Hair reflects a person’s personality. The first thing you notice when you meet someone is their hair. The beauty of a woman is often considered in her hair. We are very worried if there is any problem with our hair. Hair sheds as a part of a natural cycle and it is very natural to lose 80-100 hair strands a day. Everyone loves thick, shiny, and soft hair. Haircare is not limited to expensive shampoos, conditioners, serums, and pills. It also depends on the activities you do in your daily life. The healthier your habits, the better for your hair.

So, while taking care of your hair, you should also adopt good habits in your lifestyle to avoid early hair-fall problems.

In today’s world of rush, we are neglecting healthy food, compromising ample sleep on the one hand whereas, on the other hand, pollution is also increasing day by day which all add up to the hair loss before aging. Men and women in their early twenties are prone to losing hair these days.

So, the seven unhealthy habits that can cause premature hair fall, points are mentioned below:

1. Excessive Hairstyling Products and Appliances

Be it for the party or family get-together, we often end up using hair styling products and appliances to make our hair look better. From visiting the salon weekly to applying hair color at home, we do not hesitate to pay a hefty amount for our hair care. But these habits do not always pay you back. To avoid a bad hair day, we are ruining our hair texture and growth by using styling tools and products. That’s true, hair styling tools like a blow dryer, hair iron, curler, etc. are not very fruitful for your hair. Though they get the job done temporarily they harm your hair in the long run. These hot hair appliances cause the most damage to your hair when you use them on wet hair, since they actually boil the water in your hair shaft, leaving your hair brittle. Hair products that claim to keep the locks intact for a long time can cause more harm than one realizes. Hair products like color, serum, gel, perm, spray, dye, etc. contain high alcohol which makes your hair dry and brittle. When you comb or brush your hair, the residue will cause the hair to break and fall. The high temperatures damage the hair protein and cuticles, leading to thinner hair. Exposing your hair to these regularly will not just ruin its texture, it will also lead to hair loss in some time.

2. Lack of Sleep

From the culture of late-night Netflix and chill to hours long office works at night, the number of sleeping hours gets deprived. You may think that sleep does not have any co-relation with hair loss but you can’t be more wrong. A good eight hours of sleep is required for the human body to function properly. When you sleep, your body is in a state of rest but internally, it is rejuvenating which is required to keep it going. When you cut down on sleep, you are also affecting the hair growth process which means you will lose more hair than what grows back. So, if you haven’t been getting an ample amount of sleep, change this habit and see how the growth of hair improves.

3. Smoking and Heavy Drinking

It seems that smoking not only affects the lungs but it also affects your hair. In fact, this bad habit affects all parts of the body. Smoking damages your hair follicles by damaging their DNA. It restricts the blood supply to reach your scalp which means your hair follicles are not nourished which shuts their growth eventually.

Drinking occasionally is tolerable for your hair, but if you are a prolific drinker then it can bother your hair growth. Minerals like zinc and iron are essential for the growth of hair. But heavy drinking can deplete these minerals and it also leads to dehydration and make your hair dry, brittle, and eventually become thinner.

4. Tight Hairstyles and Mishandling Hair

If you have a habit of tying your hair tightly then it is not so good for your hair. Hair follicles are stressed and damaged when there is excessive tension from a tight hairstyle. In extreme cases, it can even result in traction alopecia, a condition that permanently weakens the follicle making it impossible for hair growth.

Hair saturated with H2O is more prone to breakage and fragile than dry hair as the protective cuticle in wet hair is slightly raised. Brushing or combing locks in the shower, then following with aggressive towel-drying, create the perfect storm for snapping it off.

5. Poor Nutritional Diet

When you don’t get the vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients that your body needs from your diet, it can cause a loss of hair. For instance, too little protein in your diet can damage healthy hair, and inhibit your body’s ability to build new hair follicles. This can cause noticeable hair loss after about two to three months of a protein-deficient diet. Iron, vitamin E, biotin, and trace minerals like copper, and magnesium are all critical. If you’re not getting enough of a particular vitamin, you may want to consider taking a supplement.

Starving yourself forces the body to direct its energy towards essential functions-like helping your heart and brain work rather than making hair. To save the strands it is important to consume a balanced diet that is rich in protein like lentils, fish, eggs, meat, etc. that help in maintaining one’s hair as hair is primarily made up of protein.

6. Backcombing and Rubbing Hair Vigorously

If you often tease your hair or backcomb it, remember, doing too much of it can lead to hair loss in that area. This is because you are combing hair in the opposite direction and can irritate the hair when done regularly. The hair is bound to become rough and brittle which will lead to breakage. Doing it once in a while is fine, even though it hampers the hair but doing it regularly is a recipe for hair loss. Notice the difference between the teased hair and regular hair and you will understand what we mean.

Washing hair and then using a towel to rub it vigorously to dry it off is not good for your hair. This action can weaken your hair from the root resulting in its breaking easily. Letting your hair dry naturally is the best way to dry it but if you want to prevent the water from dripping all over the clothes, use a soft cotton cloth. Use this cloth to gently wipe the ends of your hair. If you want, you can lightly wipe your scalp using this cloth but avoid using a towel and rubbing it vigorously.

7. Overstress

Another factor that can cause hair loss is stress. The mental burden not just affects your health in other ways, it also ruins your crowning glory. Stress suppresses adequate blood flow which means hair follicles do not get the supply they need to grow, resulting in hair loss. Being stressed also ruins the texture of your hair. When you feel stressed, take deep breathes to calm your nerves. And if it is a regular phenomenon, you should seek medical help for the same. Do not take stress about unnecessary things as it does not do any good to you.

Besides the above-mentioned points, premature hair-fall can also occur due to hereditary, medical complications, over-exposure to sunlight, cancer, etc. But don’t worry, if you are ready to give up these unhealthy habits, you are not going to lose your thick and shiny hair any time soon. So, to flaunt your hair as an accessory unfollow these bad practices ASAP because a good hair day is the day spent well.