Let's Talk About Hair...Loss & Lines

Covering those really awkward beauty conversations is something that I've made a really conscious effort to do over the years. Because even though part of cringes that I've written about having horrible ingrown pubic hairs I know that whenever I'm brave enough to share that I'm never alone and hey it happens to the best of us. Something that has been on my mind a lot lately is hair, in particular, hairlines and loss because as a female I'm not sure we ever talk about these topics and it's usually on the guys. To be completely candid my hair has been falling out at a rate that's not quite normal and it's made me wonder how many others girls go through the same thing and are too scared to talk about it?

HAIRLINES AREN'T JUST FOR MEN

I hold my hands up and admit that I presumed that only men had to deal with their hairlines going back and that girls didn't have that issue. Of course, that's very ignorant and silly but I'm sure I'm not alone in thinking that as typically I never thought I'd have to worry about losing my hair until I was older or maybe due to illness. And your hairline changing might be just part of getting older, just like hair turning grey or thinning but it can also be a sign of something a little more serious. Some people might think it's a little silly but if it's causing you some serious concern then going to someone to talk about it is advisable.

WHY?

There are a lot of reasons why hair might fall out, of course, I'm not a medical professional but this isn't the first time that I've had to deal with losing my locks. The first time it happened it was because my mum passed away and I'd moved to university quite soon after. Probably due to the sheer amount of stress I was under it took effect on my hair aswell as having a mouth full of ulcers. Our body deals with everything differently and from some research these are all factors that can lead to hair loss;

Medication
Health
Family hair history
Skin disorders
Hairstyles [constantly pulling at your hair]
A vitamin deficiancy

Stress
Hormones
Weight loss
Disease
Lack of protein
Anemia

YOU'RE ALLOWED TO BE SAD ABOUT IT

There is a very odd stigma that if you lose your hair then you need to just solider on and get on with it. And whilst that might be the harsh reality of it that doesn't mean you're not allowed to be sad about it. Whether you lose your hair due to illness or not it's still sad and it can be hard to deal with, I know for me my hair is a huge part of my identity and having a lot of it falling out hasn't been the biggest confidence boost. It's made me incredibly self-conscious and that doesn't mean you're self-absorbed or image obsessed. Dealing with it is tough and it can feel incredibly lonely as females typically don't like to talk about. In my family history, I've seen my mum lose her hair due to cancer and my sister lost a lot of her hair last year due to surgery and medication so it's something that I've witnessed as well as dealing with it myself. Yes, it is just hair but that doesn't mean it's not important.

A FEW THINGS I'VE DONE TO HELP

Like I said earlier, there are so many reasons as to why hair can fall out and there isn't always a clear-cut answer. Personally, I've got a good feeling of why my hair has been falling out and whilst it's not easy to tackle the root cause [I had to fit a hair pun in somewhere] there are a couple of things that I've found help cheer me up a little up about the whole thing.

Don't stress, it's so tough but it will only make it worse.
Use products that are super kind to your tresses.
Avoid styling as much as possible.
Brush as little as possible but don't let the hair become incredibly tangled so you have to lose further hair detangling it.
If you tend to fiddle with your hair then pull it up gently so you're not tempted.

AND SOME OF MY FAVOURITE HAIRCARE PRODUCTS FOR HELPING MY HAIR LOOK THE BEST THAT IT POSSIBLY CAN

PHYTO: A brand that I've always admired from afar but never quite known what to buy from is Phyto. There have been a few products I've used from them and seriously enjoyed but in particular, I love their split end cream. Typically I use oil on the lengths of my hair which always works well but sometimes it's easy for that to weigh the hair down especially if I'm using a really nourishing wash system. This cream smoothes out the ends of the hair as well as keeping it feeling strong and nourished due to the inclusion of keratin and hyaluronic acid in the formula.

DAVINES: I've talked about Davines a lot since I got a proper introduction to them last year and I've fallen well and truly in love with the brand. They make my hair feel and look absolutely beautiful, in particular, the OI range which is a blend of various oils. As well as adding a huge dose of moisture to the hair it also adds body and lift which isn't always the case when it comes to something hydrating as so often they can be too heavy and weigh down the hair. Davines is a luxe haircare brand and a splurge but because I'm a once a week hair washer I'm more than happy to spend a little more when I easily get a good few months out of a shampoo and conditioner and any treatments can easily last me a year.

BUMBLE AND BUMBLE: I used to be incredibly loyal to Bumble and Bumble and used a lot of their products but it's not a brand I find myself gravitating towards all that much anymore. But one product I have been really enjoying is the Dryspun Thickening Spray*. Even though I'm giving my hair a lot more TLC at the moment I do still want to be able to give my hair a lot of lift and volume and that's exactly what this spray does for me. It adds that lived in look but it doesn't make the hair feel dry or crispy and the fact you can buy a little mini size to take on the go is a huge bonus if your hair tends to fall flat easily.