5 Ways I Slowed Down My Hair Loss

This time last year, I went from doctor appointment to doctor appointment trying to get to the bottom of why my hair was falling out from the roots and what it was telling me about my overall well-being. So today, I wanted to open up about my hair loss journey and some of the lessons I have learned along the way.

I have to preface this conversation by letting you know that the views expressed in this post are from my personal experience and are intended for informational purposes only. This post is NOT intended to substitute for medical advice, treatment, or diagnosis and should not be relied upon for specific professional medical advice.

I first started to notice that my fallout rates after a wash had significantly increased. At first, I thought my scalp was reacting to a product, so I switched all the products I was using to ones I had used in the past. When that didn't help much, I decided to go to my doctor. She ordered several labs and had me go in for an annual physical exam to ensure that there wasn't anything else going on. Thankfully for me, it was manageable, and I learned a lot along the way that I would like to share with you.

Here are some of the five ways I slowed down my hair loss

Taking Vitamins

One of the first things my doctor recommended was to get my vitamin levels checked out. After we ran the tests, I noticed that the ranges in the charts were far too broad, and I needed further clarification, so I told my doctor I wanted to see a naturopathic doctor. When I went to a naturopathic doctor, the ranges they had were far smaller, and I was told that I was deficient in some vitamins like Vitamin D, which makes sense because I live in Seattle and don’t get enough sun. Also, according to my doctor and some research, having more melanin reduces your ability to synthesize vitamin D from the sun. So, based on my deficiencies, my doctor recommended I take Vitamin D supplements each day, in addition to Iron and a multivitamin high in Vitamin B.

Understanding that change doesn’t happen overnight

My naturopathic doctor was apparent in her expectations and the time it could take to see changes. I was told that it would take at least 3 months, and it actually took about half a year for me. I had to be consistent with taking my vitamins, managing my stress, caring for my hair beyond wash day, and sticking to products that worked for me.

Products

Before I went through hair loss, I was the type of person who switched out of all my hair products simultaneously. So when my doctors asked if there was a possibility that I had used a product that could be causing a reaction, I couldn’t even pinpoint which product it could be.

Here is the thing: when it comes to my skin, I would never switch out of all my products all at once in a million years. So instead, I slowly introduce items into my routine to know which product is causing that when something is off. Now, I have learned to keep the same energy with my hair.

Stress Management

Stress manifests in a lot of ways. It can affect our behaviors, thoughts, emotions, and physical health. Although our tolerance varies, none of us are immune to the effects of stress. Thus, it’s vital to make an effort to continuously and actively manage our stress.

Honestly, last year, stress management was not a thing in my life. In fact, stress managed me. It didn’t help to add the emotional toll of hair loss to my other stressors. After experiencing hair loss, I had to choose - I was no longer willing to compromise my health for anything or anybody. I created a list of things that stressed me out and the things that brought me joy and happiness. Then I implemented new daily routines that helped me cope. I had to learn to set boundaries, learn to say no, expand self-care beyond Sundays, manage my anxiety better, remember to be self-assertive(still a work in progress), and really put my foot down on a lot of things.

It can take time, but once you get the hang of it, it gets so much better and shifts your life for the better.

Haircare Beyond Wash Day

I learned the hard way that hair care needs to be an everyday thing for me. I spent hours on hair care on wash day doing the usual pre-masking, cleansing, conditioning, deep conditioning, moisturizing, and styling. But how I styled and protected my hair the rest of the days mattered too. When I saw the most significant fall out in my hair, I stopped slicking down my hair, adding extensions or braiding hair, tying my hair back, or even having my bonnet/scarf too close to my edges. It helped slow down the fallout and gave my hair the necessary time to recover.

I hope you find this post helpful. If you’re going through hair loss at the moment, hang in there! I know firsthand the emotional toll it could have on people.

Sending you much love and light.

Thank you for reading