Did you know that hair loss and hair breakage are two different things? Most people in Mumbai often confuse these two problems together, but we assure you they are entirely different. Today we explain what exactly hair loss and hair breakage are and what you can do to treat both of them.
Hair loss and hair breakage
Hair loss is when the root becomes weak, and the hair falls off. Usually, it is a cyclic process, beginning with hair thinning, resulting in a reduced hair volume. As your hair root gets weaker, your hair strand ultimately falls with its root; in such a case, you will notice a bulb at the end of your hair strand.
Hair breakage, on the other hand, is when your hair becomes dry and cannot stretch anymore. Your hair requires hydration for moisture and bounce. When your hair becomes dry, it breaks off its shaft, leaving only split ends and short hair strands.
Difference between hair loss and hair breakage
Causes and treatment of hair loss
Now that the difference between hair loss and hair breakage, how do we solve the problem. To find that out, we have to first understand the causes. Some causes of hair loss include:
- Dietary Imbalance:
Switching to crazy diet plans to look fit and perfect can end up affecting other parts of your body, especially your hair. A sudden diet change causes an internal imbalance in your body. The lack of vital nutrients to your hair & scalp triggers hair loss. In most cases, improper meal times also disturb the growth cycle of your hair. Also, the lack of water in your body adds to hair loss.
- Hormonal Imbalance:
A hormonal imbalance in your body triggers hair loss as well. Some hormones like estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, prolactin in women affect hair growth. Sometimes thyroid imbalance also becomes a cause for hair loss. Other body conditions that may cause hormonal imbalance include pregnancy, menopause, stress, PCOD, renal failure, etc. Though hair loss does not happen immediately in such situations, you will see it approximately after 3 months.
- Stress:
Stress drastically affects the health of your hair. If you happen to be emotionally stressed, you might start skipping meals or overeating, forgetting things like drinking water, or maintaining a hair care routine. All these conditions lead to hair loss, which will further increase your stress.
What are the treatments for hair loss?
Most of the time, hair loss has a root cause. If you can identify this root cause, it will not be long before you can find a proper treatment. In such a case, a hair doctor is the best option. Your doctor can help you identify the root cause and suggest a solution according to the type of hair loss.
However, you can follow these tips to control hair loss at large:
- Eat a healthy and balanced diet. It will not only help prevent hair loss but be an overall benefit to your body.
- Drink a lot of water; keep yourself hydrated always. The water level in your body ensures smooth blood flow, maintaining healthy hair.
- Ensure you get continuous sleep for at least 7 to 9 hours; it will relax your mind and keep stress at bay.
- Add daily exercise or meditation to your routine; it can help reduce stress.
- Remember to oil, shampoo, and condition your hair periodically or as prescribed by your doctor.
If you still have hair loss then it is best to go for a hair transplant and permanently solve your hair loss problems
Causes and treatment of hair breakage
Hair breakage happens to all types of hair, from straight to curly, for various reasons. It is usually a problem that can be fixed, provided that you attend to it without delay. Hair breakage is a temporary problem but needs a permanent solution; otherwise, it will start happening again. Some of the causes of hair breakage include:
- Excessive heat styling:
Most hairstyles these days require excessive use of heat-aided tools. Usage of blow-dryers, straighteners, or curling tongs removes your hair’s moisture and causes them to become brittle, leading to breakage.
- Hair coloring:
Hair coloring has become a major trend. However, most of these coloring products contain chemicals that can weaken your hair & make it more vulnerable to breakage.
- Damaging hair care practices:
Haircare doesn’t just involve oiling, shampooing, and conditioners; some of your mishandling routines can lead to damage—some mishandling, like too much hair brushing, rubbing wet hair vigorously with a towel.
- Not having timely haircuts:
Not having timely haircuts leads to split ends. These slit ends can cause further damage to the hair by traveling upwards and splitting the hair shaft. Split ends, hair damage, and growing out hair are problems you will face if you do not get timely haircuts.
What are the treatments for hair breakage?
Hair breakage happens because of your harsh hair care habits if you can start correcting those habits your hair can recover. Some of the actions that you can take:
- If you are experiencing hair breakage because of styling, look for treatments that relax your hair strands.
- Use your hand to detangle your hair and use wide-tooth wooden brushes for combing.
- Adopt a routine to timely trim your hair, maybe every 4-6 weeks. It will prevent split ends and also keep your hair in good shape.
- If you have any medical conditions, which could be the root cause of your hair loss, talk to a hair doctor and your doctor who is treating you for that condition.
- Sometimes, hair breakage is temporary, and you can repair and restore its strength by adopting hair care routines and products prescribed by your doctor.
Now that you know what exactly is hair loss and hair breakage, you might understand the problem of your own hair. Use the treatments we mentioned above for any of your hair conditions, but visit a trichologist if it doesn’t work.
