HOW TO RETAIN LONGER HEALTHIER HAIR

According to leading London based trichologist Stephanie Sey...

"Many people have the misconception that their hair is not growing, the truth is hair is growing all the time. It's more that you do not retain length over time".

A person's ability to retain the length and volume of their hair growth will depend on many factors. Your diet, nutrition and haircare routine will heavily contribute to your hair growth and retention. There are no miracle cures and women should be careful of such claims, hair growth is a process that takes time and requires a lot of TLC.

Here’s what Stephanie had to say...

“At my practice, we aim to provide the best integrity-based advice when treating your hair loss and scalp disorders”. We typically review for the following 3 areas during consultations and initially offer this advice to women:

HOW TO RETAIN LONGER HEALTHIER HAIR

According to leading London based trichologist Stephanie Sey...

"Many people have the misconception that their hair is not growing, the truth is hair is growing all the time. It's more that you do not retain length over time".

A person's ability to retain the length and volume of their hair growth will depend on many factors. Your diet, nutrition and haircare routine will heavily contribute to your hair growth and retention. There are no miracle cures and women should be careful of such claims, hair growth is a process that takes time and requires a lot of TLC.

Here’s what Stephanie had to say...

“At my practice, we aim to provide the best integrity-based advice when treating your hair loss and scalp disorders”. We typically review the following 3 areas during consultations and initially offer this advice to women:

1. Check Your Iron Levels:

Iron is used to make haemoglobin and impacts the red blood cells in our body. It supports hair growth by promoting healthy circulation and transporting oxygen and other essential nutrients to hair follicles. There are two forms of iron, heme iron and non-heme iron. Heme iron is a type of iron that comes from animal proteins. Non-heme iron is a type of iron that comes from plant-based foods and can also be found in animal proteins and dairy.

Our bodies absorb heme iron more easily in comparison to non-heme. When iron levels become so low, the body doesn't produce enough normal red blood cells to carry oxygen efficiently and a condition known as Anaemia develops. Deficiency of iron is a major cause of hair loss as the hair follicles and roots are nourished by a nutrient-rich blood supply.

A simple blood test performed by your doctor can detect iron levels. The two tests typically carried out are complete blood count (CBC) which checks your haemoglobin and hematocrit (hee-MAT-oh-crit) levels. The second is Serum Ferritin which measures how much of your body's stored iron has been used.

2. Washing Your Hair & Scalp Is A Must:

Healthy hair starts with a healthy scalp. This is because your scalp is essentially skin. It’s living tissue that sweats, produces oils and sheds dead cells just like your beautiful face.

“To maintain a balanced scalp, wash your hair regularly at least once a week” advises Stephanie Sey. Use shampoo to avoid oil build-up, dryness and itching. Then use a conditioner to nourish, detangle and add body to your hair in order to avoid your hair looking dull and brittle.

Be mindful of ingredients included in your shampoo and conditioner to ensure that they won’t strip the hair. Avoid products with propylene glycol, sulphates and parabens and shampoos with silicone.

3. Bad Habits Need To Go, So Your Hair Can Grow:

Many people have the misconception that their hair is not growing, the truth is hair is growing all the time. It’s more that you do not retain the length over time. You need to maintain a good haircare regimen, make sure you are detangling properly and don't be rough with your hair, treat it like a piece of silk. Over time we all build bad habits and stopping these bad habits could have a huge impact on helping you retain more hair.

Cease and desist the following, please:

Pulling your hair tightly, can create constant tension that could damage the hair follicle. This will cause pressure on your hair and scalp which might cause hair damage, resulting in severe hair loss and balding.

Styling wet hair, as it's is a lot more fragile and prone to breakage when wet. This is because hair is made up of a large number of proteins called keratins. These are safely ensconced in cuticles, a protective covering a bit like flexible armour. When hair is wet, proteins form weaker bonds, than when the hair is dry. This is why if you brush or comb wet hair it tends to snap off much easier. Wet hair needs extra care to keep it in good shape. Use a wide-tooth comb or your fingers to gently detangle it.

1. Check Your Iron Levels:

Iron is used to make haemoglobin and impacts the red blood cells in our body. It supports hair growth by promoting healthy circulation and transporting oxygen and other essential nutrients to hair follicles. There are two forms of iron, heme iron and non-heme iron. Heme iron is a type of iron that comes from animal proteins. Non-heme iron is a type of iron that comes from plant-based foods and can also be found in animal proteins and dairy.

Our bodies absorb heme iron more easily in comparison to non-heme. When iron levels become so low, the body doesn't produce enough normal red blood cells to carry oxygen efficiently and a condition known as Anaemia develops. Deficiency of iron is a major cause of hair loss as the hair follicles and roots are nourished by a nutrient-rich blood supply.

A simple blood test performed by your doctor can detect iron levels. The two tests typically carried out are complete blood count (CBC) which checks your haemoglobin and hematocrit (hee-MAT-oh-crit) levels. The second is Serum Ferritin which measures how much of your body's stored iron has been used.

2. Washing Your Hair & Scalp Is A Must:

Healthy hair starts with a healthy scalp. This is because your scalp is essentially skin. It’s living tissue that sweats, produces oils and sheds dead cells just like your beautiful face.

“To maintain a balanced scalp, wash your hair regularly at least once a week” advises Stephanie Sey. Use shampoo to avoid oil build-up, dryness and itching. Then use a conditioner to nourish, detangle and add body to your hair in order to avoid your hair looking dull and brittle.

Be mindful of ingredients included in your shampoo and conditioner to ensure that they won’t strip the hair. Avoid products with propylene glycol, sulphates and parabens and shampoos with silicone.

3. Bad Habits Need To Go, So Your Hair Can Grow:

Many people have the misconception that their hair is not growing, the truth is hair is growing all the time. It’s more that you do not retain the length over time. You need to maintain a good haircare regimen, make sure you are detangling properly and don't be rough with your hair, treat it like a piece of silk. Over time we all build bad habits and stopping these bad habits could have a huge impact on helping you retain more hair.

Cease and desist the following, please:

Pulling your hair tightly, can create constant tension that could damage the hair follicle. This will cause pressure on your hair and scalp which might cause hair damage, resulting in severe hair loss and balding.

Styling wet hair, as it's is a lot more fragile and prone to breakage when wet. This is because hair is made up of a large number of proteins called keratins. These are safely ensconced in cuticles, a protective covering a bit like flexible armour. When hair is wet, proteins form weaker bonds, than when the hair is dry. This is why if you brush or comb wet hair it tends to snap off much easier. Wet hair needs extra care to keep it in good shape. Use a wide-tooth comb or your fingers to gently detangle it.

Put your haircare routine to the test to see if there’s anything you should be doing (or should stop doing!) to get super-healthy natural hair. Take our Hair Quiz below.

Put your haircare routine to the test to see if there’s anything you should be doing (or should stop doing!) to get super-healthy natural hair. Take our Hair Quiz below.