As the old saying goes, too much of a good thing is a bad thing. This is very much applicable when it comes to exercise. If you think spending hours on the gym will make you a big ball of health, you could be wrong. An excess of high level exercise is discovered to cause hair loss. So if you want to spare your hair and have a healthy physique at the same time, you better start improving your habits.
Exercise, of any type, is an activity that
is also considered to be a stress to the body. But this is a good stress
nonetheless, which is why we are advised to do this every day. But the problem
arises when this is done in excess; of course the degree of stress experienced
by the body is also increased which can now result to hair loss.
Another reason why exercise is linked to
excessive hair loss is because it can also affect hormonal balance. It results
to testosterone levels being increased, and this is true for men and women.
Unfortunately for the ladies the change in
hormone levels creates more reactions in their system. It results to an altered
menstrual cycle and even places them at risk for brittle bones.
The increased levels of testosterone
increase the likelihood of hair loss because this very hormone is the one that
is turned into DHT or dihydrotestosterone. DHT is the very chemical that is
responsible for hair loss. It first causes the hair follicles to thin, shrink
and then fall off in excessive amounts.
Another reason why exercise promotes hair
loss is that it causes the follicles to enter the resting phase earlier than
they are expected to. The problem here is that it affects a large amount of
locks resulting in a bulk of it shedding off. This is a condition that is
called Telogen Effluvium.
The good thing about Telogen Effluvium is
that the effects are temporary. By improving your exercise regimen, and cutting
back on the intensity and length, you could very well prevent the progressive
hair loss.
You can determine whether you are doing
your exercise regimen excessively if you notice that it is ineffective, you
feel fatigued, and if you experience sleeping disorders. Dr. Mannoj Khana says
that if you experience any of these symptoms and is accompanied by excessive
hair loss, you should cut back on your exercise.
If you really don’t know how to go about
with your exercise regimen, you can always ask the help of a certified trainer.
This way you can get a personalized plan that would suit your energy level. In
fact, a person simply needs 30 minutes of exercise every day to be healthy.
You should also check on your hair care
regimen after exercising. We all know that working out can cause us to sweat in
buckets, and your scalp is no exception. Due to the salt content of your sweat,
this can be bad for the hair. The buildup of this salty fluid on the scalp can
cause it to dry, which can eventually lead to dandruff and hair loss.
Keep everything in moderation, because when
you keep a proper exercise regimen, hair loss can very well be prevented. You
could even improve the health of your hair as the circulation in your body is
improved.
But if hair loss persists even with the
alterations and improvements made, it could be that you are genetically linked
to shed excessive amounts of hair. For this type of problem, you can take
medications or restore hair volume through a hair transplant surgery.
