Hair Follicle Health

Healthy hair follicles are the root of everything healthy-as in full, thick and strong hair forever! When they’re nurtured, the hair grows at a constant speed, is harder to break and thicker from top to bottom. If your hair follicles are weak or compromised, however, they can result in hair loss and ultimately stunted, slower-growing locks. The great news is that you have plenty of things you can do to address your hair at its origin.

What Is a Hair Follicle and Why Does It Matter?

This is a small tunnel shaped structure that is located under the skin of your scalp that will take over the new hair and make them grow and these tunnels located are Hair roots. For every piece of hair you’re carrying around on your noggin, there’s a tiny home called a hair follicle tucked away beneath the epidermis working to generate it. This home determines how strong and healthy the growing hair will be, how fast it grows, and the duration that the hair follicle enters its growth cycle.

Once a hair follicle is running optimally, it can pump out hair for many years.

If it inflames or becomes impacted with impurities or it begins to deprive the follicle, its ability to produce a strong and healthy hair begins to deteriorate and will even shut down, otherwise leaving it ” dormant”. For these reasons, the vitality of a healthy hair follicle has more significance in hair loss than anyone realized.

Common Causes of Weak or Damaged Hair Follicles

The first place to start at protecting the follicles is knowing what harms them. Some culprits include:

i) Poor diet: For the follicles to do their job properly you will need a steady supply of iron, zinc, biotin, vitamins D and B12. If any of these are missing it has been proven to stop growth and create hair shedding.

ii) Chronic stress: Your hair follicles are pushed into a ‘resting’ stage quicker when a level of elevated cortisol is present within your body, known as Telogen Effluvium.

iii) Scalp build-up: Natural oils, dead skin cells, hair products etc can leave a blockage over each individual follicle, causing limited healthy growth.

iv) Harsh chemicals & heat: too much bleach, tight perms, and too many heat related hair styles will cause your hair to weaken over a course of time due to damaged tissue.

V) Hormone disorder such as PCOS, thyroid issues or sensitivity of the body to DHT.

Vi) Your own genes Some body have inherently prone hair follicles and are sensitized against the growth hormone DHT, which is an active agent behind thinning and hair follicle shrinkage.

How to Keep Your Hair Follicles Strong and Healthy

The right practices, performed diligently over time, can greatly influence how your follicles behave and function.

I) Feed your follicles. Incorporating protein sources such as eggs, lentils, and fish into your diet will improve the building blocks for follicle performance over time. Leafy greens, seeds and nuts can support follicles via essential micronutrients, although if you suspect a deficiency

ii) A blood test can pinpoint exact needs. Gently massage your scalp for five minutes each day. The circulation increase that this offers stimulates blood flow to your follicles, meaning increased oxygen and nutrients can be delivered to roots, helping them perform, either on a dry or oily scalp, or if you’re considering a treatment, just massage with a light oil such as rosemary or coconut.

iii) Keep scalp balanced, not stripped. How often to shampoo less often build-up can block up a follicle. While the more often it is done the more the wash it removes helpful oils that protect follicle function. Usually every other day.

iv) Prevent heat and chemical damage. Use a heat protectant before blow-drying, don’t turn your iron on to its highest setting and avoid all chemical treatments as much as possible.
v) Control stress. Your mind and body recover from stress through sleep, exercise and mindfulness activities, all of which also improve the control of cortisol, which interfere with the hair growth cycle.

Ingredients and Treatments That Support Hair Follicle Health

Below are topical options that show a fairly high degree of clinical evidence in terms of follicle activity:

i) Minoxidil A proven topical therapy that prolongs the phase of active hair growth by about a decade and the hair and FDA approved.

ii) Rosemary Oil Research indicates it produces similar results to minoxidil in some forms of hair loss with a lower chance of scalp irritation.

iii) Caffeinated Shampoos Caffeine increases hair follicle metabolic activity and delays progression toward shortening the hair cycle of hair follicles.

iv) Shampoos containing Ketoconazole Helps treat any potential skin inflammation that can affect hair growth.

When Diet and Lifestyle Are Not Enough?

Most of the time, the roots of the hair have already been irreparably damaged and it is not possible to cure these hair loss conditions by any of the non-prescription topicals available in the market or by changing hairstyles/habits. In cases of hereditary hair thinning, traction alopecia scars resulting from scalp diseases like scarring alopecia, your hair follicle has been so damaged that it will likely never produce a natural strand of hair again on its own. A hair transplant can truly become the permanent alternative for this type, as hair transplants provide a remedy.

In many of these circumstances a Hair transplant would be considered a solution, not just the solution.

Dr A’s Clinic – One of the best hair transplantation clinics in Delhi have helped thousands achieve a head of natural-looking hair due to damage caused by either genetic predisposition or past incidents. The clinic is known for giving the best hair transplant in Delhi by the name of Hair and Senses hair transplantation in which you can have a natural appearance with all your lost density restored. The hair replacement is all provided by FUSE, FUE, and FUHT methods.

Hair Transplant as a Permanent Solution for Follicle Loss

Don’t think that hair transplant just involves ‘moving’ hair. It means taking hair from follicles that are genetically protected from the causes of the hair loss – generally they come from the lower portion of the head (sides and back) – and putting them back in areas where hair follicles have ceased working. From the moment they are put in the newly selected area, the transplanted follicles continue working just as they worked in their original position.

They will grow normally, you can cut or style it, wash and shampoo it as any normal hair you have.

It’s an organic and permanent fix. If you seek the Best Hair Transplant Surgery in Delhi or you happen to be planning something a little bit farther south and search for the best hair transplant clinic in Hyderabad, you can talk to Dr. A’s Clinic which services the greater regions in these areas.

Conclusion

The health of your hair starts at the roots. Hair follicles are not only to worry about when hair is thinning – protecting them daily with a good diet, healthy habits, and scalp care practices is crucial. Don’t wait until thinning turns to more noticeable loss if lifestyle management is not sufficient.

A consultation can offer personalized insight into what’s going on at the follicle level and what’s available to treat your hair loss – from an innovative PRP treatment to an extensive hair transplant if deemed necessary. A solid foundation means better hair.