From genetics to hair products, there are a wide range of factors that can lead to hair loss. Here are 9 tips that should help you prevent or lessen your hair loss.

1. Look to your genetics

Heredity can play a large role in whether you will experience hair loss. Your genetics might determine the age, scale, and even the pattern your hair loss follows. Therefore, it’s important to investigate if thinning hair or hair loss is common trait within your family tree.

Check both maternal and paternal sides for any patterns. You can also talk to men and women in your family about their experiences, and what they have done/are doing to combat the issue. If you find a definite pattern, consider seeing a trichologist (hair and scalp specialist) about ways you can lessen or prevent the symptoms. Treatments could include laser therapy, follicle treatments, supplements, and diet changes (which you will learn more about below).

2. Identify your hair type

Using products that make big promises for improving your hair, without actually checking if they are appropriate for your hair type, is a big no-no. Not only could these products actually be contributing to your hair loss, they could even be causing it.

Common hair types include:

• Normal
• Oily
• Dry
• Combination

Other things to look out for include strand diameter, hair curl and length. To get a clear idea of your hair-type, ask a professional hairdresser or a trichologist. From there you will be able to choose the right products that will properly care for your hair.

3. Read the side effects of prescription medications

If you’ve recently experienced an illness and have also started experiencing hair loss. it’s good to start questioning if maybe the medication you are or were taking is the cause. A common cause most people are aware of is chemotherapy. However, there are lesser known causes, including blood thinners like warfarin, psychiatric drugs like lithium, and arthritic medications.

Read the labels of your medication for side effects before you start taking them, or discuss them with your doctor. To learn more about medications, their side effects, and interactions with other drugs try this site http://www.drugs.com

4. Avoid damaging your hair

Many people use styling products in their hair, or use heat from a hair dryer or hair straightener on a regular basis. The hair shaft of thinning, damaged, or fine hair can break easily under heat or through chemical reactions. Use hot tools and products sparingly until your hair can heal and regenerate. However, if your beauty routine requires them, always use a protective spray on your hair first and condition frequently.

You should also avoid perming, bleaching or colouring your hair. Perming involves breaking the bonds of your hair and then reforming them into a different shape, whilst colouring and bleaching involves removing natural pigment and penetrating the shaft of your hair with nasty chemicals.

5. Have a balanced and nutritious diet

You are what you eat really holds true for problems like hair loss. In some cases, food can hugely affect the health of your hair. B-Vitamins are an essential to various chemical processes within our bodies, including the regulation of hormones (and thus hair growth). But they are water soluble and easily eliminated from the body every day through urine, so a constant intake is a must. This also applies to minerals such as zinc, iron and selenium, which also all contribute to growing a healthy head of hair.

Unfortunately, if you think stuffing yourself full of nutrients and other goodies tomorrow means you’ll see a sudden change in your hair by next week, then you’ll be sorely let down. Hair can takes months to heal and rejuvenate. So be patient and keep eating as much healthy food as you can. Suggestions include: nuts, legumes, eggs, dark leafy greens, and more.

6. Manage stress

Alopecia areata is a short term hair loss condition often associated with stress. Also known as ‘spot baldness’, alopecia is an autoimmune disorder that attacks the hair follicles, and can be induced in the body when you are overly stressed.

However, once the stress has been removed or diminished in some way, many sufferers notice their hair begins to grow back.

7. Loosen the tension

For all the ladies who love styling their hair, and all the men who rock a man bun, consider letting your hair down every once and while, and let it blow in the wind wild and free. These hairstyles constantly pull on your hair strands, causing damage to your hair follicles and sometimes causing a form of hair loss known as traction alopecia.

Traction alopecia is completely avoidable, as long as you give your hair a regular break every now and then. Try looser hairstyles, brushless blow-drys (use your fingers), and shorter hairdos if you have particularly heavy hair instead of braids, tight buns, and using hair rollers.

8. Get dandruff in check

At Head & Shoulders, scientists have found the itching and subsequent scratching because of dandruff can contribute to hair breakage, which unfortunately can also cause more hair falling out.

If dandruff has been a problem for a long time, think about getting it treated. This could be by simply buying at-home treatments from the chemist or supermarket. However, if you are suffering from more persistent and widespread dandruff, it’s recommended you see a doctor about which medications and medical treatments you can try to lessen or stop dandruff from occurring.

TIP: Keep your scalp dry. Wet hair and/or a sweaty scalp can contribute to dandruff.

9. Stay away from hats

Actually, this one is FALSE. But it acts as a reminder you shouldn’t believe everything you hear about hair loss. Whilst some beliefs such as sun exposure do have an element of truth, others such as standing on your head to stimulate blood flow to the scalp are completely baseless.

In the 21st Century science has progressed enough for us to understand the basic causes of hair loss and how to treat it. So check the facts, and make sure you aren’t falling victim to age old myth.