I've worked with several women struggling with hair loss over the past three years. Dealing with hair loss can be very challenging, affecting your confidence and overall well-being. Although it is normal to lose a small amount of hair daily, too much shedding is not normal and should be addressed. We are all worthy of healthy, beautiful and luscious hair! ✨ 

In this blog post, I am sharing 4 tools that have been a game changer for me and my clients.

Control Your Response to Stress 

Even though stress is the primary cause of excessive hair loss, it is rarely addressed. Stress, both short-term and long-term, can affect the health of your hair. Telogen effluvium is a condition that can be brought on by a stressful situation. This happens when a large proportion of hair follicles enter the resting stage of the hair development cycle early, leading to an increase in hair loss and thinning. Several months following the stressful event, the increased shedding usually becomes noticeable. This might be the case if you've gone through a stressful or traumatic event like getting divorced, losing a loved one, losing your job, etc. and are losing a lot of hair. Chronic stress, on the other hand, can sabotage the regular cycle of hair growth, resulting in slower or stunted hair growth. Cortisol is one of the stress hormones that can hinder the formation of new, healthy hair strands in the hair follicles, slowing down overall hair growth. In this situation, managing your stress is essential. We all experience difficult events, but what matters most is how we respond to them. These are three of my most favorite ways to control my response to stress:

• Stay present while feeling stressed, and do not run away from it. It is important to allow the body to process it and regulate itself.
• Practice coherent breathing for 10-30 minutes a day, especially while feeling stressed. You can practice coherent breathing by inhaling for 5 seconds and exhaling for 5 seconds.
• Go on a 30-60 minute walk in nature and become aware of the nature's sounds such as the wind, waterfalls, birds singing, etc.

Replenish Key Nutrients

When we don't replenish our bodies with enough nutrients, the body will use those resources to support vital processes rather than the health of our hair and nails. A lack of essential nutrients in your diet or the inability to adequately absorb nutrients because of gut inflammation or dysbiosis can contribute to poor nutrition. Consider nutrients such as amino acids, vitamin D (a hormone), vitamin C, vitamin B2, biotin, vitamin B12, and folate as well as iron, zinc, selenium, and iodine if you are experiencing hair loss. It's crucial to start with a diet and lifestyle approach before adding supplements. Despite the fact that some people produce vitamin D more efficiently than others, it is nevertheless vital to expose our skin to UVB radiation every day for a minimum of 20 minutes. We can make sure we are getting all of these nutrients by eating a nutrient-rich diet that includes meat, poultry, fish, seasonal vegetables, and fruits. As you likely already know, some of these nutrients are abundantly present in plants, while others are only found in animal products. It's crucial to choose whole food supplements when thinking about using supplements. My top picks include:

• Unflavored Collagen (code: PAOLA) to provide the building blocks to make collagen and support healthy hair 
• Acerola Cherry (code: PAOLA) which is an antioxidant powerhouse and a great source of vitamin C. Vitamin C is needed to make collagen. 
• Organ Meat Blend (code: PAOLA) to replenish the majority of these nutrients and it can be a great multi-vitamin option
• Oyster Zinc (code: PAOLA) to replenish zinc and vitamin B12. Zinc can be very beneficial if you are losing hair due to high DHT levels (androgenic alopecia). 
• Kelp (20% off on all Fullscript supplements) to replenish iodine
• For my recovering vegetarians and vegans, a B complex would be more beneficial such as Energi+ (code: PAOLA) which provides active forms of B vitamins. This has been my go to as I transitioned to an omnivorous diet 

Keep in mind that consistency is key. The body will prioritize your hair when it is no longer in a deficient state.

Use a Non-Toxic Shampoo & Conditioner

This goes without saying, as women we are exposed to hundreds of toxic chemicals on a daily basis. Opting for non-toxic hair care is extremely important. What we put on our hair and our body will be absorbed and add to our toxic burden. As a practitioner that specializes in detox, I believe it is always best to avoid toxins rather than deal with the aftermath. These are some budget-friendly non-toxic hair-care products: 

• Alafia (unscented, best for the most sensitive) 
• Avalon
• The Honest Company

Increase Circulation

You can be doing all the right things but if your circulation, namely blood and lymph are not optimal, your hair will suffer because they won’t be able to get the nutrients they need as well as get rid of waste. Exercising regularly is a great way to improve your circulation. In addition to exercising you can massage your hair in the shower for 1 minute with a hair massager. I also like to manually massage my scalp with my hands after showering. I like to bend over and bring my hair to the front. I then massage my neck and head with my fingers for 30-60 seconds. Pro tip: you can use a little bit of coconut oil and 1-3 drops of rosemary oil to massage your scalp. Rosemary oil can be as effective at encouraging hair regrowth as minoxidil. If you will be using oils, it is best to do this before taking a shower. 

Be consistent with these tips and your hair will love you!✨