The COVID-19 pandemic has caused a lot of disruption in our lives, and there are several effects we’re all experiencing, even if we never got sick. More and more, researchers are finding that hair loss is one of these issues. If you’re experiencing hair loss right now that you never experienced before, the pandemic just might be the cause. Luckily, there are steps you can take to deal with thinning hair and promote healthy hair growth before it becomes a bigger problem.
Why does the pandemic cause hair loss?
There are more factors besides just getting sick that can lead to thinning hair. To understand these causes, it’s important to first understand hair growth in general. Everyone sheds hairs every day, and that’s a natural part of the growth cycle. That’s why you find a few hairs in your brush or shower drain on a normal day. That’s because the follicles, where your hair grows, have several stages – growth, rest, and shedding – with each follicle normally on different stages of those cycles. That way, you can shed several hairs each day – up to about 100 or 150 – and you don’t notice it.
But when too many follicles are shedding, you start to notice thinning hair. There are a few different factors in the pandemic that can cause changes in your hair follicles, and these can inhibit hair growth and cause your hair to thin.
- Illness. Any illness that causes a high fever, like COVID-19, can affect your hair follicle growth. Your follicles can also be affected by the flu and other viruses that give you a high fever. Sometimes, these effects can even happen long after you’ve recovered from your illness, because of the changes in the follicles’ cycles.
- Stress. Even if you haven’t been sick, there are a lot of factors out there related to the pandemic that cause stress, such as job worries, worrying about your relatives who are sick, or many other concerns. Stress can affect your hair follicles because it tenses up your muscles, including those muscles in your scalp by the follicles. That continual tension can eventually cause the follicles to stop hair growth.
- Diet. This issue is related to stress when it comes to the pandemic. Lots of people turn to ‘comfort food’ when they’re stressed, and lots of these foods contain a lot of sugar, salt, and fat – and fewer nutrients. Without a balanced diet and the right nutrients, your scalp lacks the nourishment for healthy hair growth.
- Infrequent shampooing. If you’re staying home more, you might not be shampooing your hair as often as before. If you shampoo too infrequently, it can lead to build-up on your scalp that can inhibit healthy hair growth.
What can I do about pandemic hair loss?
All this sounds scary – hair thinning is something that nobody wants – but luckily, there are steps you can take to restore hair growth.
- Visit your stylist. Your professional stylist here at Cameo Salon & Spa can help you address thinning hair, especially thinning that’s due to stress! We offer Surface Awaken® products that are specially formulated to stimulate hair growth. It starts with a detoxifying deep cleansing, then finishes with an Awaken® Therapy scalp massage to invigorate your follicles and stimulate healthy hair growth. We can even prescribe professional haircare products for you to use at home to continue to promote a healthy scalp and hair.
- Healthy diet. Try not to snack on unhealthy food. Instead, stick with a balanced diet with plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables, whole grains, and healthy proteins to ensure your body – and your scalp – get the nutrition they need.
- Relaxation. An overabundance of stress can cause many problems in your body, including hair thinning. Find relaxing activities like meditation, yoga, or coming into the salon for a relaxing massage to ease your body and mind!
If you’re experiencing pandemic-related hair loss, come in for solutions at Cameo Salon & Spa. Make an appointment today and let our expert stylists and massage therapists help you restore healthy hair growth and relax your mind and body. You can find us at 1817 Collier Parkway in Lutz, FL, call us at (813) 948-7411, or book your appointment online with our convenient scheduling tool. Want fun, exciting rewards? It’s fast and easy to become a member of our Rewards Program and earn exclusive rewards! Join online today!