5 Things To Avoid When You Have Alopecia Areata
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Alopecia Areata is an autoimmune condition where the immune system mistakenly attacks the hair follicles, causing inflammation and hair loss. When you have this condition, your hair often becomes more fragile, so it is important to protect it.
Consider avoiding these five things when you have an alopecia to avoid additional hair loss:
Your hair routine is particularly important when managing Areata alopecia. The skin of your scalp can already be sensitive, and some products and hairstyles can cause other damage. As you care about your hair, try to avoid the following elements that can contribute to hair loss:
- Products with hard chemicals: Avoid products that contain strong chemical products such as sulfates, alcohol or added perfumes. These ingredients can irritate the scalp and other sensitive areas affected by AREATA alopecia, such as the skin around your eyebrows or your beard. Look for soft and fragrance -free products designed for sensitive skin or lightening hair.
- Tight hairstyles: Styles that shoot closely or create tensions on your scalp, such as horse tails, breads, cornrows or well -adjusted headbands, can cause more loss. Opt for loose and comfortable styles that do not shoot your hair.
- Excessive heat: A high temperature of dryers, smokers, curling baguettes or eyelash jostlers can worsen hair loss. Remember to let your hair dry in the air. If you use heat, use the lowest setting and a safe heat protector when possible.
- Aggressive brushing or grooming: You shoot your hair with brushes and combs can drop the hair more easily. Use a soft bristle brush and a wide tooth comb, and take your time, especially in areas that already feel sparse or irritated.
AREATA alopecia causes skin inflammation. Many things, including diet, can further influence skin inflammation. Some foods help reduce inflammation and support a healthy immune system. Others may trigger inflammation and potentially worsen symptoms of AREATA alopecia. Foods related to increased inflammation include:
- Foods and sugary drinks: Foods rich in added sugars, such as candies, sodas and bakery products, can cause inflammatory responses that can emphasize your immune system.
- Fast food and highly transformed snacks: Rapid restaurants and ultra-transformed foods, such as fried and fried fries, can trigger inflammation.
- Refined grains: These include white bread, white rice, pasta and many packaged snacks made with white flour, which can increase your blood sugar quickly and contribute to inflammation.
- Some types of meats: Beef, pork and lamb contain compounds to which certain immune systems of some people react, resulting in increased inflammation.
- Gluten: If you are sensitive to gluten or celiac disease, you can already try to avoid gluten. It can also help you with your alopecia areata. A gluten -free diet can help repel hair in people with celiac disease and AREATA alopecia.
Be careful that your body feels after eating foods known to trigger inflammation. If you notice that certain foods aggravate your symptoms, it may be useful to adjust your diet.
For many people with AREATA alopecia, stress can trigger thrusts or worsen hair loss. Stress increases cortisol, a hormone that can interfere with the operation of hair follicles and affect hair growth.
It is common to notice new hair loss plates after a stressful period. Since hair loss can be emotional, it can create a frustrating cycle: stress causes hair loss and hair loss causes more stress.
Stress reduction can help break this cycle and decrease the frequency to which you have thrusts. Here are some stress elimination techniques that many people find useful:
- Meditation: A few minutes of meditation and calm time per day can help you calm your mind and reduce stress.
- Yoga or light exercise: Physical activity, such as yoga or a short walk, can help relieve stress and stimulate your mood.
- Slow and deep respies: Breathing exercises, such as deep breathing and 4-7-8 breathing, can help your body relax and are easy to do at any time and anywhere.
- Appropriate Diet: Coherent and quality sleep helps your body better manage stress and supports the overall health of the immune system.
- Activities you like: Hoffs, creative projects or anything that brings you joy can distract you from stress.
- A conversation: You can talk to a friend, a family member, an advisor or a support group. Sharing your feelings can help you feel more supported and less alone. The National Alopecia Foundation Areata offers support programs, resources and community groups to help you connect with others that include what you are going through.
If you live with AREATA alopecia, sun protection becomes even more important. The hair helps protect your scalp and your face from ultraviolet rays harmful to the sun (UV). Without this protection, your skin is more exposed and can burn easily, which increases your risk of long -term damage and skin cancer.
You can protect yourself by taking a few steps:
- Wear a wig or a wide -sides hat: This helps cover your scalp and your face outside.
- Use a sunscreen on the exposed areas: Apply a wide spectrum sunscreen with SPF 30 or more to your scalp and any other area with hair loss. Reappear every two hours, especially if you sweat or swim.
- Avoid the peak hours of the sun: Try to limit time outside between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. when the sun’s rays are the strongest, or make sure you are well protected during these periods.
Many people with AREATA alopecia have lower levels of vitamin D compared to those unconditionally. There is also a link between low vitamin D and more serious hair loss.
Vitamin of helps support growth and function of hair follicles. Some research suggests that vitamin D treatments could help repel hair, but there is not yet enough solid evidence to say that vitamin D alone can treat hair loss. Even if vitamin D could help, taking too much through supplements could be harmful.
That said, if you live with AREATA alopecia, it is worth talking to your health care provider for checking your vitamin D levels. If your test results show a deficiency, the supplier may recommend supplements of vitamin D. They can also recommend stimulating food intake in vitamin D thanks to foods such as fatty fish and mushrooms.
If you feel sudden or unusual hair loss, consult a health care provider like a dermatologist (a doctor specializing in the skin, hair and nails conditions). AREATA alopecia can look like other types of hair loss. It is important to get the right diagnosis to make sure you receive correct treatment.
You should also see a health care provider if your hair loss is getting worse, spreads to new areas or changing pattern. AREATA alopecia can cause changes to your nails, such as bites, ridges or fragility, so be sure to discuss these symptoms.
If the emotional impact of hair loss is overwhelming, do not hesitate to request support. This can mean talking with an advisor, join a support group or reach out to someone who understands what you are going through.
When you have AREATA alopecia, knowing what to avoid can help you manage the condition.
Avoid hard chemicals and tight hairstyles to avoid new hair loss. Try to limit foods that can cause inflammation. Find ways to manage stress because it can trigger thrusts. Protect your scalp from the sun with hats or sunscreen and make sure your vitamin D levels do not become too low.