How to Treat Hair Fall: Here’s my Hair Care Routine

Growing up with fine hair, I always remember my hairstylist telling me how much of a struggle it was to cut or style it. Volume was constantly difficult to achieve, and twisting it into an updo was never easy since it often slipped through fingers. I didn’t realize that those things would one day be the least of my hair problems, because when I entered the workforce and especially when I signed my third job as a Marketing Manager of four beauty brands (which entailed long hours, stressful meetings, and sleepless nights due to anxiety), I started developing hair fall problems. It was so bad that my mom brought me to my dermatologist just to make sure everything was fine, and to ask how to treat hair fall. My dermatologist ran some tests and assured us that my hair fall wasn’t because of my thyroid and could be stress-related indeed.

I read that hair shedding is normal and that on average, we lose about 80 strands per day. But if we lose more or notice that they aren’t growing back, then that’s a problem! There are a lot of triggers when it comes to hair fall—genetics play a big part. Others include stress, hormonal imbalance, anemia, hypothyroidism or hyperthyroidism, Vitamin B12 deficiency, weight loss, and age.

At one point, I became anemic—so that was probably another reason for my hair fall. There was also a time I wasn’t eating enough calories, which resulted in weight loss. These days, I make sure to maintain a healthy weight and diet. Through trials and experiments, and with the help of my mom who never failed to take care of our skin, hair, and teeth (among many other things) growing up, I was able to come up with an effective hair care routine on how to treat hair fall.

Use Shampoo and Conditioner with Biotin

It took me a while to find a shampoo and conditioner that worked for me. I’ve tried Pregroe, Zenutrients Gugo Shampoo, and other drugstore brands that promise to care for hair fall problems. If I’m on a budget, I buy the biggest bottle of Zenutrients Gugo Shampoo (and share it with my husband), which I’m quite happy with. But if I want to splurge, I treat myself to OGX Beauty’s Thick & Full Biotin + Collagen Shampoo and Conditioner, which you can buy on Lazada or Shopee.

Apply an Anti Hair Fall Serum

Every evening, after doing my skincare routine, I move on to applying a hair care serum to address my concern. At the moment, I’m finishing off my anti-hair fall serum from Physiocap. Other alternatives I’ve used are Zenutrients’ Gugo Hair Strengthening Serum and Regroe’s Minoxidil. My only issue with Minoxidil is that it made me have dandruff! So for now, I’m happy sticking with Physiocap.

Drink Hair Supplements

I learned this from my mom, who bought a bottle of biotin supplements for me during the worst period of my hair fall. Since then, I continue to take 5,000 mcg together with the rest of my vitamins daily. I’m currently drinking Nature’s Bounty, but once that’s done, I’ll be starting Solgar Biotin from Healthy Options to compare which one is more effective.

UPDATE AS OF APRIL 2021: I’m currently drinking Wolvit (Biotin 5mg).

Alternate with a Dry Shampoo

You’ve probably heard or read about how washing your hair too frequently can result in hair loss. But living in a tropical country, where the humidity can make your hair and scalp instantly oily, I understand how tough it is to not wash your hair after a long day. My solution is to use dry shampoo! I schedule my hair washing days every other day, and on days that I don’t, I use dry shampoo instead. I often purchase Dove’s Volume & Fullness Dry Shampoo from Watsons.

Use Good Hair Care Tools

Another important aspect of my routine is making sure to use good and trusted hair care tools. When my hair is wet, I gently comb it with a Hair Doctor. I start detangling from the roots, before moving up. On the other hand, whenever my hair is dry, I use either my Tangle Angel or Tangle Teezer brush. I have one at home, one inside my bag, and one at my parents’ place (for whenever I sleep over). For my hairdryer, which I only use on special occasions, I have the Panasonic Nano-E Hair Dryer. Lastly, for my hair straightener and curler, I bought the Vidal Sassoon iPin 32mm Straightening/Curling Iron.

Take a Break from Tying Hair

To prevent breakage, and to let my hair breathe, I try not to tie my hair too often. This is especially difficult whenever my hair is long, and I’m having a bad hair day. I end up tying it in a ponytail since it’s the quickest and easiest hairstyle I know.

Maintain Shorter Hair

…which is why lately, I’ve been maintaining shorter hair. I noticed that whenever my hair is shorter, I have less hair fall as well. Plus, I like having shorter hair! It’s so much easier to care for.

I hope you enjoyed reading my hair care routine on how to treat hair fall. It takes a lot of effort, but I believe it’s worth investing in. If you have any questions, or your own suggestions and recommendations, I’d love to read them in the comment section!

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