Scalp Garden Hair Loss & Scalp Care

Losing hair after braids? That can be more than normal shedding.

Repeated tension from braids and other tight styles can lead to traction alopecia, and whether that hair can grow back depends a lot on how early you catch it and whether the follicle has been permanently damaged.

So can something like Cécred hair drops help? Let’s talk about what the ingredients may support, what they can’t fix, and why removing the source of tension has to come first.

If you hit perimenopause and suddenly thought…

Whose hair is this?!

You’re not imagining it.

Hormonal changes during perimenopause and menopause can change the way your hair looks, feels, and behaves. And sometimes those changes are surprisingly dramatic.

I’ve seen people who had straight hair for most of their lives suddenly develop waves or curls during menopause. And importantly, that can happen without hair loss or thinning.

Hormones interact with the follicle itself, and follicle shape and curvature help determine the shape of the hair fiber it produces. Sebum production and characteristics of the hair fiber can change during this time too.

What we can’t do is neatly say, “Your estrogen dropped, therefore your follicle changed shape and now you’re curly.” There’s still a lot we don’t fully understand about exactly why some people experience such dramatic texture changes.

But if your hair suddenly seems to have developed an entirely new personality during perimenopause?

It may actually have. 😂

Hair Loss Awareness Month 🌱

When you already have a diagnosis like Graves’ disease, it’s really easy for every new symptom to get filed under the same explanation.

And yes, thyroid function absolutely matters to your hair.

Changes in thyroid hormones can disrupt the hair cycle and contribute to increased shedding and changes in density.

But that doesn’t mean every case of progressive thinning in someone with Graves’ disease is just thyroid-related hair loss.

Especially when there are other clues.

If your scalp is chronically itchy, flaky, burning, tender, or inflamed, I want to know why.

And if the hair is progressively getting thinner rather than experiencing a temporary shed, I want to look at the pattern of loss too.

You can have thyroid-related shedding AND an inflammatory scalp condition. Or genetic thinning. Or nutritional factors. Or something else entirely.

Sometimes more than one thing is happening at the same time.

Your existing diagnosis is an important piece of the puzzle. It just shouldn’t stop us from looking for the rest of the pieces. 🌱

Hair Loss Awareness Month

You finished chemo. Your hair is finally coming back.

Then your doctor recommends minoxidil… and suddenly you’re seeing more hair fall out.

That can feel terrifying after everything your hair has already been through.

Minoxidil can cause a temporary increase in shedding when you first start using it. It affects the hair cycle, and hairs that were already approaching the end of their cycle may be released as follicles transition toward a new growth phase.

But post-chemo hair is a little more complicated.

Your follicles are already recovering from a major disruption, and regrowth can be uneven for a while. Texture, density, color, and even the way individual hairs cycle may look different during recovery.

So if you’re seeing shedding after starting minoxidil, don’t automatically assume you’re losing all of your new growth.

Watch the bigger picture over the following months. Is coverage improving? Are you seeing new growth? Is density gradually returning?

And if the shedding feels severe, continues longer than expected, or something simply doesn’t feel right, bring your oncology or dermatology team back into the conversation.

Your follicles have been through a lot. Give them some grace. 🌱

Hair Loss Awareness Month

Can Ozempic make your hair fall out?

If you’re shedding while taking a GLP-1, the medication may not be the whole story.

Rapid weight loss itself can trigger hair shedding.

Your body doesn’t particularly care how you lost the weight. Significant or rapid weight loss can be a physiological stressor, and a few months later, you may see that show up as telogen effluvium.

Then there’s nutrition.

GLP-1s can dramatically reduce appetite, which can make it harder to get enough protein, calories, iron, zinc, B vitamins, and other nutrients your follicles need to keep producing hair.

So if someone tells me, “My hair started falling out after I started Ozempic,” I want to know more than what medication they’re taking.

How quickly did you lose weight?
How much are you actually eating?
Are you getting enough protein?
What did your nutrition and labs look like before the weight loss?

The goal isn’t necessarily to stop a medication that may be doing something really beneficial for your health.

It’s to figure out why your hair cycle is struggling and support your body while you’re losing weight. 🌱

Hair Loss Awareness Month

If you have fine, oily hair, you may have heard that washing too often is bad for your hair… especially if you’re already shedding.

But washing your hair isn’t causing those hairs to fall out.

Those hairs have already been released from the follicle. Washing just means you’re seeing them all at once instead of losing them gradually throughout the day.

And if your scalp gets oily quickly? It’s okay to wash it.

There’s no prize for making it to day five. Oil, sweat, product buildup, and debris sitting on the scalp aren’t necessarily doing you any favors either.

Fine hair often looks oily faster simply because there’s less hair to distribute that sebum across.

The goal isn’t to wash as little as possible.

It’s to keep your scalp clean and comfortable without irritating it, while figuring out why you’re shedding in the first place. 🌱

Hair Loss Awareness Month

It felt approximately 2 degrees cooler this morning and my heart immediately said, “Fall is in the air.” 🍂

This is a lie.

I live in Georgia. It is August. But I will be living comfortably in my denial.

So while I’m emotionally preparing for sweaters and soup, let’s talk about something that actually happens this time of year… seasonal shedding.

Yes, seasonal changes in our hair cycle are real. But “it’s just fall shedding” can also become an easy explanation for shedding that has another trigger.

Our routines change. Diets change. Sun exposure and vitamin D status can shift. Back-to-school season can be a stress whirlwind. And because hair works on a delay, what you’re seeing now may reflect what was happening in your body months ago.

A little seasonal increase that settles back down? Very different from persistent shedding or noticeable changes in density.

So yes, fall shedding is a thing.

Fall being in the air in Georgia in August? Absolutely not. 🍁😂

We have a few days left of Hair Loss Awareness Month! What hair or scalp question do you want me to answer next?

“It runs in my family” doesn’t always mean “there’s nothing I can do about it.”

Sometimes it means the same underlying issue has been running through your family for generations and no one ever thought to ask why.

Maybe you’re just the first generation curious enough to investigate it.

Genetics absolutely matter. But family history isn’t always a diagnosis, and it doesn’t automatically mean you’re destined for the same hair story.

Sometimes the most useful question is simply…

Why?

We only have a few days left of Hair Loss Awareness Month, so keep the questions coming. What have you always wondered about your hair, scalp, or hair loss but never had anyone to ask? Drop it below or send me a message. 🌱

PCOS can absolutely affect your hair, but having PCOS does not mean you’re destined to have “bad hair.”

Hormones are part of the picture, but they’re not the whole picture. Insulin resistance, nutrient status, inflammation, stress, genetics, medications, and what’s happening with your cycle can all influence what your hair is doing.

And more importantly, there may be things we can actually work on.

The goal isn’t to promise perfect hair. It’s to understand your pattern, figure out what may be driving it, and stop assuming you just have to live with it because you have PCOS.

I’m answering your hair loss + scalp questions all month for Hair Loss Awareness Month. Have one? Drop it in the comments or DM me if you’d rather ask privately. 🌱

Trichologist HairLossEducation ScalpHealth