Why can our hair deteriorate?

Hair, a reflection of our lifestyle

Toxins and inflammation are dangerous for our hormones and our hair!

Claudia Stroia, nutritionist and holistic therapist, tells us about the cases she’s used to encounter:

“One of the great strengths of holistic therapy is that it takes care of the body as a whole and gets to the root of problems, paying attention to the inseparable duo: the physical and the psychic.”

Beautiful, thick, silky hair is a sign of good health, indicative of a balanced lifestyle, a well-functioning hormonal system and harmonious nutrition. Our hair is highly sensitive: it reacts to stress, our emotions and our psychological state.

Both men and women are affected by the effects of these harmful factors, to which the hair quickly responds with irritation, dandruff, loss, scalp inflammation and infection– signs that often herald a physical-emotional disorder waiting to be resolved!

Hair loss is always caused by inflammation.
In many cases, it is accompanied by a triggering phenomenon such as emotional shock, trauma, surgery or other pre-existing chronic inflammatory conditions.

By treating inflammation as the main cause and reducing exposure to toxic factors in our daily lives, we can reduce and stop hair loss in most cases.

The link between our hormones & hair loss

Hormonal glands (thyroid, pituitary, adrenal) and hormonal balance in general play a decisive role in hair loss problems.

There are three main factors responsible for this type of fall:

– thyroid problems
– androgenetic alopecia caused by an imbalance of male hormones (androgens in men, but also in women)
– and the menopause!

The link between menopause & hair loss

Hair is protected by estrogen levels throughout a woman’s reproductive life.
From the age of 40 onwards, estrogen secretion begins to decline, and ovarian activity gradually diminishes, finally coming to a halt around the age of 55.

This estrogenic decline is accompanied by a variety of signs: fatigue, insomnia, headaches, hair loss, brittle nails, dizziness, joint problems, depression, anxiety, hot flushes, excessive sweating and so on.

To prepare for the menopause, we need to pay more attention to our diet, use natural cosmetics and exercise for at least 30 minutes a day.

Yoga, Pilates, Thai chi and meditation are effective practices that can alleviate or even reduce these symptoms and calm our hormonally disturbed minds.

We need to give priority to organically grown ingredients and gentle cooking methods:
– Fruits and vegetables (1/3 raw and 2/3 steamed),
– Cold-pressed oils rich in omega 3: rapeseed, walnut, olive (omega 9).
– Hormone- and antibiotic-free meats, organic eggs and small, omega-3-rich fish (organic sardines, anchovies, mackerel, lean fish such as sea bass, trout and sea bream).
– Walnuts, almonds, hazelnuts, chia seeds, sesame seeds and flaxseed.
– Avoid refined white sugar, simple sugars and industrial products containing sugar, salt, additives and preservatives.

To prevent hair loss and nourish hair, in addition to a balanced diet, I recommend using hair care products that are free of harsh chemical ingredients such as silicone, lauryl sulfate and paraben. They should be rich in natural ingredients and have an acidic or at least neutral ph. Nettle, ginseng, rosemary, ginkgo biloba and peppermint are plants that our scalp appreciates!

There are lots of very effective essential oil blends with specific instructions for use, not forgetting the serum from a Native American plant, saw palmetto, a natural inhibitor of DHT (dihydrotestosterone, a derivative of the same hormone responsible for androgenetic hair loss).

Holistic therapy for our hair

In the course of my work as a nutritionist and holistic therapist, I’ve met a number of women who were struggling with hair loss due to hormonal imbalance (pituitary, thyroid, adrenal gland problems, excess androgen hormones).
Whether it’s during pregnancy or the menopause, losing your hair is often a very unpleasant experience…

And traditional medical approaches are often unconvincing…

So it remains for us to explore traditional therapies, the customs of our grandmothers, natural approaches that give encouraging results and motivate us to continue!

To stop this hormonally-induced hair loss, it’s essential to treat these hormonal imbalances.

What do we feed our hair?

All the hormonal upheavals in a woman’s life have an impact on hair health, from pregnancy to menopause, including taking the contraceptive pill.

Let’s take a closer look at a few important factors that influence the health of a hair follicle and scalp:

• A nutritional deficiency: an unbalanced diet can cause widespread hair loss, so check for deficiencies with a blood test.
• Hormonal imbalance in sebum secretion, particularly common at puberty: oily, heavy hair or, conversely, dry hair.)
• Keratin deficiency : this is the main fibrous protein in hair & its components are cysteine and methionine. They are found in poultry, fish, egg yolks, legumes and oilseeds.
• A lack of iron, especially in pre-menopausal women (check blood levels and, if necessary, take it from the diet, as it is more easily assimilated). Heme iron is found in beef, chicken and fish, while non-heme iron, which is less easily absorbed, is found in legumes, nuts, vegetables and seaweed. Take it with vitamin C. Beware: tannins (green tea, coffee) and fiber reduce its absorption!
• Zinc deficiency: Zinc is involved in keratin protein synthesis, reduces inflammation and blocks androgens (androgenetic alopecia). It is found in oysters, fish, seafood, nuts, sesame seeds and legumes. When supplementing, do not exceed 15 mg/day for a 3-week course each month, and do not take it at the same time as an iron supplement!
• Vitamin B: involved in keratin synthesis and hair follicle renewal: sources of vitamin B include liver, eggs, wholegrain cereals and brewer’s yeast. Biotin is the most important B8 vitamin for hair growth.
• Don’t forget to check your vitamin D levels: it’s a basic nutrient for the proper functioning of the whole body – skin, bones, hair, nails, nervous, hormonal, immune, bone and muscle systems. Sunbathe for 30 minutes every day, and beware of anti-UV sun creams, which prevent the absorption and synthesis of endogenous vitamin D.
• Essential fatty acids: they have an impact on hair aging. Omega-3 unsaturated polysaccharides have an anti-inflammatory effect and stimulate scalp circulation. They are found in oily fish, walnuts, chia seeds, rapeseed oil, walnuts and soya.

So let’s listen to and take care of our hair, and above all, let’s listen to the signals our body sends us, so we can enjoy harmonious feminine blossoming!

Thanks to CLAUDIA STROIA
Food biology researcher
Holistic therapist
Nutritionist-dietician

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Join us live as Suzie @casseuse_de_noix shares her experience and in-depth investigation into the various causes of hair loss.