Hair becomes one of the most appreciated attributes when talking about women's beauty. Losing hair is a health issue faced by many women. It becomes a cause of anxiety.
Have you ever thought of how to improve hair health? There are several exercises for hair growth and to reduce hair loss. These hair regrowth exercises increase blood flow to the scalp and aid in hair growth.
Read on to get some hair increase tips towards the end.
Does Exercising Make Your Hair Grow Faster?
Some exercises are effective in promoting healthy hair growth by opening scalp pores and increasing the blood flow to the scalp. Exercise for hair fall also helps to release essential oils in the scalp.
Causes of Hair Loss
Loss of 100 hair follicles a day is a normal occurrence. Lost follicles are replaced by new hair follicles. Hair loss becomes a concern if the natural hair growth cycle is disrupted. Below are some reasons that cause hair loss in women:
1. Hereditary Factors
Female pattern baldness is a hereditary form of hair loss in women. It usually results in a gradually receding hairline and hair thinning in women.
2. Medical Conditions or Hormonal Changes
Hormonal changes may occur during pregnancy or post-delivery. Medical conditions like alopecia areata cause patches of hair loss.
3. Medications
Hair fall is a side effect of using a specific drug for cancer, heart problems, and depression.
4. Stress
Stress can also result in hair fall, but this is a temporary occurrence.
5. Chemicals
Hair styling and treatments that use chemical products can cause hair fall.
Exercise for Hair Growth
Below are the top 15 exercises, including the best yoga for hair growth:
1. Jogging
Stimulating blood circulation in the scalp helps in hair growth. Regular practice of cardiovascular exercises at least three times a week helps in improving your blood circulation. Jogging helps pump up the blood flow in the body by increasing the heart rate but not aggressively.
2. Alternate Nostril Breathing
Pranayama enhances the oxygen supply in the body. When you breathe in more oxygen, your blood circulation will improve. Alternate nostril breathing or pranayama involves placing a finger on the left nostril and pressing down to breathe through the right nostril. After inhaling and exhaling for five seconds, repeat the same procedure with the other side.
3. Wind Relieving Pose
This pose helps to improve bowel movements. As the toxins increase in the body, it impacts overall health and hair health. To practice this pose, pull the knees up to the chest and give them a quick hug. Hold this position for ten seconds, then inhale and exhale. You must repeat this about 20 times.
4. HIIT Exercises
High-Intensity Interval Training mixes cardio and strength training. You can choose a short HIIT workout that includes burpees, crunches, squats, jumping jacks, push-ups, and mountain climbers.
5. Scalp Massage
An easy yet effective technique, a scalp massage helps to stimulate the hair follicles. Practice scalp massage in your free time or in the shower. A proper head massage needs the movement of the fingers by placing them on the top sides of the scalp. Add a bit of pressure after rubbing the fingers back and forth. Also, practice small circular movements.
6. Standing Fold Pose
This yoga pose relieves anxiety and stress. Stress being a cause of hair loss, it is vital to exercise to dial down your stress levels. To practice, get on your feet and bend over. You can also touch your nose to the knees and place your hands around the legs. Holding the pose, continue to inhale and exhale deeply. Continue this pose for 30 seconds.
7. Camel Pose
This is a great pose to revitalise your blood cells. To practice this pose, go down on your knees and bend backwards slowly. Place your hands on the ankles to get better support. You must hold the camel pose for 15-30 seconds. Getting an arch in your body will help to stimulate the blood cells, thereby improving your blood circulation.
8. Strength Training
If you are not a fan of high-energy exercises, you can try strength training. The workouts get your heart rate up and the blood moving. Some of the best workouts include squats, lunges, side squats, calf raises, single-leg bridges, double-leg bridges, eagle crunches, and bicycle crunches.
9. Neck Exercises
It is crucial to exercise your neck muscles to help with hair growth as this helps release the stress around your neck muscles. These can include simple head movements like front-to-back or side-to-side. Practise these exercises once or twice a day to ensure maximum benefits.
10. Head Inversion
Headstands or inverted poses help to make hair more lustrous as it promotes blood flow to your head. A headstand will also help you relax and stimulate the hair follicles by increasing the movement of blood and other nutrients to the scalp.
11. Side-to-Side Hops
This exercise is known to help with hair growth by improving your blood circulation. To practice it, stand erect and keep space between your feet. Slightly bend or jump sideways as much as you can. Repeat the process on both sides
12. Brushing Hair
Proper brushing your hair is a good hair regrowth exercise. The scalp has natural oils that spread to the hair follicles while brushing. By using a good brush, you can stimulate these oils. Brushing also stimulates blood flow up to the scalp and provides rich nourishment to hair follicles that ensure hair growth.
13. Sarvangasana
This asana helps regulate the thyroid gland. The thyroid supplies blood rich in nutrients like triiodothyronine (T3), tetraiodothyronine (T4), and calcitonin to the scalp. Their function results in hair growth. It is also a good pose for people suffering from hormonal imbalances.
