6 reasons your hair is out of control

When your hair is misbehaving, chances are one of these factors is to blame.

Having a bad hair day?

Whether it’s frizz, hair loss or limp hair that’s getting you down, there’s usually a reason behind it.

Here are some common causes of hair problems – and how to fix an out-of-control ‘do.

The air out there

Ever wonder why your hair sometimes stands on end?

There’s a high chance that dry air is to blame for electric hair.

During dry spells – even in colder months – the air is more likely to be charged with static electricity caused by surface and atmospheric conditions.

Seasonal blues

You might expect your hair to grow faster in the summer but, in fact, all that sun has the reverse effect. Hair loss actually accelerates a few months after you first expose it to those warm summer rays.

And that’s not the end of it. The falling leaves of autumn is a signal for your hair to fall out too – although you won’t look as deciduous, thank goodness.

Your hair cycle

Contrary to what we’ve all been led to believe, hair doesn’t grow continuously.

Each hair goes through three different phases – growth, regression and loss.

And at any given time, 10 to 15 per cent of your hair is in loss phase.

So it’s totally normal to lose 50 to 100 strands every day.

Hormone havoc

Hormones can send your hair haywire.

Hair often becomes thicker during pregnancy, then goes thin again, and sometimes falls out six months after the birth.

Menopause causes androgen levels to increase, which can in turn trigger thinning of the hair on your scalp and can also cause extra facial and body hair.

Androgens don’t actually decrease your number of scalp hairs, but they do reduce their diameter and length, resulting in a loss of volume or “body”.

Too much partying

Being an extremity, hair is often the first thing to suffer from excessive partying.

Too much alcohol and smoking are among things that can all leave your hair tired, limp and lacking lustre.

In extreme cases, it can even cause it to fall out.

Stress

High stress levels have been associated with a few different types of hair loss.

Significant stress can cause hair follicles to “rest” in a condition called telogen effluvium, causing affected hairs to fall out a few months later.

Stress is also believed to be a trigger of alopecia areata, which causes the body’s immune system to attack the hair follicles.

In some cases, a psychological condition called trichotillomania can cause people to pull out parts of their hair.

In most cases, your hair will eventually grow back over a few months once stress has subsided.

The trick is to feed your body and hair the nutrients it needs to keep you looking great top to toe.

Eating foods rich in zinc, omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin E can help keep your hair looking healthy and shiny.

Written by Nikki Yazxhi.

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