How to prevent hair loss

“Hair loss can happen for a number of reasons,” says  Dr. Jino Kim, a plastic surgeon who is the CEO of New Hair Clinic and has over 15 years of experience in hair transplantation and alopecia treatment. “But the most common reasons I see at my clinic are stress, hormonal changes, and genetics.”

Luckily, there are a number of steps you can take to prevent hair loss. “Hair is a part of your body,” explains Dr. Kim, “so you need to eat a good diet to keep it healthy.” Dr. Kim advises reducing your intake of carbohydrates, such as bread, since excessive amounts can affect hair loss. He also recommends eating vegetables as often as possible to stay healthy. 

Sleeping well is also extremely important when it comes to hair health. “It's best if you can wake up without an alarm – that’s the amount of sleep your body needs,” said Dr. Kim. “Insufficient sleep affects everything from hair follicles to brain cells to the stress you feel.” Just like sleeping and eating healthily, exercising is a key part of preserving your hair. A good, consistent workout routine can help improve the thickness and strength of the hair. “Many people don’t realize this, but exercise is a very important tool in the fight against hair loss.” Explains Dr. Kim.

Finally, your choice of shampoo can help a lot. “It might not make your hair regrow, but it can maintain what remains and stop the problem from getting worse.” Advises Dr. Kim. However, it is important to remember that just because a shampoo is expensive doesn’t mean it’s the right product for you. Dr. Kim recommends consulting with a hair care professional, or testing out various different shampoos, until you find one which leaves your scalp clean and fresh and provides the best base possible for growing and maintaining a healthy head of hair. “Everyone’s scalp is different, so what is ideal for one person might not work for someone else.” Says Dr. Kim.

With Dr. Kim’s advice in mind, we can see that just by changing a few habits in our everyday lives, we can greatly reduce the risk of hair loss. “Some form of hair loss is inevitable as we get older,” adds Dr. Kim. “But that doesn’t mean we should just give up without a fight.”