How to Prevent Hair Loss in Women

Though the cause can sometimes be the same, usually a woman's hair loss is very different from a man's. That's great news because it means that often, female hair loss is reversible. Here's how you may be able to prevent hair loss and turn back thinning hair for women.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

1. If you're a woman who's noticed her hair thinning, start by taking a look at your hair habits. Often, hair becomes more fragile once we're out of our 20s and if you engage in damaging habits (blow drying, curling, lots of hair product use, etc), you may be seeing the results now. Give your hair a break by letting it dry naturally and working with its natural inclinations (if it's curly, leave it curly, if it's straight, leave it straight). Loose braids and buns can be an easy way to avoid lots of hair products and can still keep your hair looking polished. Try to be very gentle with your hair for at least six weeks to see if this makes any difference and in the meantime, move on to the next steps.

2. Get a shower water filter--these screw right on above your shower faucet and will make your water quality better. Even if you have a whole-house filter, give this a try--they're only about $30 and can make a big difference. Use a filter on every faucet that you use to wash your hair.

3. Talk to your doctor about potential nutritional deficiencies. If you're otherwise healthy, hair thinning in women often indicates a vitamin or mineral deficiency and your doctor can help you pinpoint what you're missing. Some things your doctor may want you to add to your diet include: Flax seed, fish, Vitamin E, Magnesium, Vitamin D, and amino acids. Pre-natal vitamins can also be great for hair growth in women who aren't pregnant, but should be used ONLY under a doctor's recommendation.

4. Switch to a gentler shampoo. Ask your hair stylist to recommend the gentlest shampoo that would be good for your hair. He or she should have a great recommendation for your hair type. You may want to find out about Conditioning Only (where you "wash" your hair with conditioner--it actually gets it quite clean and is very gently) or other shampoo alternatives if your hair is especially delicate.

5. Take one last look at your habits. If you always part your hair in the same place or always wear it in a pony tail, that can lead to additional hair breakage or damage. So, now that you've discarded actual damaging habits, also take a look at what you're still doing with your hair--it may be that a change in routine is necessary to help your hair grow back.

Tips & Warnings

• Women are lucky because female hair loss treatment is often very successful. Women can also use doctor-prescribed medications when the hair loss is severe, so feel free to bring this up with your doctor when you're asking about nutritional supplements.
• Don't brush your hair excessively! This is one of the more common causes of hair loss for women and stopping can be an easy way to prevent hair loss.

[trillity]

on 11/19/2009 excellent article on how to prevent hair loss in women!! 5* rec