[article]

”I have recently been losing more hair than my dog does. I could form a mini-me out of the hair that I lose every day. Yes, it is that bad! Not even kidding, I am sweeping my room twice every day these days. But the reason why I am not freaking out is, this is not the first time that I am losing excessive hair. It happens every year around this time. No, not because I don’t like July, it’s because the monsoon is here. My hair hates this season as much as I love it.”

Seasons affect your hair just like they affect your body. When everything from your appetite to your immunity changes, it is bound to affect the skin and hair. Have you also noticed increased hair fall since the onset of the monsoon? Before you panic and look up why your hair fall has increased, give this article a read and check out the reason for your hair fall. 

Humidity is the chief factor when it comes to increased hair fall in monsoon, here are two reasons why –

As it starts raining, atmospheric humidity increases. When humidity increases, the level of hydrogen in the air increases. Hair tends to absorb this hydrogen and this results in swelling up of the hair. Absorbing hydrogen from the air makes the hair brittle making them more prone to breaking. This contributes to hair damage. 

Unlike the popular idea, humidity does not contribute to hydrating the scalp. Humidity mugs the natural oils from the scalp and leaves it dry. This affects the hair follicles weakening them and causing hair fall. 

Apart from humidity, monsoons deteriorate hair health that is impure rainwater. As a result of pollution, rainwater also contains certain toxins that are harmful to your scalp and hair follicles. Polluted rainwater also comes with a variety of bacteria and other pathogens. When these pathogens reside on your head, they might cause skin infections; which can result in skin infections, weakened hair, and ultimately into hair fall. 

Should you be panicking about monsoon hair fall? 

Hair fall is normal and healthy. It is as normal as aging is. It is a natural process where you lose hair once it ages and grows new in its place. Although we only lose about that many strands each day, certain factors like hormonal imbalance, skin infections, and nutritional deficiencies also affect it and may contribute to hair fall. We generally do lose around 50-100 strands every day, which is considered the normal rate of hair fall. 

In monsoon, the number of strands falling out may go up to 200-250 strands a day, but this hair loss is temporary. You can recover from it and you can work on your hair volume again. Here are some tips that you can abide by, to control monsoon hair fall.

1. Choose the right shampoo

Many of us do not look at the ingredients when we buy shampoo. We should practice reading labels and ingredients, make sure we pay attention to detail when it comes to hair care products, especially in monsoon. Since shampoo is something that we use all the time, make sure it suits you. In case you have any scalp or hair issues, check with your dermatologist to be on the safer side. As a thumb rule, go for sulfate-free, herbal shampoos to minimize risks. 

2. Cut back on your shampoo  

There is a lot that your hair is already dealing with, you don’t want to add to it by bombarding your hair with more chemicals from the shampoo. Humidity takes away the moisture and natural oils from your hair and scalp anyway, shampooing frequently will make your scalp even drier and your hair frizzy. This may even lead to skin infections or dandruff. In that case, consult a doctor and use a shampoo that will help you with it. 

3. Be gentle on your hair

Since monsoon brings excessive hair fall, it is crucial to go that extra mile and take more care of your hair. Along with avoiding chemicals, make sure you are physically gentle too. Avoid tying your hair in tight buns or ponytails, detangle and brush your hair regularly and tie them in loose braids when you go to bed. Also, try to use a satin pillow cover, it helps in reducing the tangling of hair and hair fall. Massage your scalp with your fingertips every night for better blood circulation. 

4. Try some DIYs

While we are mainly focused on synthetic hair care products these days, try to make use of some old-school methods and ingredients such as onion-infused oil, aloe vera, flaxseeds, etc. These ways not only help with the texture and overall quality of the hair, but they also provide the natural oils and moisture that humidity thieves during monsoon. Get that oil massage before showering at least once a week. This will keep your scalp moisturized and will strengthen the hair by improving blood circulation. 

5. Follow a hair-friendly diet

Make sure you are meeting your daily requirements of nutrients through the diet. Nutritional deficiencies contribute to the deteriorating quality and volume of hair. You should include all nutrients in your diet every day, but speaking of diet for hair health, make sure you include vitamin A, B12, C, and E, and minerals such as zinc, selenium, folate, iron, as well as omega-3 fat or healthy fats. Iron helps improve oxygen uptake and B12 stimulates red blood cell production; this ultimately improves blood circulation to the roots of your hair, vitamin E and omega 3 fats improve scalp and hair quality. They nourish the scalp and thereby the follicles, promoting hair growth. The other vitamins and minerals prevent free radical damage and thus help improve hair quality. 

Speaking of nutrition, you should also try your hands at the andMe Biotin Powder. This product is the perfect blend of nutrients for hair. It is packed with 7 essential amino acids like Cysteine and Lysine, plant biotin and omega 3, DHT blockers like green tea, and stinging nettle. These nutrients help improve the quality of your hair and result in healthy hair. The best part of it is, these are plant-based ingredients and come without preservatives and added sugar. So it is suitable for any and everyone. You heard it right! This one-stop solution for nutrition for hair is a must try to control hair fall in the monsoon! 

[/article]