4 Hair Thickening Home Remedies For Women

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Photo credit: KVc Photography

Is your hair getting thin, or even falling out? 

Hair loss is something we women never want to think about. It can be a huge source of stress — and, unfortunately, it’s more common than you might expect. As an integrative physician, I’ve spent the last decade working with thousands of women, many of whom experienced either sudden or chronic hair loss. 

The good news is that you can stop hair loss and thicken your hair with a few simple lifestyle changes. These are my top four home remedies for relieving hair loss and keeping your hair thick and lustrous. 

What causes hair loss in women?

A few different things can cause hair loss in women. 

• Stress is one of the leading causes of female hair loss. Normally, your hair goes through two phases: a growing phase that lasts a couple of years, followed by a resting phase that lasts a couple months. After that, the hair falls out and a new strand of hair replaces it. If you’re stressed, however, you can develop telogen effluvium, which is when cortisol (your body’s stress hormone) stops your hair’s growth phase, sends it into a resting phase prematurely, and then causes it to fall out. Telogen effluvium can be triggered by chronic stress (like overworking yourself for months) or by sudden, short-term stress (hearing bad news, for example). Because hair enters the resting phase, you may not see hair loss until a couple months after the stressful event.

• Nutrition also plays a major role in hair health. Eating inflammatory foods can cause hair loss, as can certain vitamin and mineral deficiencies. Iron deficiency is a common cause of hair loss, especially for women.

• Thyroid hormone imbalances can also trigger hair loss. A lot of women have either low thyroid hormones (hypothyroidism) or high thyroid hormones (hyperthyroidism). If you experience a sudden change in weight, sudden hair loss, cold hands and feet, or chronic fatigue, you may want to work with your healthcare provider to get your thyroid hormones checked. 

• Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) is becoming more and more common. It’s caused by an imbalance in your sex hormones — typically low estrogen and progesterone and high testosterone. PCOS can cause reproductive issues, painful or irregular periods, and hair loss. Again, if you suspect you have PCOS, work with a doctor to figure out how to get back to feeling your best. 

4 home remedies for thicker hair

There are a lot of reasons women those their hair. Fortunately, there’s plenty you can do to address the root causes of hair loss and make your hair more lustrous. Here are my top four home remedies for thicker hair.

1. Pay attention to your diet

Diet is one of the most important factors in hair health. Eating the wrong foods (or undereating) can put stress on your hair and cause it to fall out, while the right foods can give your body the raw materials it needs to create beautiful hair. 

As a rule of thumb, make sure your diet contains three things: brightly colored veggies, lots of healthy fats (including omega-3s), and plenty of quality protein.

Another common issue is iron deficiency, which can cause hair to fall out. You can get iron from meat and green veggies. 

If you want thicker hair, here are some good foods to include in your diet:

• Olive oil
• Coconut oil
• Grass-fed butter
•  Fatty wild-caught fish (salmon, anchovies, sardines, mackerel)
• Eggs (especially egg yolks)
• Grass-fed beef
• Raw nuts 
• Fresh berries (raspberries, blueberries, blackberries, strawberries)
• Avocados
• Cauliflower
• Broccoli
• Carrots
• Spinach
• Kale
• Chard

2. Learn to sleep deeper

The most common causes of hair loss for women involve stress and hormone imbalance, and deep sleep relieves both. When you sin into the deeper stages of sleep, your cortisol, estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone all balance out. On the other hand, falling behind on sleep damages the balance of all those hormones and contributes to more stress and inflammation, which can worsen hair loss . 

To sleep better, do these three simple things:

• Black out your room. Cover up windows (with blackout curtains) internet routers, alarm clocks, and any other source of light, until your room is dark enough that you can’t see your hand when you hold it in front of your face. Even a small amount of light inhibits a sleep hormone called melatonin, which will interfere with your sleep cycle. 

• Try Sleep Savior. I developed Sleep Savior with natural, relaxing ingredients to help you enjoy a healthy night’s rest. Give it a try if you aren’t sleeping well; you may find you fall asleep faster, sleep deeper, don’t wake up as often during the night, and get out of bed in the morning feeling much more rested. 

• Cut out electronics after sunset. Blue light from electronics is especially good at inhibiting melatonin. Watching TV or staying on your phone or computer late into the night will seriously interfere with your sleep quality. Minimize the electronics after sunset, and when you do use them, set them to night mode or download f.lux, a free app that filters blue light out of your screen.  

Deep sleep can address the root causes of hair loss and help you grow thicker hair. It’s also great for your stress levels, skin, weight, and hormones. 

3. Make time to destress

Stress is one of the leading causes of hair loss for women. It can be hard to make time for yourself when there’s a lot going on, but that’s exactly when relaxing is so important. Take a few minutes during your day to meditate, schedule a massage, or light a few candles and take a relaxing epsom salt bath with your favorite essential oils. 

Self-care is so, so important. Make some time for yourself every day, even if it’s only ten minutes. It’ll make a bigger difference than you’d think, and it’ll help with telogen effluvium (stress-induced hair loss). 

4. Try a balanced hair loss supplement

Hair loss is an issue that’s near and dear to my heart. Hair loss was a health challenge for me for years. In fact, it’s part of what propelled me to study integrative medicine. 

I created Lush Locks for us women who are struggling with hair loss. It’s full of B vitamins, magnesium, biotin, iron, and L-cysteine, as well as a variety of organically sourced herbs. Lush Locks’ blend of herbs and nutrients supports healthy hair growth. It’s my go-to for hundreds of my patients who are trying to grow luscious, thick hair. 

Try Lush Locks today. You’ll see the difference in your hair within a month!

Grow thicker hair naturally

Hair loss is stressful, but it doesn’t have to be a long-term issue. Use these natural hair-thickening home remedies to support your hormones and stress levels and grow beautiful, strong, healthy hair. 

And for more natural health and lifestyle advice, try taking my Power Type Quiz. It’s a free quiz that will give you personalized guidance based on your unique body. Thanks for reading!

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