14. Vajrasana
Also known as diamond pose, this simple asana is usually done after lunch or dinner. It helps to aid the digestive system and prevents hair loss by increasing blood circulation in the scalp and strengthening hair. It is an effective hair regrowth exercise.
15. Matsyasana
Matsyasana is known to be the destroyer of all diseases. The asana stretches the muscles around your neck and shoulders. It stimulates hair growth by regulating the blood flow to the scalp.
Exercise Benefits for Hair
Below are the benefits of exercises for hair growth:
- Exercising releases endorphins in the body. Endorphins are happy hormones that help you relax, reduce stress, and thus control hair loss.
- Working out stimulates circulation in the scalp and enriches hair follicles with essential nutrients.
- Workout sessions that target hair increase oxygen flow to the scalp and increase the nourishment for your hair.
How to Make Hair Roots Strong?
1. Reduce Heat
If you are wondering how to make hair roots strong, try minimising the use of blow dryers, hot curlers, and straighteners. They can damage your hair and weaken your hair.
2. Intake of Vitamins
Nutritional deficiencies in the hair can lead to hair loss. Your hair needs specific vitamins like Vitamin D, Vitamin E, B complex vitamins, and minerals to stay strong and healthy. Studies have shown that deficiency of vitamin D results in hair loss.
3. Use the Right Shampoo
Shampoos have ingredients like sulphates, parabens, phthalates, alcohol, and formaldehyde that strip your hair of its natural oils. Thus, choose the right shampoo to ensure it doesn’t remove the natural oils from your scalp.
4. Add Protein to Your Diet
Adding protein to your diet is crucial for hair growth. Hair follicles mainly consist of a protein called keratin. Without sufficient protein intake or with disrupted protein digestion and absorption, your hair health will suffer. A lack of protein in the diet can lead to hair thinning or loss.
5. Try a Hair Mask
A nourishing hair mask can boost hair health by stimulating hair growth and making the hair follicles stronger.
How to Improve Hair Growth?
1. Aloe Vera
Aloe vera is rich in fatty and amino acids. It has Vitamins A, B12, and E, that help unblock the hair follicles and promote hair growth. Applying aloe vera gel to the scalp a few times a week helps condition the hair.
2. Coconut Oil
Coconut oil has fatty acids that penetrate the hair shaft to reduce protein loss from the hair. Oil your hair the previous night and wash it the next day.
3. Viviscal
Viviscal, a natural supplement, promotes hair growth. It contains AminoMar C and mollusc powder, Vitamin C, and organic silica. These ingredients regenerate new cells and strengthen existing cells.
4. Ginseng
A study states that ginseng supplements also help promote hair growth and stimulate hair follicles. Its active component is ginsenosides, which are responsible for a positive effect on hair.
Hair Increase Tips
- Avoid hairstyles that are too tight and the use of elastic bands.
- Eat the right foods like dark green leafy vegetables, figs, jaggery, and dates.
- Include iron and omega-3-rich foods like walnut, fish, canola oil, soybeans, flax seeds, chia seeds, and sunflower seeds to recharge the hair follicles.
- Keep the scalp hydrated by consuming plenty of liquids.
- Avoid heating tools on the hair.
- Brush the hair gently without pulling.
Common Mistakes While Doing Exercises
Excessive workouts can lead to temporary hair loss. It disrupts the hair growth cycle and can make hair follicles reach the resting phase earlier. Exercising can also cause the body to sweat, and if the salty sweat builds up on your scalp, it causes damage to the hair.
Summing Up on Exercise for Hair Growth
Exercise enhances blood flow to the scalp. This means working out can aid the hair restoration process. Remember that exercise induces sweat, which can damage hair. Ensure to bathe after a workout to open up and clean blocked hair follicles. Exercising is a great way to have good hair, but remember not to overdo any exercises.
FAQs
Does Working Out Cause Hair Loss?
Excessive exercising can cause premature hair loss. As too much exercise leads to chronic stress, it results in a health condition known as telogen effluvium. This causes dormancy in hair follicles. Thus, you should exercise in a controlled way.
Does Exercise Make Your Hair Thicker?
There are many types of pranayama, yoga poses, and cardio workouts that are known to be effective in making the hair thicker. Kapalabhati, Adho Mukha Svanasana, Sarvangasana, Balasana, Sirsasana, Vajrasana, Uttanasana and Matsyasana are the best yoga for hair growth and thick hair.
Does Rubbing Nails Grow Hair?
When you rub all your fingernails against each other, the activity stimulates the brain to send a signal to the stem cells. This revives unproductive and dead hair follicles. This exercise increases blood circulation in the scalp and strengthens your hair follicles while preventing greying.
References
Bu Young Choi, September 2019; Hair-Growth Potential of Ginseng and Its Major Metabolites: A Review on Its Molecular Mechanisms - https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6163201
Emily L. Guo. January 2017; Diet and hair loss: effects of nutrient deficiency and supplement use - https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5315033/
Hind M. Almohanna, March 2109; The Role of Vitamins and Minerals in Hair Loss: A Review - https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6380979/
Anatomy, Head and Neck, Thyroid Arteries - https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK560666/
