What Causes Thinning Hair?

If you’ve been wondering why is my hair thin? Then you’ve come to the right place! Thinning hair happens gradually over time and can be caused by a number of factors including lifestyle changes, your health, your genetics and how you treat your hair and scalp.

Thin hair can make particular areas of your head look patchy, however, a thinner patch of hair on your head doesn’t always cause baldness and there are ways to minimise the effects of thin hair. Here we’ll be examining what causes thinning hair and how you can help prevent thinning hair.

What Are The Main Causes Of Thinning Hair?

Thinning hair can present differently in different people, it may be a patch on the top of your head, around your hairline or in sporadic places around your head. Either way, there are a few reasons for this.

• Wearing your hair in an updo with it pulled back too tightly can cause the delicate hair follicles to snap and for patches of thin hair to appear most prominently around the hairline.
• Over-processing your hair with chemical treatments can cause your hair to become brittle and snap at the root. Always give your hair a break from chemical treatments and avoid using them consecutively. We recommend treating your hair to a leave-in conditioner after every chemical treatment.
• A poor diet that is short in vitamin-rich fruits and vegetables can cause your hair to thin as your scalp is not receiving the essentials vitamins it needs to replenish healthy hair follicles.

• Not getting enough vitamins and minerals in your diet can cause your hair to thin as folic acid and minerals typically bolster the growth of healthy follicles.
• When we are stressed, the stress hormone, cortisol peaks and this can have an impact on how successfully new hairs grow from your hair follicles.
• Postpartum hair loss due to a drop in oestrogen levels is extremely common and can typically cause the hair around your hairline to thin out.
• Some types of medication can also cause your hair to thin. If you are concerned about thinning hair due to medication, always speak to your doctor or a healthcare professional.

How To Prevent Thinning Hair

There are a few ways you can do yourself to help prevent thinning hair, however, if you are concerned about your hair thinning, always speak to your doctor for medical advice.

• Use a thickening shampoo - Hair thickening shampoos work by plumping out each strand of hair to give better volume and nourish the hair follicles to encourage them to grow stronger. Many hair thickening shampoos include ingredients such as Caffeine, Keratin Proteins and Copolymers to help encourage stronger hair growth. Looking for more thickening shampoo recommendations? Discover our guide to the best thickening shampoos for fuller hair.

LOOKFANTASTIC RECOMMENDS...

The Nanogen Women 7 in 1 Thickening Treatment Shampoo & Conditioner cleanses, thickens and moisturises hair to ensure it is cared for optimally.

The brand’s patented Hair Growth Factor complex works to rejuvenate hair follicles to promote healthy growth, thanks to Keratin. Green Tea extract defends against harmful external stressors that cause damage.