Hair fall (or as the Americans say, “hair loss”) seems to be one of the topics that comes up at least every month in online forums and Facebook groups. Up until four months ago, I thought hair fall in the UAE was something only expats experienced when they first moved here. I soon discovered that even I was susceptible! When it first began, I thought perhaps it was due to stress and I tried to relax and give my scalp a little extra TLC with natural conditioners and masques. But as my thinning hair line became more and more evident, intense anxiety set in. Despite visiting several doctors, I could find no medical reason for the sudden change in my shedding patterns so I decided that a multi-pronged approach was necessary. I am happy to report that although I lost a lot of hair, it has finally stopped falling and has returned to its normal rate. I’m still quite sad about the amount of hair I lost, but I’m grateful that I didn’t end up with no hair at all.
If you’re losing hair, the first thing you should do is visit your doctor. The doctor will check your blood to make sure you don’t have any thyroid problems and your iron and hormone levels are normal. There are medical reasons for sudden hair fall and you should always get checked if there is some sudden change in your body. Hair loss may also occur as a result of medication, so make sure you tell your doctor if you are on any drugs.Assuming your results all come out normal, here are my top tips for halting hair fall in the UAE:
Get a filter fitted in your shower. I bought the PureBlue Shower Purifier and connected it to all of our showers in the house. After 6 months of use, I changed the filters and you can see how the one on the left has brown residue on it. Whatever that residue is, I’m glad it isn’t on the body and hair of my family. I bought mine at Sisters Beauty Lounge, but similar ones can be found at most well-stocked pharmacies, Carrefour, and Ace Hardware.
Eliminate sugar and processed carbohydrates from your food and increase your intake of protein. I was actually advised this by my doctor and I personally think that changing my diet may have been one of the best things I could have done to improve my hair.
Start using products which are Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS), Ammonium Lauryl Sulfate and paraben free. SLS is known to strip your scalp of natural oils, breaking down proteins and can weaken and damage your hair or even stop hair growth. Parabens can effect the hormones in your body and this in turn can effect hair growth. There are too many chemicals to list here, but try to use products which do not have these two, at least. I found these great shampoos and conditioners called Regenepure DR and NT. I love these products and have replaced all of my shampoos with these.
Get fancy with the products. I’m not usually one to buy products at hair salons but I decided to give this a try.The Regenepure Line of complete hair care and hair growth products help stop hair loss and regrow healthy hair back. I was worried this would make my already greasy hair worse, but DR shampoo is very good so turns out it wasn’t a problem. I bought this treatment at regenepure.ae.
Stop coloring, bleaching, relaxing, and blow drying your hair. Although there are plenty of people out there who will tell you these things have no effect on your hair, I personally don’t believe them. I believe that all of these weaken your hair and if your hair is already fragile then there’s no need to risk making matters worse.
Don’t wear your hair in tight hair styles. This may seem silly, but again, if your hair is already fragile then wearing it in tight ponytails may further damage it. But on the flip side, keeping long hair in a very loose braid at night while sleeping helps stop shedding.
