary oil was put up against minoxidil 2% ointment (used to treat baldness). The study showed that rosemary oil was as effective as minoxidil, and there was better treatment adherence when rosemary was used (Ezekwe).
Horsetail: this medicinal herb is naturally high in the mineral silica, which every cell in the body is composed of, and is especially important for hair health, bones, and brain health. Silica supports optimal collagen synthesis in the body, which increases the body’s hair-building proteins, like keratin, which can result in longer, thicker hair (Advincula de Araujo).
Stinging Nettle: this medicinal herb is incredible for hair health. Stinging nettle contains a large amount of gallic acid, which is known to be uniquely beneficial to the cells of the hair microenvironment. It is used synergistically in many cosmetic drugs targeting hair loss. In addition, it contains flavonols that counteract DHT buildup in the hair follicles.
Nutrients & Other Supplements
Vitamin B Complex: this includes eight water-soluble forms of Vitamin B - thiamine (B1), riboflavin (B2), niacin (B3), pantothenic acid (B5), vitamin B6, biotin (B7), folate, and vitamin B12 - all which aid in cell metabolism. A deficiency in riboflavin, biotin, folate, and vitamin B12 can result in less healthy hair and hair loss. While your body can produce biotin on its own, if you struggle with digestive health, drink alcohol, recently have taken antibiotics, or have a genetic component involved, you may need additional support (Almohanna).
Vitamin C: While this vitamin is excellent for many things, it is especially beneficial if you have hair loss associated with an iron deficiency. Iron is the most common nutritional deficiency globally and is often found in women who struggle with hair health. Ascorbic acid is necessary for the intestines to absorb iron. (Almohanna).
Zinc: Zinc is an essential trace element, which means the body cannot make it alone. It has to be supplied through the diet. Studies have shown that patients with low levels of zinc struggle with healthy hair growth, a well-known sign of deficiency (Almohanna).
Copper: This essential trace element has demonstrated benefits for blood vessels, thus possibly stimulating hair follicles so they receive adequate oxygen and nutrients to produce new hair growth (Borkow). In an in vitro study, copper peptides demonstrated the ability to extend the hair growth cycle (Kim). Copper is also required to produce melanin, the compound responsible for the color of your hair, eyes, and skin (Borkow).
N-Acetyl-Cysteine (NAC): in research, patients struggling with hair loss due to excessive itching, scratching, or pulling were able to significantly improve and regrow their hair by taking 1,200 mg daily after 16 weeks of continued use (Rice and Galbraith) (Salas-Callo).
In conclusion, while some excessive hair loss may need a medical diagnosis, there are many things you can do in your lifestyle to support your body nutritionally, mentally, and physically to promote hair growth. Let us know if you try any of the above ideas and how it goes!
About the Author
|
Nichole Peterson Our Magical Marketing Millenial (AKA Marketing Director) has been our brand boss and marketing maestro since 2016. Nichole is behind building and maintaining our brand, trailblazing our marketing and advertising, innovating us into the future, and directing the marketing team with creativity. Nichole describes herself as a wilderness enthusiast, artist, bookwork, spiritual alchemist, and mother. Her favorite herbs are Eucalyptus and Elderberry and she proudly recommends our AdrenaLove®, IntelliGut®, PhysiQOL™, SinusClear®, ClearLungs® Classic, and ClearLungs® Liquid. Learn more about our team here. |
Check out these related blogs:
- Hypnagogic Breathing
- Calming Guided Meditation
- The Power of Positive Self Talk
- The Benefits of Hugs
- The Benefits of Walking
- The Hair System
- Homemade Hair Care
- Luna's Hair Syndrome
- Hair Moisturizing Oils
 |
Hair ReVive® is an award-winning formula containing biotin, N-acetyl-cysteine(NAC), Bamboo leaf, Horsetail, L-tyrosine, Zinc, and more. These herbs, essential nutrients, and vitamins support hair follicle health, styling recovery, and healthy hair growth cycles. Good hair starts with good nutrition! |
_______________
Works Cited
Advincula de Araujo, Lidiane. “Use of silicon for skin and hair care: an approach of chemical forms available and efficacy.” NCBI, May 2016, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4938278/. Accessed 31 March 2023.
Almohanna, Hind M. “The Role of Vitamins and Minerals in Hair Loss: A Review.” NCBI, 13 December 2018, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6380979/. Accessed 31 March 2023.
Asghar, Fahham. “Telogen Effluvium: A Review of the Literature.” NCBI, 27 May 2020, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7320655/. Accessed 31 March 2023.
Borkow, Gadi. “Using Copper to Improve the Well-Being of the Skin.” NCBI, August 2014, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4556990/. Accessed 2 April 2023.
Childs, Emma, and Harriet de Wit. “Regular exercise is associated with emotional resilience to acute stress in healthy adults.” NCBI, 1 May 2014, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4013452/. Accessed 2 April 2023.
Ezekwe, Nneamaka. “The Use of Natural Ingredients in the Treatment of Alopecias with an Emphasis on Central Centrifugal Cicatricial Alopecia: A Systematic Review.” NCBI, 1 August 2020, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7595365/. Accessed 31 March 2023.
Han, Ming-Nuan. “Mechanistic Studies on the Use of Polygonum multiflorum for the Treatment of Hair Graying.” NCBI, 10 November 2015, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4657090/. Accessed 2 April 2023.
Jones, Jerlyn, and Ellen Landes. “Best Foods for Hair Growth: What to Eat, Drink & Avoid.” Healthline, May 2022, https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/foods-for-hair-growth#TOC_TITLE_HDR_14. Accessed 31 March 2023.
Kim, Kyu Han. “The effect of tripeptide-copper complex on human hair growth in vitro.” PubMed, July 2007, https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17703734/. Accessed 2 April 2023.
Popescu, Marius Nicolae. “Complementary Strategies to Promote Hair Regrowth in Post-COVID-19 Telogen Effluvium.” NCBI, 22 April 2022, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9042074/. Accessed 31 March 2023.
Rice, Damien, and Matt Galbraith. “.,.” ., - YouTube, 16 November 2008, https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapsychiatry/fullarticle/483113. Accessed 3 April 2023.
Salas-Callo, Corina Isabel. “Trichoteiromania: Good Response to Treatment with N-Acetylcysteine.” PubMed, March 2019, https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31367603/. Accessed 3 April 2023.
Sun, Ya Nan. “Promotion effect of constituents from the root of Polygonum multiflorum on hair growth.” ScienceDirect, September 2013, https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0960894X13008317?via%3Dihub. Accessed 2 April 2023.
Thang, Nguyen Dinh. “Polygonum multiflorum root extract as a potential candidate for treatment of early graying hair.” NCBI, Mar 2017, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5288971/. Accessed 2 April 2023.
Won, Eunsoo, and Yong Kim. “Stress, the Autonomic Nervous System, and the Immune-kynurenine Pathway in the Etiology of Depression.” NCBI, 2016 October, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5050399/. Accessed 2 April 2023.
