Are you tired of suffering from thinning hair? Wish you could have a thick head of hair that made other people jealous? Well, with a few tips and tricks, you may be able to move from bald to bountiful.
Understanding Hair Loss
A human scalp averages roughly 10,000 hairs. These hairs cycle through four different periods of growing, resting, falling out, and finally regenerating. Problems (balding) occur when that final stage isn’t as productive as it should be.
The average person loses somewhere between 50 to 100 hairs per day. If the cycle is interrupted and hairs begin falling out at a faster rate than they’re re-grown, a person is said to be losing hair. Over time this may lead to bald spots, a receding hairline, or a general thinning of the hair (revealing the scalp beneath).
Hair loss can be temporary or permanent. It can affect isolated parts of your scalp or your entire body. It can be brought on by hereditary factors, sudden medical issues, stress, or as a normal component of aging. It can happen to both men and women. In other words, it’s not always easy to narrow down why you’re thinning and/or balding. But the good news is that, in many cases, hair loss can be stopped and even reversed.
So the question is: Can you regrow hair after you’ve started balding?
Well, it kind of depends on a few different factors.
“If a follicle has closed, disappeared, scarred, or not generated a new hair in years, then a new hair wouldn’t be able to grow,” Dr. Franceso Fusco explains. “But if the follicle is still intact, yes, it is possible to regrow the hair—or to improve the health of the existing thinner hairs.”
The good news is that most follicles are still relatively intact – especially if you’re on the front end of the balding process. But don’t expect re-growth to magically happen on its own. You’ll need to provide a little kickstart.
3 Tips for Stimulating Growth
Every situation is different. Some people have genetics working against them, while other people are simply going through a period of high stress, which has exacerbated some underlying issues and brought on premature hair loss. But regardless of where you land on this spectrum, the following tips should prove helpful in stimulating some hair growth in bald and/or thinning areas:
1. Improve Diet and Nutrition
Hair growth is directly fueled and impacted by good health – including proper diet and nutrition. If you’re eating a fast food diet that’s devoid of essential vitamins and nutrients, don’t be surprised when you notice accelerated hair loss. Thankfully, this also means you can stimulate hair growth by making some simple (and healthy) changes in your diet.
A well-balanced diet that includes vitamin B complex rich foods, protein, and biotin (among other vitamins and minerals) is necessary. Good food options include eggs, berries, spinach, avocados, fatty fish, sweet potatoes, nuts, seeds, soybeans, and lean meat.
2. Use LLLT
Low level laser therapy is a safe, FDA-approved technology that’s designed to regenerate dormant hair follicles and give them increased blood flow. Using a laser cap, medical-grade laser diodes treat the scalp and promote healthier, thicker hair over a period of weeks and months. Best of all, you can wear an LLLT laser cap at home (while watching TV or doing work around the house).
3. Massage Your Scalp
“A simple way to stimulate hair growth at home is to give yourself a scalp massage. This will increase blood flow to your scalp, enhance the strength of your roots, and help nutrients get to your follicle faster,” stylist Faith Xue writes. “You can give yourself a scalp massage with dry hair, but adding a nutrient-rich oil to the mix will only double the benefits. (Just keep it to once a week if you have oily roots).”
For best results, use your fingertips and move in a circular motion around your scalp – predominantly focusing on the areas that are affected most. Try a five-minute scalp massage in the morning and another five-minute session before going to bed.
Putting it All Together
There’s no magic bullet. But if you’re looking to re-grow hair in a natural manner, these tips are going to help you get where you want to go. Used over a period of weeks and months, you’ll begin to notice a subtle difference in your appearance. As a result, you’ll feel happier and more confident.
