Hair Renewal Specialists

Poor diet
Not getting enough essential nutrients can contribute to hair loss, particularly in people following restrictive diets.

For example, vegans and vegetarians have been found to be at greater risk of iron deficiency because they do not eat red meat, one of the richest sources of iron.

Studies have linked low iron levels to hair loss, particularly shedding known as telogen effluvium.

Deficiencies in zinc, found in meat and seafood, as well as vitamin B2, found in dairy products, eggs and lean meats, may also contribute to hair loss.

Meanwhile, low levels of folate, common in leafy green vegetables, beans and legumes, and vitamin B12, the richest sources of which are animal proteins, have been linked to some forms of alopecia.

A deficiency in selenium - found in Brazil nuts, fish, meats and eggs - can also lead to hair loss, studies have shown, although this is more rare.

Are sulfates or SLS bad for your hair and scalp?

First up: sulfates. The “clean” beauty movement hasn’t done them any favors — though their bad reputation is mostly undeserved. Sulfates are highly effective at lifting away product build-up, oil, and dirt. When that build-up lingers, it can lead to scalp inflammation and irritation. The shampoo I was using previously didn’t list any sulfates — specifically sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS), a very common surfactant that helps shampoo lather. Skipping it contributes to an aggravated scalp. More importantly, a clean scalp supports healthier hair growth, as build-up can clog hair follicles.

Hair Thinning?

Many people struggle to find effective long-term solutions is that different types of hair loss are often approached in the same way. “A person experiencing stress-related shedding may require a very different strategy from someone whose follicles are gradually losing their ability to produce healthy hair.”

The person with thick hair at 50 is not necessarily just lucky, and the person thinning at 25 is not necessarily destined for permanent hair loss. In many cases, the difference lies in how resilient the follicles remain over time and whether underlying biological changes are recognised and addressed early enough.

Hormonal changes during menopause
For women, menopause is one of the most common turning points for hair.

Falling oestrogen levels can leave strands finer, and sensitivity to hormones like dihydrotestosterone (DHT) increases. Cooper explains that “We’ve all got a hormone in our body, which is called DHT, dihydrotestosterone, and it attacks and shrinks hair follicles. Men have more of it, but females during menopause can find that they become more sensitive to it.”

Side effects can be off-putting. “There’s often a lot of side effects – low libido, anxiety, low mood,” she notes. Natural DHT blockers, such as pumpkin seeds, may offer a gentler approach.

Menopause is when many women notice excessive shedding. “Oestrogen is a hair and scalp or skin supportive hormone and when levels become sporadic in perimenopause you can get ongoing bouts of excessive shedding.

“When levels drop and stay low, your individual hairs can thin.”

What are some of the first signs that people start to notice when their hair is thinning?
“Many women start to notice a more visible scalp or a parting that is widening, and men tend to initially notice receding, bald patches or that their crown is becoming more visible,” highlights Collis.

Patches of more visible scalp often indicate hair loss (PA)
Patches of more visible scalp often indicate hair loss (PA)
“People might also start to notice that their ponytail is getting thinner or slimmer or that their hair is becoming more difficult to hold into a style, because there’s not as much hair as there was there before.”

Why does hair fall out?
There can be several reasons for hair loss. Factors such as stress, illness, medication, and heredity can affect hair.

Stress can lead to temporary hair loss. Both physical and psychological stress can cause more hair to fall out.

In many cases, however, the hair begins to grow back after three to six months if the cause disappears.

The most common form of hair loss is hormonal hair loss, also called androgenetic alopecia. With androgenetic alopecia, however, the hair that has been lost does not grow back.