The causes of hair loss can be as varied as there are human beings on the planet. Hair loss can be hereditary or simply due to aging, but it can also be temporary due to hormonal changes, stress or deficiencies of nutrients such as biotin, iron, protein or zinc. All the aforementioned causes can affect the health of your scalp and hair follicles and in certain cases induce alopecia, the technical term for hair loss.

Alopecia can affect men or women and can strike at any age. If you’ve suffered from hair loss once, the likelihood that you will experience it again is markedly increased. Prevention is therefore necessary to keep hair loss at bay.

Very often, hair loss is exacerbated by high levels of stress. Stress related hair loss is generally the result of chronic periods of emotional difficulty that trigger an autoimmune response causing inflammation in the body.

The good news is, if hair loss is stress related, the hair follicles themselves are not permanently damaged and when hair loss is triggered by stress, it usually grows back over time. The rate at which your hair regrows depends on genetic factors, and also on your ability to manage stress and to hack your lifestyle to reduce inflammation in the body. Following an anti-inflammatory diet and taking the right supplements can help your hair to grow back faster and prevent hair loss and breakage in the future.

Read on to discover some easy health tips and natural home remedies to encourage hair growth.

According to a few small recent studies, scalp massage encourages hair thickness and hair growth. Scalp massage has the effect of stretching the cells and connective tissue surrounding the root of hair which stimulates the follicles to produce thicker hair. It also helps to dilate blood vessels beneath the skin, thereby encouraging hair growth.

Here is how you can give yourself an effective and easy scalp massage on wet or dry hair:

1. Use the fingertips of both hands to apply a bit of pressure to your scalp, moving in small circles.
2. Work your way across your scalp to cover all areas.
3. Do this for at least 5 minutes at a time, several times a day.

Whilst there are many natural ways to improve hair growth, many of us are guilty of making some surprisingly common hair mistakes; mistakes that could be compounding the problem of hair loss and leaving your hair weak, brittle and susceptible to falling out. Changing your habits could be the key to unlocking gorgeous, glowing locks.

Washing your hair too frequently can strip your hair of its natural oils, meaning that your hair is no longer protected against the environment. Secondary oils are produced by your scalp to make up for the loss. These secondary oils not only make your hair look greasy but they enlarge the follicles too, making it easier for hair to fall out. When first increasing the time between washes, your hair may appear dirty quickly but your scalp will soon adapt to your new schedule and, as time goes on, your hair won’t require washing nearly so frequently.

Ideally you will not use any shampoo as the sulfates they contain damage your hair in the long run. Ideally you will wash your hair with only water but if this sounds too gross for you, you can try to start by avoiding shampoo once in a while using a variety of natural methods such as apple cider vinegar (watered down), baking soda, lemon juice or any other natural options that have a low pH and help the scalp and hair back into balance. Alternating your shampoos with dry washes using dry shampoos or natural flours such as light rye flour or wheat flour are also great ways to improve your hair and scalp.

Whilst you can condition your hair every time you wash it, you should not be covering all of your hair with conditioner. You should be applying a small, coin-sized, piece to the ends of your hair only. Never should the top half of your hair see conditioner - this will only lead to greasy hair and a clogged scalp.

Shampoo, on the other hand, should be applied only to the top half of the hair, as it is drying by virtue of its role in stripping the hair of grease and dirt. Following this rule of thumb will prevent the top (younger) half of your hair from getting greasy, and will protect the bottom (older) half of your hair from unnecessary drying and breakage.

In the past couple of years, the trend of co-washing (short for “conditioner-washing”) has become very popular, especially to care for afro or dry and curly hair. A great alternative to shampoo that keeps your hair and scalp hydrated and shiny. Use an organic version and your hair will really feel the benefits.

Repeatedly tugging at your hair can encourage excess oil production, split ends and hair loss.

Over-brushing your hair can cause lasting damage. The friction and pull of repeatedly running a hairbrush through your locks can result in split ends. Over-brushing can encourage excess oil production and make the hair appear greasy as it stimulates the hair follicles to produce oil.

The best thing to do is to use a wide-toothed comb to minimise the surface impact of each stroke, and to gently run your fingers through your hair before brushing to release any knots. Also do not brush your hair when it's wet because that's when it's at its weakest and becomes vulnerable to breakage, split ends and damage.

Always remember to comb the ends before combing the top as this can help to reduce breakage further. It's also less painful when your hair is particularly knotty.

You’ve seen those hair strands in the plughole after having a shower, right? Well, hot water aggressively stimulates and opens up the hair follicles, making it easier for your hair to fall out. Very hot water can also destroy your hair’s natural oils and keratin, stripping your hair of its protective layer and leaving it lacking shine, and looking flat and dull.

