Sometimes the hair just can’t stand it. And we start going bald. And this may be irreversible

Winter is already in full swing outside. What’s the best way to take care of your hair during this period?

First of all, by wearing a hat.

So our mothers – telling us to wear a hat when going out in the cold – were right on many levels.

Of course. It is important to remember that the problem is not the hair itself, because it all starts with the scalp. If we don’t wear a hat, we may cause our hair follicles – which are crucial for abundant hair growth – to catch cold. Low temperature causes our blood vessels to constrict. Then there is a lack of absorption of nutrients from the bloodstream to the hair follicle.

A simple, warm hat is enough, or does our scalp have its own preferences?

The type of hat is very important because we all have different scalp types. People who have oily skin should not choose hats made of artificial materials. This will cause the sebaceous glands to be more active. And then the skin may become even more oily.

Also the hat is the first point. The second is hydration. Please remember that winter is also the heating season. And our hair doesn’t like this kind of heat. Inadequate hair protection will result in dry, dull and split hair.

But we don’t have to turn off the radiators, do we?

Take it easy (laughter). Let’s just make sure we are properly moisturized. We can choose from all kinds of products rich in moisturizing ingredients, including: panthenol, aloe extract, caviar extract, etc. Those that will provide our stem with deep hydration.

Point three: In winter, the condition of our hair may be slightly worse due to the fact that we have much less contact with the sun. This often translates into low levels of vitamin D3, which is crucial for our body. If it is the summer season, it is known that the problem is not that big, but in winter the absorption of this vitamin is worse. That’s why supplementation is important. However, it should be emphasized that before we start doing this, we should see a doctor to determine the appropriate dose for our body. Let’s not do anything on our own! Oversupplementing the vitamin is also harmful.

Let us remember that a low level of vitamin D3 translates into weaker and worse functioning of our body. And this, in turn, affects the worse condition of the hair. I emphasize again – and I always say it – hair is only a symptom. A signal that something more serious may be happening in our body. To sum up: hat, hydration and vitamin D3.

How to deal with hair loss, e.g. with home remedies? This problem increases in winter.

We can prepare various types of moisturizing masks, e.g. based on avocado, which is often used for this purpose in the cosmetics industry. We can use various home remedies, such as oils. But be careful here too: let’s focus more on the dead part of the hair, i.e. the stem, rather than directly on the scalp. The stem, as I have already mentioned, is a dead part, so we will not harm it. We may moisturize it too much and it will make the skin greasy. But in the case of the scalp, if we massage oil or other such preparation into it, we can sometimes significantly worsen its condition. We simply can afford to experiment more with the hair shaft – which is drier, duller, more split.

And the peeling?

Also be careful with peelings. If we mean coarse-grained peeling, let’s think twice – first of all, whether there is anything wrong with our scalp, what type it is, whether we have any inflammatory changes and whether it will not harm ourselves.

Coming back to masks, we can enrich them, for example, with the content of vitamin E capsules. We can get them, for example, at a pharmacy. Here we can also try supplementation. For example, vitamin B12, crucial for our hair. But I repeat, let’s check her baseline level in morphology first! Let’s not expose ourselves to hypervitaminosis. After the dose has been appropriately selected by a specialist, we can assess how our body absorbs it after approximately 3-4 months.

Probably for the first time in a long time, we are going to have real winter holidays, and New Year’s Eve is approaching. Many people want to look good both on Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve. So, updos, curls, buns, strengthening hairstyles with hairspray, curling irons and straighteners will be introduced. What styles will be the best solution for our hair? After all, the low temperature is certainly not favorable for them, as we have already told ourselves.

From a trichologist’s point of view, anything used occasionally will not harm our hair. It’s simple: if we do something often, e.g. often eat sweets, we will certainly gain weight. It’s the same with hair. If we often use, for example, volumizing hair powder or fixing and glossing hairsprays – we do it systematically – it is known that it contributes to the formation of dandruff on the scalp.

During the holidays, Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve, we often want to look elegant. Because this is what we associate the holidays with – red, elegance, updos, waves, curls, etc. Let’s remember that if we “finish” such a hairstyle, the basis is thermal protection. Our hair does not like high temperatures.

So, in order not to harm them, we should use thermal protection. It protects our hair against the high temperatures to which it is exposed when we use, for example, a straightener, curling iron, thermal rollers, etc. If we take care of it in advance, nothing bad should happen. Most often, these are sprays with thermo-protective conditioner without rinsing. We can find plenty of it in both drugstores and supermarkets.

Thermal protection has protective and moisturizing ingredients. It will protect our hair against temperature, but it will also make the hair shaft look better aesthetically.

Let’s also remember that after our Christmas or New Year’s Eve party, you need to clean your scalp thoroughly. This is important especially when we have applied a large amount of varnish or various other styling agents. It is best to do this using the peeling I mentioned earlier. But here I will expand on the topic a bit: everything – again – depends on the skin type. For some people, enzymatic peeling, which is more delicate, will be a better solution. And for others – particles.

If we cleanse the scalp of various substances deposited on it – including: varnish, glitter, conditioners, sprays – this increases the absorption of active ingredients that will be delivered to the skin through the shampoo. Washing your hair this way makes much more sense.

And updos? Tightly compressed, high buns and ponytails are a common sight. We have already heard that these are not healthy solutions.

Same road again. If something comes up occasionally, that’s fine in my book. However, if someone wears such hairstyles very often – and here I mean dreadlocks, braids and a very fashionable Jennifer Lopez-style bun – then the problem begins.

You have to watch out for one thing. Let’s remember that when we pin our hair up this way, the hair is very stretched, especially around the temples. Wearing such a hairstyle on a regular basis may lead to the so-called traction alopecia, resulting from the stretching of the stem. If we pull the hair too hard for a long time, some of it will eventually start to fall out. Also occasionally, once in a while – okay, but not every day. Taxonomy in this area may have certain consequences, although of course not for everyone.

There’s also that famous Ariana Grande ponytail. Hair tightly compressed from the roots, pinned high, with a storm of attached strands.

Exactly. You have to realize that this is television, the media. And the thing about television is that it likes to color things. So let’s remember that this ponytail is not real. In reality, it looks like we are putting a lot of weight on thin hair. Then they just can’t stand it. The front line (i.e. forehead) and the temple cannot stand it. And unfortunately we are starting to lose hair. Sometimes – especially if it is a longer process – it may turn out to be irreversible.

Well, these are definitely hairstyles often chosen for various types of events.

So take it easy, once in a while – that’s fine. In everyday practice, I strongly advise against it. As part of my work, I meet various people who, for example, have to wear such hairstyles due to the nature of their profession – dancers, ballerinas, stewardesses, etc. Sometimes they come to me at an advanced stage, which does not leave much hope, and sometimes in such a… that we can still help them somehow.

When wearing such hairstyles, you need to take care of the blood supply to the scalp by performing, for example, massages. This seems especially important in the perspective of the holidays, which last 3 days. Christmas Eve, first day, etc., then New Year’s Eve… it may turn out that the hair will be pulled back more often. Then, after some time, everyone may feel an unpleasant tingling and some kind of discomfort. And a sudden feeling of relief when we let our hair down. This is related to insufficient blood supply. Then such a massage in the comfort of your home is recommended. It will always be beneficial for your hair, because by stimulating blood circulation in the scalp, we also stimulate hair growth. And we all strive to have as many of them as possible.

Thank you for the conversation.