If you’re like me and struggling with hair loss from lupus, don’t worry keep reading to see what has helped me along my hair loss and regrowth journey! Hair loss from lupus can be managed with just a few small changes to your everyday routine!
First and foremost stop and take a deep breath and don’t allow hair loss to stress you out! Stress can negatively affect autoimmune diseases and possibly contribute to flare-ups. Click here to read up on stress and autoimmunity. But it made me realize I had to keep my emotions in check to get a handle on my hair loss. When I’m feeling stressed I’ll go for a walk, tend my garden, and meditate. Making time for myself noticeably helped ease my stress levels! So let’s jump right into how I manage hair loss!
This is just what worked for me. Staying consistent with everything I’ve listed below made my hair grow back thicker, healthier, and silkier. Check with your doctor always before starting any new regimen.
Healthy hair habits
Let’s start with all the things you can do that are free…My favorite! Starting with looking at what hairstyles you frequently wear. I have noticed tight buns and ponytails not only break my hair and make it more brittle. But also causing thinning right at my temples. I looked it up and sure enough, it was a thing. Now knowing this I haven’t completely cut these hairstyles out of my routine but I will only wear them for special occasions and for a very short amount of time. A cute hairstyle is not worth any more of my hair falling out.
We want to focus on healthy hair habits. Personally, I have a bad habit of twirling my hair anytime I’m anxious. Any extra tugging needs to be avoided. At this stage, your hair is already vulnerable. Keep your hands away from it. During the time my hair was really fragile I avoided any unnecessary touching. The most I would touch it is when washing and putting product in. Just let it do its thing trust me.
Make sure you’re eating a healthy diet! If your body is lacking the right vitamins and nutrients your hair growth will slow and you can experience hair loss. You need a diet rich in vitamins A, C, D, E, B vitamins, biotin, iron, zinc, protein and fatty acids for healthy hair growth. Cutting out excess sugar and inflammatory foods will also help against hair loss.
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1. Silk pillowcase
Silk pillowcases help keep your hair hydrated. Silk is less absorbent than other materials allowing your hair to keep its natural oils. Although sleeping on silk pillowcases may not directly make your hair grow silk can prevent breakage and hair loss. Silk is a friction-free fabric, unlike Cotten or polyester. Fabrics like Cotten can cause the hair to tug and pull causing hair loss and breakage while you sleep. Using a friction-free fabric like silk allows the hair to glide causing no trauma to the hair. If you like me I’m tossing and turning all night so I can’t imagine how much breakage my old crusty cotton/polyester blend pillow caused in just one night. Since using a silk pillowcase I’ve noticed my hair is so much more silky and shiny and it has eliminated my frizz!!
2. Silk bonnet
Along with silk pillowcases I also recommend a silk bonnet. I originally got one after realizing the difference silk had on my hair. Quickly wearing a bonnet around the house became a game changer for me because there was no longer a need for my usual ponytail or bun, my hair was completely out of my face, and I never had to spend time fixing my hair. It stays in place with the bonnet and it’s very comfortable. I almost forget I’m wearing. I’ve caught myself walking out of the house with it still on a time or two haha! Bonnets are a great way to protect your hair, keep it out of your face, and can aid in breaking habits of constantly touching/twirling/or pulling on your hair.
3. Rosemary oil
Rosemary oil is a gift straight from Heaven!! Not only does it promote new hair growth but it also has anti-inflammatory properties that help prevent hair loss. This is the one I have been using and so far like. There are many ways you can use it. I mix it in with my shampoo and use a scalp massager in the shower to massage it into my scalp. Using a scalp massager increases blood flow circulation which also promotes hair growth! And another plus is I have not had dandruff since adding a scalp massager into my hair washing routine, and have noticed I can go longer in between washes. It really gets your scalp clean!
Be consistent and patient, make sure to apply rosemary oil at least twice per week with the method you choose and you will notice a difference. I noticed results within a couple of weeks but it can take up to 6 months to see results! Other ways to use rosemary oil include adding a few drops of the oil to a spray bottle and dilute it with water, spray on my scalp and massage it in right before I went to bed. I would pop on my silk bonnet and wake up to extremely soft hair. I know you’re probably thinking. “Wouldnt this make your hair oily?”. And to my surprise no It did not!
You can also add it in with hair oil, just run a pea-sized amount through your hair/scalp on wash days. Remember consistency is key and to apply 1-2 times a week. Click here to check out the hair oil I add my rosemary into. I just think it works out best for me to use it in my shampoo so I can knock out the scalp massage, shampooing, and the oil in one go.
4. Scalp massager
Scalp care opened my eyes to a whole new world. I never had thought about the importance of having a maintenance routine for your scalp….because it was just your scalp. Head and shoulders was the most I had done for my scalp but oh boy was my world turned upside down. Your scalp actually ages faster than the skin on your face so it’s important you start taking good care of it today.
Here’s what I do to take care of my scalp. To dive into the world of scalp care I stopped taking hot showers. Hot water ages your skin, and it made me think why would I scald my hair that’s very fine with hot water? It made me do a little research and I ended up reading something about how your hair is like silk so why would you ever run silk under burning hot water? That opened my eyes to how I had never really taken care of my hair or scalp. Otherwise, my scalp care is just very general. Adding a scalp massager to my hair washing routine. Which I’ve already talked about is a great quick way to show your scalp some love. I massage my scalp with my shampoo and rosemary oil concoction for around 3 minutes (I shampoo twice). And I’ve noticed a huge difference in growth and no more dandruff!
5. Supplements
I noticed a HUGE change in the amount of hair loss I had after I started taking a b12 supplement. I have labs done every few months and had never been told my b12 was low. Maybe I just needed that little extra. You can talk with your doctor about checking your b12 levels. A quick blood test can lead you in the right direction. Low b12 levels have been directly associated with hair loss so it’s worth a try. If you’re looking for a supplement I use these.
6. Going heatless
While I was at the height of my hair loss it became a mental battle. Growing up I always had supper thick long hair. Even though it was extra thick It always had lots of volume. Loosing hair at the rate and large amount I was made my hair stick to my head, my scalp was poking through, my hair became brittle, and If I ran my fingers through it hair would come out every time. I stopped using heat to not further any damage. Being able to wake up with beach waves, not heat damage, and having my hair protected at night. Put a pep in my step and honestly helped me to hold my chin a little higher. I hadn’t felt “pretty” in a long time and just a simple thing like my hair looking nice gave me hope.
I hope you feel a little bit better by the end of this article. Lupus hair loss is 100% manageable and for me even opened my eyes to how I’ve never really known how to take care of my hair. Not only has my hair that I lost grown back but is multiplied due to my new routine. Let me know what has helped you manage hair loss from Lupus!
