Exploring Brushing Myths to Prevent Loss Hair
Many people who face thinning hair are at a loss as to how to stop it. Many are hesitant to even brush their hair because they see how much collects in the brush. Do not stop brushing your hair, even if you suffer from hair loss, as it is an important part of overall scalp hygiene and health. What you want to avoid is over-brushing your hair as this will lead to split ends, more shedding and unhealthy hair. The question at the heart of all this, then, is how much brushing is ideal to prevent hair loss from worsening?
The first point that must be addressed is that brushing extremely often, like ten or more times a day, is not ideal for scalp health. However, if you never brush, buildup with occur which is not healthy. Brushing stimulates the scalp and increases blood flow, but too much of it can scratch your scalp and damage follicles. Untangling your hair is accomplished by a brush, which is desirable, but people with short hair can achieve this by simply running their fingers through their hair. The bottom line is brushing is used mostly for styling purposes, but you should brush your hair one to three times a day to stimulate the scalp without overdoing it.
For brushing techniques that result in the smallest amount of hair loss possible, begin by understanding that brushing your hair when it is wet puts more strain on it than when it is dry. For this reason, if you are suffering from excessive hair loss, wait until your hair dries naturally to brush it. This only works for people who are not in a rush in the morning, so you may want to consider getting up earlier and taking your shower first to allow your hair time to dry on its own. Before it is dry, you can run your fingers through your hair to gently work out tangles. Start at the ends and work your way toward the roots. This will place less strain on your hair as you untangle it.
Also, when you shower, it is best to use a conditioner that is labeled “moisturizing” rather than “volumizing.” Odds are if you experiencing hair loss, you will be looking for products that advertise “full body” and “volume.” Unfortunately, these products achieve their volume-boosting qualities by swelling the follicles to give the base of your hair more body, which damages and dries out the roots of your hair. Moisturizing products should instead be what you seek out.
There are certain kinds of brushes that are designed to help limit hair loss. They are designed to yield more and take less hair with them as they go through your hair. Try out a few brands and see what works best for you. Changing your brush will not get to the source of your hair loss to prevent it altogether, but it will help keep you from losing as much as you seek out the real trigger of your hair loss.
