The Better Blog

Hair loss is a common side effect of chemotherapy, hormonal therapy, targeted therapy, immunotherapy and radiation therapy—all of which are common breast cancer treatments. Fortunately, most of this hair loss is temporary. That being said, seeing your changing appearance in the mirror and more hair in your hairbrush every day can greatly affect your mood and result in a harsher outlook on life. So, what can you do about it?

Sulfates are primarily responsible for the thick lather that forms when you clean with soaps and detergents. Some people say their hair feels cleaner after using sulfate shampoos; however, these shampoos can have a detrimental effect on your hair and scalp — exacerbating the challenges aging women face with hormone-related thinning and fine-textured hair.

Nothing messes up a relaxing hot shower like the discovery of a clump of hair in your drain — especially when the hair clump is the size of a small animal. More likely than not, you are dealing with seasonal hair loss. According to research studies, your hair’s growth cycle follows a seasonal trend related to how your body reacts to the changes to the amount of sunlight it receives. The good news is that you can help slow shedding and boost hair and scalp health during the colder seasons. Keep reading to learn why we lose more hair during the fall and winter months and what we can do about it.

Is Vitamin A really the best haircare defense against hair loss and breakage? As we age, hair becomes much more prone to loss, thinning, and breakage. Understanding which essential vitamins and minerals your body and hair need is the first step to enjoying thick and healthy hair at any age. For women over 40, vitamin deficiencies can be a key element in hair loss. What are the best vitamins and minerals for hair loss in women over 40?

Our hair is more delicate and brittle than it once was, so who could blame us for being cautious about the hair products we use on it? After all, it’s kept our scalps protected for untold years and has even become integrated with our identity. Many of us feel we wouldn’t be who we are without it.

It is easy to forget about our scalp until it starts to act out. We take our scalps for granted when they are smooth, clean, and healthy, and the hair that grows from it is thick and lustrous. However, when they start to itch, become sensitive, flake, turn red, shed hair, and produce thinner hairs, we begin to pay attention.

Hair length is an essential topic for many women. It can take effort to maintain, but the confidence we feel with long hair can outweigh the downside. Long hair needs regular trims, a healthy diet, and plenty of TLC. Long hair maintenance becomes even more troubling once we reach our 40s and 50s. Physiological challenges, including menopause, can hinder our ability to “grow it, show it — long as I can grow it” as the song lyrics go.

A healthy hair count starts with a healthy scalp. Through the years, our bodies change, and our skin becomes dryer and loses elasticity. This is true for our scalps as well. Located in the outer layer (epidermis) are tiny pockets called hair follicles in charge of growing nearly 100,000 hairs on your scalp. Physiological changes in your body lead to "follicular miniaturization," where strands grow in wispier, and some follicles shut down completely.