For both men and women, thinning hair can be concerning at any age and can affect your overall appearance. In many cases, rapid or gradual hair loss indicates underlying health conditions or issues that may be present and need to be addressed. If you notice your hair isn’t as thick as in the past, there are a few reasons to be aware of while working with a medical professional.

1. A lack of protein in your diet

Some people who limit their meat consumption may notice their hair begins to fall out due to a lack of protein in their diet. Protein is an essential component in any type of diet because it’s a building block for hair and is necessary to maintain proper hair growth. If your body isn’t getting enough protein, it can prompt the hair follicles to stop growing hair, which can make your hair look a lot thinner over time. To regain the volume of your crowning glory, Allurium Beauty provides you ideas when is the best time to cut hair for regrowth.

Fortunately, this is easy to treat and requires consuming 0.35 grams of protein for every pound that you weigh each day. Stick to eating natural foods like soybeans, lentils, chicken, beef, tofu, eggs, and nuts.

2. Hormonal imbalance

Women who have a hormone imbalance can start to experience hair loss, according to Gregory Lindson, MD, a board-certified endocrinologist at HRTGuru hormone replacement clinic

This can occur at any stage in life, whether you’ve recently delivered a baby or are going through menopause. Polycystic ovary syndrome can cause an increase in testosterone as it shrinks the hair follicles and causes the hair to fall out after it becomes thin and brittle.

3. Long-term chronic stress

When your body becomes stressed, and you experience anxiety consistently, it’s common for the hair to become thinner and brittle. You may start to experience more hair loss three months after a traumatic event, whether you went through a job loss or a death of a loved one.

Healing your body is necessary to restore the quality and health of your hair. Try to enroll in therapy, meditate, and participate in physical activities that reduce your stress.

Know the triggers that cause you to feel stressed to ensure you can respond quickly and take control of your emotions.

4. Androgenetic alopecia

Men and women can both experience hair loss due to a condition called androgenetic alopecia. The health condition begins by triggering hair loss as testosterone starts to break down in the body. 

This begins to shorten the hair cycle, which prevents your hair from having time to regrow. Women can experience hair loss all over their heads, but their hairline won’t recede. Men will not only notice the hair thinning near the crown of their head, but their hairline will also change over time.

Stimulating hair regrowth is necessary with products like Rogaine. Your doctor may also recommend taking products like Nutrafol to regrow the hair.

5. Using heated styling tools

Too much heat exposure can also lead to hair loss when you consistently use heat tools to style your hair. This can quickly cause the hair to become damaged and brittle, which makes it break off a lot easier. 

Limiting how often you style your hair or using the tools and more simple hairstyles can restore your damaged hair and help it to grow back thicker and stronger. Consider air-drying it a few days throughout the week. Using dry shampoo can also reduce how frequently you need to wash it.

If you need to use a hairdryer, opt for using the cool setting to prevent your hair follicles and strands from coming in contact with too much heat after you bathe.

Understanding the underlying causes of thinning hair can make it easier to treat the condition and restore the thick texture of your mane. It can also prevent additional symptoms from developing when you have a health condition that may have recently developed.

6. Health Conditions

There are a variety of different health conditions that are linked to hair loss, which includes anemia, hypothyroidism, and low vitamin D. Working with a medical professional to treat the underlying health condition is crucial if you want to restore your hair’s texture and make it thick and full again. 

Routine blood tests can also be extremely effective in discovering if a specific health condition or nutrient deficiency is prompting hair loss. This can make it easier to get an accurate diagnosis and quickly treat the issue before experimenting with different supplements and vitamins.

7. Postpartum telogen effluvium

After you have a baby, it’s common to notice your hair begins to fall out a lot quicker. This is due to lower estrogen levels and often occurs four months after you deliver. The problem can persist for up to a year as your body takes time to return to normal and your estrogen levels begin to stabilize.

If you want to reduce how much hair you lose, it’s important to take a multivitamin and also take a biotin supplement each day. Using a shampoo for hair loss that contains Minoxidil can also treat the issue.