Want to Prevent Hair Loss? Wash It

When men in their 40s see their hair beginning to fall out, it usually means their hair is just getting thinner. But it may also be a sign of disease.

“Hair loss happens when one’s hair thins out due to age. But if that is not the case, people suffering from hair loss need to check to see if they have other diseases, such as inflammatory diseases, thyroid diseases, lupus (an auto-immune disease), diabetes, or tuberculosis,” according to hair expert Professor Kang Jin-soo of the Kang-Han Dermatology Clinic.

One example of an inflammatory disease with hair loss symptoms is cradle cap. Hwang Seong-joo, a dermatologist at the Teol-Teol Dermatology Clinic, says, “If people with oily skin see their hair come out, they need to check if they have an inflammatory disease of the scalp. If women in their 40s begin to lose locks of hair, they may be suffering from diffuse telogen hair loss. The cause of diffuse telogen hair loss is not known, but it occurs when hair grows more during the scalp’s resting telogen phase, which is when hair loss occurs, instead of during the scalp’s regular growth phase. With the passage of time, the hair loss decreases.”

To Prevent Hair Loss, Change Your Lifestyle-

Most hair loss usually comes from bad lifestyle habits. Dandruff, excessive scalp fat, and germs on the scalp often lead to hair loss. To prevent it, it is necessary to eliminate these factors because they block human hair follicles. In order to get rid of the scalp secretions and scalp fat that provides conditions for hair loss, one should wash his or her hair once a day. Those who have excessively oily scalps need to wash the hair twice a day.

Soap is better than shampoo for washing hair. For those who suffer from hair loss resulting from oily scalp, shampoos for oily skin and hair are recommended.

Kang Jin-soo, a dermatologist at the Kang-Han Dermatology Clinic, says, “Those who do not have enough time in the morning need to wash their hair in the evening. When they shampoo their hair in a rush in the morning, they do not wash their hair carefully and go outside when their hair is not dry. Their hair gets dirty more easily that way.”

Those who have oily skin need to shampoo their hair in the morning if possible, since sebum, sweat, and scalp wastes accumulate on the scalp overnight.

Brushing one’s hair before shampooing with a wooden wide-tooth comb makes it easy to eliminate dandruff and dead skin during the hair washing process.

“When shampooing, one needs to make enough foam to reduce the friction on the scalp and rise thoroughly to prevent damage from cleansing product residue,” Kang says.

Rinses should only be applied to the hair, not the skin. If a rinse is not thoroughly washed out, it could cause inflammatory disease.

One should also dry one’s hair before going to bed.

Jin-Han Lee likeday@donga.com