To the ladies out there with the hair all over the floor. To the ladies with thinning hair. To the ladies with hair that only grows so long. I feel you!
I remember my brother always getting upset with me with how much of my hair would be on the floor of our bathroom.
Shoot I did not know then, what I know now. If I did, I would have been more concerned for sure.
However, over time, I began to see the other changes besides how much hair I was losing. I would see that my hair would only group to a certain length. Making me concerned about getting my hair cut too short.
My hair thickness began to thin more over time as well. I would also begin to get more split ends.
I would try all of the tricks like biotin and hair growth shampoos. While my hair would grow back in, I would still lose it in large mass and nothing more would come of my hair length nor did it ever get thicker.
Now is a different story. I am finally seeing improvement and I am excited to see how this progresses over time.
But first, I do feel it is important to know how hair growth works. In this video, I walk you through the cycles for hair growth. It is important to know this, because you will not truly be able to judge if what you are doing is working for a few months. If you do not understand these cycles, you may be expecting a quick fix.
Now for the part you have been waiting for, how to improve your hair.
Well, like most things, it starts on the inside...your hormones. Many of us have hormonal imbalances that cause us to have these issues. If you are a PCOS woman, androgen levels are most likely the cause.
Getting this balance back is key. So here is my approach to that:
Cut out the endocrine disrupting hair products: many of us use products with SLS or parabens, and fragrance. Do some homework on what you are using on your hair. I use a combo of the no-poo method and curly-girl method for washing and conditioning my hair. Since doing that, I have less greasy hair and I do not need to wash my hair as much...two bonus side perks!
Nutrition: yes, you are truly what you eat. If you are not nutritionally balanced, you cannot feed your hair follicles what it needs to grow the hair you once had or the hair you wish you had.
Make sure to eat enough to fuel your body
Eat balanced meals with fiber, protein, and fats to keep blood sugar balanced
Get most of your nutrition directly from quality plant and animal food sources (skip processed foods as much as possible)
Address any vitamin and mineral deficiency (B12, D, Magnesium, calcium, zinc)
Hormone Balance: while you are doing that with the above items, you may find you will need more help with androgens for example. That may require a visit with your physician to get some lab work completed. Adding Zinc because of my androgen levels has been a big game changer for me. If you and your physician decide this is important, please start small and build up to an appropriate level for your body and needs.
Androgens can be tricky and we all have different things to address within those levels. You may have some stress management to work on that affects your DHEAS. Or you may need to consider what is causing inflammation in your body that may be increasing your androgen levels.
No matter where you choose to begin your hair improvement journey, please know that step #2 is an absolute must! Without it, what you wash your hair with and which supplements you choose mean very little. Nutrition is king!
Happy Growing,
Terra
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