How to Prevent Hair Loss After Coming to USA?
Question from a reader about Hair Loss after coming to USA.
Hello, this question is not related to education or visa and it may not be right question to answer in the blog.
I came to USA for Fall 2011. I’m having hair loss after coming to USA. Now, I have been in US for about 5 months and seeing hair loss. What should I do know? Do i need to consult a doctor?
Hair Loss After Coming to USA
I did face hair loss problem when I cane to USA and even now, it’s the same.
Things I’m going to suggest for hair care routine is completely based on my experience.
I think, hair loss after coming to USA could be due to combination of the following factors
- Lack of good food nutrients
- Lack of moisture
- Head Bath frequently with HOT water
- Water Quality
- Genetics
My Hair Care Routine
- Oil
- Coconut Oil
- Herbal Oil
- Shampoo
- Hot Water avoidance
- Humidifier in Winter Months
Hair Oil vs Hair Loss
I apply Oil to the hair to keep the moisture content.
During work days, I apply light amount of oil. Soak my hair in oil once in 2 weeks.
- Weekdays – Parachute Coconut Oil
- Weekends – Navaratana Herbal Oil and Homemade Herbal Oil (mix of herbs, almost, coconut oil)
Coconut Hair Oil will freeze during winter.
So, during winter months, I use Parachute Gold Coconut oil. It doesn’t freeze during winter months.
Humidity
During winter months, when central home heater is turned on, humidity will be very low.
You will be able to feel the dryness in skin, if humidity is low.
We apply skin moisturizer and use Cool Mist Humidifier. It’s recommended to maintain 40% humidity in the house.
If you wake up in the morning with sore, dry lips, then you know humidity is very low in your room.
Shampoo vs Hair Loss
I have tried several types of Shampoo’s.
Head & Shoulders, Herbal Essence, Selsun Blue, Garnier, Dove, etc.
Guess what I’m using for last 4 years?
Johnson’s and Johnson’s Baby Shampoo. It mild on chemicals and still cleans the hair.
Water Contents vs Hair Loss
If you are worried about chemicals in the water, then get a water filter.
It’s about $25 in Home Deport or Lowe’s. It will fit on top of existing shower head.
Dry Hair and very hot water could make hair loss its strength and cause hair loss (my theory).
Stop Hair Loss?
I know a friend who had severe loss and paid like $3,000 to get Hair transplant treatment.
You may have to consult a specialist if you are experiencing sever hair loss.
Your Hair Care Routine
What is your hair care routine? Do you have any special hair care suggestions.
I have listed my view from a guy’s perspective.
For girls, hair care routine will be different, and maybe someone can share their views.
This article is really helpful for hair fall control and growing hair. When I was shopping and I came across this brand blackwood for men. Only tried it because the bottle looked cool but it helped my dandruff a lot (google it)
Thank you for sharing your hair tactics in this blog. In the presence, so many people suffering from hair loss. Maybe this blog is very useful to those people.
thanks for the information
I face the same issue. I moved from Greece to US in fall 2012. But I didn’t notice it immediately. I think the temp is not such a bad factor I love the hot water but the quality of water maybe. Stress and diet and also the salons processes here I think are very strong for my hair. I plan to buy the klorane caps to see if they work.
Ya nice Article.If people want to prevent from hair fall then they have to take proper diet and they should add Gooseberry in their regular diet..
Different places different weather, major effect in hair loss is change in weather and water. You need to just change your routine and start leaving like the way you have lived in India after coming from a different country. Above mention, things in the article are very helpful to hair loss treatment and you will get good hair again. Thank you for the informative article.
Very informative article and got to know so many things about hair which will help me to take precaution from my hair damage.
Thank you Guys!!! it is very useful for me thanks alot!!!:)
Great info. I will try J&J shampoo and see if it works.
Rahul – Another recommendation is to get the Sulfate free shampoo from Whole Foods or Tea Tree Shampp from Traders Joe.
Thanks a lot for info Raghu. I will try and post you results.
Glad to come across this article……..very helpful, thanks!
Also make sure to use only sulphate free shampoo. You can get itfrom any herbal shop. Its expensive but rather to use this one then spending in treatment.
If you think that hair fall is due to water in USA , please try taking shower with bottled water . I’m taking shower with bottled and see good improvement .
Hair loss can be due to different reasons such as your diet, the water you shower in, the products you use on your hair,genetics, etc.
If you are lacking essential nutrients in your diet, you may want to compensate it by adding vitamin and protein supplements that you can get at a drug store. Hard water usually causes a lot of hair fall and water treatment can be a solution to it.
