Bad habits that damage your hair

By Prof. Dr. Soner Tatlidede 2020-01-03

There are several bad habits that can damage the hair like stress, smoking, tight hairstyles, a poor diet and many more: they can mean the difference between having a healthy and beautiful hair, or having to resort to a medical treatment to avoid losing our hair. Maybe the reviews about hair transplants in Turkey are very good, but... doesn´t sound better to prevent losing your hair, instead of having to get an operation once the damage is done?

That´s the reason why in the following lines we will detail the main bad habits (some are very common) that people are used to perform daily... probably not even knowing that they are causing an irreversible damage to their beautiful hair.

Exposing hair to the sun

Like skin, our hair can also be affected by the exposure to UV radiation, that damages its structure and causes hair to age becoming less elastic, and even affecting its growth. Therefore, it is very important to protect it from an excessive exposure to the sun by wearing caps or hats.

Poor diet

Hair is another body organ and requires nutrients, proteins, vitamins and minerals to have a good health and to grow healthy and strong. A balanced diet rich in vitamins A, B, C and E, as well as zinc, magnesium and iron, fruits and vegetables, will help our hair to stay healthy and beautiful.

Drinking not enough water

Water is vital for life and for our body; it is essential to keep cells hydrated and to allow necessary chemical processes to be carried out in them. Therefore, a poorly hydrated hair will look dry and without shine.

Stress

Stress is possibly one of the worst factors against our hair, especially when it reaches high levels and generate tiredness, bad humour or anxiety. Besides altering the rest of our body, stress may cause an increase in hair loss, or even generate alopecia areata; It can also generate the appearance of dandruff, or -according to some specialists- even gray hair.

Smoking

Another of the worst enemies of hair is tobacco, since it introduces toxins into the blood and reduces blood flow, which causes a decrease in the nutrients supply needed by the hair follicles: this makes follicles to begin to close, causing hair to grow thinner. If the follicle closes completely, it will stop producing hair and alopecia will appear.

Too much alcohol

Although alcohol is a vasodilator, when consumed in excessive amount it cannot be processed by the liver, and ends up affecting our body tissues depriving them of essential nutrients, and ultimately causing damage to both skin and hair. Alcohol makes hair to become weak, thin and brittle... and eventually it falls out.

Too much washing...

There is the common belief that washing frequently your hair is a good thing; however, this isn´t entirely true. Too much washing deprives hair and scalp of vital elements for its health and maintenance; besides, if we apply strong rubbing or aggressive products, they can seriously damage both scalp and hair. An oily hair should be washed every two days at most, and every three days if it is a dry hair. No more.

And not enough washing

As bad is to wash too much your hair, than not washing it at all. A lack of hygiene in the scalp ends up obstructing the follicles, preventing the growth of new hair. It is advisable to wash your hair 2-3 times a week, using non-aggressive shampoos and not too much amount, and rinsing well your hair.

Washing hair with hot water

Using hot water can be a temptation, but the truth is that by doing it frequently it ends up damaging the hair; high temperatures open the pores of the scalp and dry it, altering the production of natural oils and damaging the follicles. For the same reason, steambaths -which also dehydrate the hair- are not recommended. So, our recommendation to take care of your hair is to wash it with cold water.

Brushing your hair while it is still wet

Although many people usually comb their hair while it is still wet, or they dry it by rubbing it hard with a towel, both are bad habits that can damage the follicles. It is advisable not to comb hair until it´s dry, and doing so by wrapping it with a towel so this absorbs water, but without rubbing. Another bad habit is to make buns or plaits while hair is still wet... something that favours the appearance of fungus and dandruff.

Abusing of hair styling tools

Although none can deny its aesthetic advantages, the truth is that any hair styling tool that applies heat to the hair will damage it: and the more times you use it, the more damage will do. The use of hair straighteners and curling irons damages the structure of the hair by breaking its fibres, also making hair to become dry and with no shine.

Frequent use of hair dryer

Due to the same reason, using frequently a hair dryer also damages our hair. A better alternative can be to apply a protective spray before using the dryer, or drying our hair using cold air.

Wearing tight hairstyles

Using hairstyles too aggressive or those causing tightness in the hair, ends up damaging hair roots and breaking it, so the best is to avoid them as much as possible.

Infusing hair with chemical products

Products such as hairsprays or gels usually have a high content of alcohol or chemicals that severely damage the health of hair and scalp. If we use this products, they must be of quality and we must avoid abusing of them.

Medicines and side effects

Some medicines such as contraceptives contain androgens that can generate hair loss. Also, some antidepressants or anti-anxiety medications can affect hair growth, so we must ask the doctor about possible side effects.

The aforementioned are just some bad habits that can damage the hair, but there are more. As we have seen, they are deeply rooted habits but, however, they can end up damaging our hair forever. Therefore, once you notice the first symptoms of bad health in your hair, you should ask a specialist. At Clinicana, we are at your service to answer any of your queries; and don´t forget: we have a free consultation service: use it!