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Whether it’s a full hairbrush, a clogged drain, or stray hairs on the pillowcase—we’ve all faced hair loss in one way or another. And there’s one question on everyone’s mind: how much hair loss is too much hair loss? While thinning hair and hair loss can be seriously unnerving, the good news about hair is that in most cases, it grows back! Getting your locks to be luscious and long again simply starts with listening to your body…and these tips from our experts.
The Science: Meet Your Hair Health Expert
Dermatologist
Amy Wechsler, M.D
Meet Dr. Amy Wechsler, M.D., a physician board-certified in both dermatology and psychiatry. In her practice, based in New York City, she uses the latest technologies and techniques to treat a wide range of dermatologic conditions—starting with understanding her patient’s psychological stressors and skin care concerns!
LEARN MORE
Telogen Effluvium: The Term To Know
This is when people are clogging the drain or filling up their brush. You sometimes can see your scalp more. It almost always is short-lived and goes away.” But are there things we can do to support our thinning hair?
The Science Behind Hair That’s Feeling A Bit Thin
You’re Losing More
Hair Than Usual
Hair
Porosity
Hair porosity refers to how open or closed your hair is to absorb or release moisture. Dry hair likely has high porosity, meaning the hair cuticle (the outermost layer) is more open for water to escape.
pollution
Studies have found that regular exposure to air pollution has a direct impact on hair follicle cells. Proteins connected to hair growth and retention were found to be decreased by common pollutants like dust and diesel.
heavy metal
exposure
Some research suggests that exposure to heavy metals (mostly through diet) may be a contributing factor to telogen effluvium.
HORMONAL
CHANGES
Fluctuation in hormone levels can lead to hair loss—such as higher levels of circulating testosterone, the decrease of estrogen and progesterone during menopause, or the decrease of estrogen postpartum.
STRESS
Not only can stress trigger telogen effluvium, and thus more hair loss than usual, it also implies higher cortisol levels, which is proven to have a negative effect on our hair follicles.
GENES
While genetic balding is most often attributed to men, women can also experience hair loss related to their genes. While research has discovered 63 genes related to male pattern baldness, the genetic component behind female hair loss is largely unexplored.
IRON
DEFICIENCY
Studies have shown that iron deficiency does have a role to play in hair thinning. Similarly, Dr. Wechsler says that low ferritin levels (the protein that stores iron), can set you up for hair loss and thinning.
environmental causes
The Style: Meet Your Hair Styling Expert
Hair Stylist
Sky Kim
Sky Kim is a New York based, Korean American hair Stylist and visual artist. Born in Seoul, South Korea and raised in both Los Angeles, CA and Aurora, CO, Kim has over a decade of professional hairstyling experience. Starting in a boutique salon in SoHo, Sky continued her career at the Serge Normant at John Frieda Salon, training and working alongside prestigious stylists’ Serge Normant, DJ Quintero and Jessica Gillin, before landing her current role at the coveted Jenny Perry Hair Studio.
Thinning hair can bring about some unprecedented styling challenges, so we turned to Dyson stylist Sky Kim to figure out where to start. “For styling, hair loss is a little tricky,” Sky describes.
And to keep things even more gentle? “Switch your products to silk everything: silk hair ties, silk scrunchies, silk pillowcases…. Everything you need to do for hair loss is to be as gentle as possible.”
Harsh Styling Cause: tight pulling
Sky’s Recommended Styles
For Hair That’s Feeling A Bit Thin
Ways To Support Hair Health From The Outside
Ways To Support Hair Health From The inside
BIOTIN
“Some people just need some extra biotin,” says Dr. Amy Wechsler. “Biotin is a B vitamin that can be helpful for hair.” Often found in hair supplements, this nutrient supports the production of keratin (the protein that makes up our hair).
OMEGA-3S
Studies have shown that omega-3s, fatty acids that we get from our diet, can help support healthy hair growth and hair density.
Iron and Ferritin Supplements
According to Dr. Wechsler, being low in iron and ferritin can both contribute to hair loss. Support your hair with an iron supplement that also provides a good source of ferritin.
Iron-RICH FOODS
Another way to get more iron is by eating iron-rich foods like meat, poultry, and seafood. Animal proteins provide “heme” iron, which is generally more readily absorbed by the body.
BACK TO THE HAIR LAB
FEELING A BIT THIN
Usually we lose 80-100 hairs a day, shifting from growth to resting phase, and that’s normal. But when you have a telogen effluvium, five or ten times as many have shifted.
We asked Dr. Wechsler about the causes of hair loss and thinning and turns out, there are many. One is genetic, and we can’t fight our genes unfortunately. Then there are hormonal disorders, for example polycystic ovary syndrome, which can cause hair loss on the scalp due to a higher level of circulating testosterone, she explains. But another cause we can all relate to: stress. When it comes to stress-related hair loss, Dr. Wechsler says telogen effluvium is the term to know.
And what’s that? “A shifting of more hairs into the resting phase,” defines Dr. Wechsler.
With dried out and damaged hair, it’s usually the environment acting on the hair to do damaging things to it. It’s not usually coming from something internal.
To revive our tresses, Dr. Wechsler says that education is key. It’s all about knowing what specifically dries out and damages our hair and which hairstyles are the gentlest. So keep scrolling—stronger strands await.
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Supersonic™ Hair Dryer
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Briogeo
Scalp Revival™
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Crown Affair
The Scrunchie No. 002
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Dyson
Dyson Airwrap™ styler
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Virtue
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kitsch
Satin Sleep Scrunchie
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Dyson
Dyson Corrale™ styler
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Hair loss is so tied to your personal health. But for styling, watch out for tight ponytails, which could be pulling and tugging on all your hairs. The less tugging you’re doing, the better.
PRESENTED BY
The Style: Meet Your
Hair Styling Expert
LEARN MORE
Hair Stylist Sky Kim
Sky Kim is a New York based, Korean American hair Stylist and visual artist. Born in Seoul, South Korea and raised in both Los Angeles, CA and Aurora, CO, Kim has over a decade of professional hairstyling experience. Starting in a boutique salon in SoHo, Sky continued her career at the Serge Normant at John Frieda Salon, training and working alongside prestigious stylists’ Serge Normant, DJ Quintero and Jessica Gillin, before landing her current role at the coveted Jenny Perry Hair Studio.
Thinning hair can bring about some unprecedented styling challenges, so we turned to Dyson stylist Sky Kim to figure out where to start. “For styling, hair loss is a little tricky,” Sky describes.
And to keep things even more gentle? “Switch your products to silk everything: silk hair ties, silk scrunchies, silk pillowcases…. Everything you need to do for hair loss is to be as gentle as possible.”
Harsh Styling Cause:
tight pulling
Hair loss is so tied to your personal health. But for styling, watch out for tight ponytails, which could be pulling and tugging on all your hairs. The less tugging you’re doing, the better.
Sky’s Recommended Styles
For Dry And Damaged Hair
The Style: Meet Your
Hair Styling Expert
Dermatologist
Amy Wechsler, M.D
Meet Dr. Amy Wechsler, M.D., a physician board-certified in both dermatology and psychiatry. In her practice, based in New York City, she uses the latest technologies and techniques to treat a wide range of dermatologic conditions—starting with understanding her patient’s psychological stressors and skin care concerns!
LEARN MORE
The Science Behind
Dry And Damaged Hair
Your Hair Doesn’t
Retain Enough Moisture
Environmental
Causes
Ways To Support Hair
Health From The inside
BACK TO THE HAIR LAB