The vitality of your hair is governed by internal mechanisms, particularly hormonal ones, as well as by anything that affects its cuticle – the outer layer surrounding the cortex and the medulla. The main mistakes likely to worsen hair loss and the associated lack of volume therefore lie on both sides of this spectrum: they are both exogenous and endogenous.
One of the most common mistakes is regularly wearing hairstyles that are too tight and pull your hair back. Buns, dreadlocks and ponytails, for example, can thus cause traction alopecia. This is an inflammatory form of hair loss that occurs as a result of mechanical trauma to the hair follicles. Fujun Huang and colleagues (1) also point out that this particular form of alopecia can co-exist with androgenetic alopecia, which is itself of genetic and hormonal origin.
Among the bad hair care habits that can reduce your perceived hair volume is the repeated use of chemical and heat-based treatments. Perms, bleaching and other straightening treatments can weaken your hair shaft, causing it to eventually break. The result: your hair appears less full. This loss of density is sometimes exacerbated by the use of heated styling tools (straighteners, curling irons), which damage your hair and increase breakage.
There is also a lesser-known mistake: failing to protect your hair properly from oxidative stress. Certain environmental aggressors bombard your hair follicles with free radicals. This phenomenon is evident with the UV rays emitted by the sun, which alter the structure and physiological functions of the follicle. The same applies to air pollution, which is responsible for a reduction in the levels of proteins necessary for hair growth. The effect of cigarette smoke should not be overlooked either, as it is thought to act as an endocrine disruptor (2).
In addition to external factors, we should also mention internal causes, including a deficient diet. It has been proven that a lack of trace elements (iron, zinc, magnesium) and vitamins (D, A) impairs the cells’ ability to produce healthy, strong hair. This is why a weight-loss diet that is not properly supervised can increase hair loss and affect hair density (1). Conversely, it has also been proven that an excess of vitamin A can sometimes increase hair loss (3).
Finally, the last mistake is to overlook the impact of your lifestyle on your hair volume. Episodes of physiological stress (weight loss, health problems, mental exhaustion, etc.) tend to disrupt the hair growth cycle. They are often the cause of telogen effluvium, comparable to reactive hair loss (3). Lack of sleep and physical activity are among the other systemic factors cited in trichological studies (1, 2).
