If you’re noticing thinning patches in your once thick, healthy head of hair, you’re not alone. Men and women of all ages, lifestyles, and health statuses experience hair loss for a wide variety of different reasons.

Thinning hair can greatly diminish your self-confidence and even affect your comfort in social and professional situations. Whether you’re already dealing with hair loss or want to actively prevent hair loss in the future, there are several steps you can take to improve the appearance of your hair and boost your self-esteem.

Try a laser cap.

 Laser caps are a great option to try if you’ve progressed past the preventative stage and are looking for increased hair growth on the scalp. These FDA-cleared medical devices utilize low level light therapy to stimulate blood flow to the scalp tissue to encourage new hair growth.

Low-Level Light Therapy, or LLLT, is a safe, tried and true hair regrowth method that works great for people in all stages of androgenetic alopecia, or pattern baldness. This genetic condition affects both men and women and makes up a very high percentage of people suffering from hair loss worldwide.

Pay close attention to your diet. 

What you eat affects all aspects of your health, and your hair health is no exception. There are tons of dietary factors that can contribute to or prevent hair loss, most of which have to do with taking in our proper daily amounts of important nutrients.

Here are a few dietary shifts that could help to decrease or prevent hair loss:

Protein. 

Hair follicles are primarily made of keratin, a protein compound. Researchers have noted that adding more protein into your diet with foods like chicken, beef, eggs, beans, and nuts can support healthy levels of keratin and improve hair growth.

Multivitamins. 

Many people take daily multivitamins to boost their energy levels, supplement any nutrient deficiencies, and improve their overall health. However, did you know that multivitamins can also create healthier hair along with all of their other benefits? Multivitamins contain important vitamins and minerals like iron, zinc, selenium, and vitamins A, B, C, and D, just to name a few. These compounds can improve the cell turnover process to increase healthy hair growth.

Whether you are going away on vacation or are just wearing your favorite dress, a ponytail makes you look fresh and fashionable. Great Brown Braided Ponytail Wig is the answer to any frizzy ponytail. These Great Brown Braided Ponytail Wig is lined with braided hair nets which catch your hair from your face and keep the ponytail hold better throughout the day. The wig is then held securely to your scalp by a removable Hair Bun that latches at your hair base and holds the entire bun in place.

Biotin. 

Biotin is a compound that is directly related to healthy hair, skin, and nails. Many cases of hair loss are caused by a biotin deficiency, which can be easily rectified by taking biotin supplements or choosing a multivitamin that contains biotin. Ask your doctor if additional biotin is the way to go for improved hair quality.

Be gentler with your hair.

 Women have a bad reputation for overusing hair dryers, straighteners, curling irons, and other heat-based treatments when it comes to their hair. Though many women are guilty of this, plenty of men utilize heat stylers as well, especially hair dryers.

Though many people love these items for their convenience and quick styling abilities, heat-based treatments can cause serious scalp irritation while also damaging the roots and shafts of your hair. If you want to increase the longevity of your voluminous, healthy hair, don’t let heat stylers become a daily or even weekly habit.

Additionally, people with long hair tend to tie it up into ponytails or buns often for convenience. Avoid tying your hair up too tight; not only will it tug on your hair follicles over time, it could even cause headaches and other undesirable symptoms.

Reduce stress. 

Most people know that high levels of stress, whether relating to an isolated incident or a long-term state, can affect overall health in a variety of ways. If you’ve been noticing that your hair is generally thinning out or even coming out in patches, it could very well be a stress symptom.

High stress events or situations can cause temporary hair loss that can eventually trigger genetic pattern baldness, so learning to manage stress is very important even when it comes to seemingly non-permanent symptoms. Daily meditation and exercise can work wonders for both men and women when it comes to reducing stress and lowering cortisol, a hormone that causes imbalance in other hormones when spiked.

Try topical medication. 

Though the common hair growth medications such as minoxidil, finasteride, and phenylephrine may not create new hair growth, they can slow down the hair loss you’re experiencing.

Though these medications can support healthier hair by stimulating the follicles, many come along with undesirable side effects like acne, scalp irritation, and irregular heartbeat. Additionally, medications like this usually aren’t safe for women who are pregnant or breastfeeding.