Make sure the products you use on your hair like shampoos and conditioners do not contain SLS or any other forms of sulphate. Do not buy products with parabens in them, as they can also cause hair fall or damage. Too much of chemicals can actually strip your hair of all the oil and leaving it dry and prone to damage. While shampooing, remember to take a coin-sized amount of shampoo on your palms and MASSAGE it SLOWLY into your scalp for 5 minutes. Vigorous motions can harm your hair follicles. Slowly work your way down towards the rest of you hair. Shampooing the mid-rise and ends of your hair too much can cause dead ends, so be sure to use only a little amount of product. Rinse thoroughly. Squeeze out the water ( DO NOT wring your hair) gently and apply your conditioner from the ends to the mid rise of your hair. You need not apply it to your scalp, you can apply the little amount that remains on your palms to the hair on your scalp. Wait for 10 mins and then rinse your hair again. Buying organic shampoos can help you a lot in reducing hair fall. Make sure you use your hair dryer less often. Over exposure to heat can damage your hair follicles.
If the reason for your hair fall is genetics, you can do very little about it. Hair fall can also be due to infections on the scalp or dandruff. Once you get that sorted out, you will see a reduced amount of hair fall. Remember, it is normal for a human to lose upto 100-150 strands of hair everyday.
Please forgive me for any spelling or grammatical mistakes. I hope this information was helpful 🙂
Thanks for your detailed analysis and guide.
If you are coming for the first time to US, remember to pack some oil & herbal shikakai soap/powder. Find out oil which are properly sealed and come in pouches/plastic containers. Even the shikakai powder are available in pouches/boxes.I found parachute oil to be good and use it on a daily basis. Some good brands of shikakai powder are: Meera & Kartika and for soap: Wipro shikakai soap. You also get meera herbal shampoo. Anything that suits the custom needs, and properly packed shouldn’t get you into trouble.
You can find the above mentioned oil & powders( and much more) even in small Indian stores. It is costly, but atleast you are saving your hair. Oil your hair & scalp.These people go to spa and spend lots of money on herbal oil massage and many more things. But if we do, they comment on it. So, don’t be bothered by others’ remarks. After all, it is you money an hair.
I also feel that we Indian take long baths & showers because we do not find 24*7 hot water facility in our country. This also leads to dry skin and hair loss. So try to avoid doing this.
Never knew that about the humidity thanks for the info. And really J&J baby shampoo? I guess it is soft and has less chemicals like you stated. For me I only use shampoo every other day and leave the condition in my hair to let the nutrients soak in. Works great for me.
Reasons of hair loss when moving to USA or some other country ( my perspective from personal experience)
1. Stress especially due to several factors such settling into a new country/ culture/food, studies. doing a lot of multi tasking.
2. Quality of water and its effects on hair – varies from place to place.
3. Change in diet.
4. In some cases lack of nutrition especially in the first year when international students do not eat in a routine manner due to various reasons such as trying to focus more on studies, not knowing how to cook or finding the time to cook, also not being able to find the food served in a different country appealing or still not adjusted to the food. The craving for home food stays for a while….
So these are some of the reasons of hair loss but there are other effects as well such as weight loss in the beginning and then weight gain etc.
Kind of True 🙂
THE BEST THING TO DO IS.. APPLY
JOHNSON- JOHNSON BABY HAIR OIL.. AND USE THE SHAMPOO.. THEY ARE THE BEST.
Think, if you want to choose between, “Coming back to India due to Hair Loss Vs Staying back at USA ?” Am sure by the time you find the answer you don’t have to worry about hair loss any-more ! 🙂
Try Redken Extreme. I came here in fall 2011 and faced the same issue. But i used it regularly, avoided daily head baths, and whenever i wash my hair, i do it with luke warm water. My hair still falls but just as much it did in India.
Gals can try John Freida Luxurious vol shampoo. It is really good. When I had just come to US, I suffered the problem of severe hair loss. But, after using this shampoo, my hair loss has stopped and the volume of my hair has increased. Once in a week I do oil massage. I mix olive oil, coconut oil and tea tree oil, heat it and then apply it to my hair. Before using a straightener or hair curler, I try to use Tresemme so that my hair are not subjected to intense heat.
ohh.. thanks for d information.. .i wish it should really work for me too.. !! 🙂
as i am suffering from the same problem..
Thank you!!
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I don’t plan to delete above comment. C c bb.
I didn’t post it. But, it was my son, who was playing with iPhone, who posted it. Amazing to see a 2 year old, finding some random App (which was this blog) then going to comments section to type something and then post the comment.
WOW, This is great information. Using J&J shampoo seems to be a good Idea and about Humidity, i think i have to worry about this. Thanks for valuable info, specially for guys hair loss is a major issue.