What your hair and scalp reveals about your health
Did you know that your hair is considered to be a barometer of your health and that hair issues are often the first symptom of a medical or nutritional problem?
This is because your hair is not life sustaining and considered by the body to be the least important structure or function for your body to support.
It is because of this that subtle changes to your health or lifestyle can show up in your hair and be an early warning sign that something is out of balance.
Deficiencies
Nutrient deficiencies are very common and could be the cause of your excess hair shedding. Certain nutrient deficiencies are more common for causing hair and scalp problems such as Vitamin D, B12 and Iron. B12 deficiency is common in those that suffer from anaemia as well as those who follow a vegetarian or vegan diet and also type 2 diabetics too. You can book a routine blood test to understand if your excess hair shedding could be down to a deficiency of some kind. It can also be helpful to rule out any under lying health issues too as getting to the root cause of hair loss is key for recovering it. Take a look at our Tender Love & Hair best vegan supplements UK for hair loss.
Heavy periods & Post Natal
It is important to understand the complex relationship you are in with your body and all it's functions can impact on your hair. Those who suffer with heavy periods and those who have recently given birth may notice hair shedding as a result of sub-optimum Iron levels. It could be worth discussing a blood test with a nutritionist or functional medicine practitioner who can more deeply asses your levels than a GP who may say your in a 'normal range' when in actual fact you may need to make dietary changes to avoid hair loss as well as other side effects such as tiredness and fatigue.
Here's a link to the Institute for functional medicine to help you find a local practitioner - Click HERE
Stress, Trauma & Illness
Short-term heavy shedding is often related to an 'incident' 2-3 months prior to the beginning of the shedding. This is due to the delayed effect that the incident has on the hair growth cycle which causes hair follicles to suddenly enter it's resting stage early. The hair follicles resting phase is a normal aspect of the hair growth cycle where the hair shaft is no longer actively growing but still attached to the scalp for a period of around 2-3 months before it sheds and a new hair begins to grow in its place. Stress and trauma can force many more follicles than normal to prematurely enter this resting and shedding phase.
Other causes of this kind of shedding can include illness such as Covid-19, rapid weight loss or even surgery. The amount of hair lost is related to the severity of the incident.
An important thing to consider is that stress can have an accumulative affect with moderate shedding over time causing hair to become very thin and brittle.
This is why stress management can be one of the best ways to recover hair and stop further hair loss.
Read OUR GUIDE FOR REDUCING STRESS
Dry, Itchy scalp
There are several reasons that your scalp could be flaring up as a sign of a health issue. The skin of your scalp is especially sensitive to stress. Another reason can be dehydration yet the first sight of minor flakes causes many to reach for the medicated anti-dandruff shampoo which can actually cause more harm than good. A much better approach would be to tackle the root cause rather than masking the symptoms by increasing water intake and adopting a hydrating skin care routine for your scalp.
Regular scalp massage along with our En-Root Scalp Oil Treatment for dry itchy scalp is a great way to keep the scalp healthy. It is also a great treatment for Psoriasis, Dandruff and greasiness.
If you are worried about hair loss, a scalp issue or have any other questions then we are always here to help, you can email us at hello@wearecentred.com and we will get back to you as soon as possible.