On the other hand, hot devices like hair dryers, straighteners, and curling irons have temperatures that can reach very high temperatures of up to 400°F. Exposure to high heat changes the shape of your hair’s keratin strands which eventually leads to weaker hair that has lost its elasticity and become more prone to damage. Your hair is made up of fats (4%), oils, and pigments, water, and keratin proteins (79%). When heat is applied, the natural oils are stripped from your hair, and the water molecules evaporate, the hair becomes highly porous inducing a loss of moisture that can be irreversible.

Similarly, refrain from using permanent hair dyes which generally contain ammonia, an alkali that is used to increase the pH level of your hair. Ammonia damages your hair cortex and makes the hair rough and weak due to loss of tensile strength. It also triggers more greying as the cuticle is no longer fit enough to hold the melanin.

Vitamins D3, C, B and E, as well as omega-3 fatty acids, biotin, selenium, iron and zinc make up the essential building blocks of long, luscious locks. In addition, upping your intake of anti-inflammatory foods can help to mitigate stress and the toll stress takes on the health of your hair.

Include more of these foods in your diet to prevent hair loss naturally:

• Eggs - eggs are a great source of both high-quality protein and biotin, both of which keep your hair strong and resistant to breakage.
• Brazil nuts - just one brazil nut contains your entire recommended daily intake of selenium. Selenium is a trace mineral that is essential for the regulation of the thyroid hormones that promote healthy hair.
• Oily fish - salmon, anchovies, sardines and mackerel are excellent sources of omega-3 fatty acids which are heavily implicated in healthy hair growth. Oily fish are also a great source of protein, and contain a certain amount of selenium and vitamin D3 too.
• Leafy greens - leafy greens, and in particular spinach, contain a whole host of vitamins and minerals fundamental to hair growth, including iron, folate, vitamin A and vitamin C. A deficiency in any one of these nutrients may contribute to hair loss.
• Sweet potatoes - sweet potatoes are a delicious source of beta-carotene which the body converts into vitamin A. Vitamin A is linked to good hair health and, what’s more, it helps to speed up the rate of hair regrowth at the same time as protecting and preventing the regression of other hair follicles.

Many of us tend to take popular supplements such as collagen, keratin or biotin, however, following years of research we have found out at LYMA that most of those supplements are not absorbed by the body and/or are not provided with the necessary daily dosage for them to have any impactful results. The LYMA Supplement contains two potent ingredients that have been specifically formulated to boost the health of your hair so that you can re-find your balance, knowing that you look and feel your best.

Cynatine® HNS

Keratin has already been mentioned as being an important building block in the quest for long and strong hair. Keratin is an amino acid and is responsible for maintaining the integrity of your hair from follicle to tip. Keratin is fundamentally important to both hair growth and structure.

Cynatine® HNS is a superior, highly bioavailable, active strain of keratin. The unique advantage of Cynatine® HNS is that it is the world’s first solubilised keratin, allowing for enhanced absorption and thus superior resilience and shine when it comes to your hair.

In a randomised, double blind, placebo controlled clinical trial into the hair-health benefits of Cynatine® HNS, 65% of people reported faster growth, thicker-looking and more glossy hair, and improved hair structure.

Lycored Lycopene™

Without collagen, the body cannot manufacture keratin, which is why LYMA also contains Lycored Lycopene™. Lycored Lycopene™ encourages the body’s natural production of collagen, and crucially inhibits collagenases - the enzymatic breakdown of the body’s collagen that occurs naturally as you age.

Chronic stress can impede your body's innate ability to fend off hair-destroying environmental toxins, and Lycored Lycopene™ can help you to rebuild your defences. Lycored Lycopene™ is a powerful antioxidant with free-radical fighting and health-restoring potential for your entire body. The benefits associated with Lycored Lycopene™ are in no way limited to hair.

Unlike collagen, the body is unable to manufacture lycopene itself, so taking a supplement is vital if you want to restore your hair to its former glory. Lycored Lycopene™ as formulated at 30mg in LYMA is a powerful, technology-enhanced natural carotenoid, and is the most potent strain of lycopene available.

LYMA also contains several other ingredients that work to prevent stress-related hair loss. The LYMA formula gets straight to the heart of the underlying stress with natural mood booster affron® as well as stress-busting adaptogenic Sensoril® Ashwagandha.

Saffron (affron®)

Six independent, peer-reviewed studies have concluded that affron® has a natural antidepressant effect. It has been suggested that saffron extract may be just as effective as prescription antidepressant medications when it comes to treating acute stress. Researchers also confirmed recently that Saffron controls the expression of genes encoding the pro-inflammatory cytokines, enzymes, adhesion molecule, chemokines and some of the proteins that play important roles in controlling most inflammatory processes in immune system. The antioxidants in saffron have been shown to help prevent hair loss as it repairs hair follicles and promotes hair growth.

Ashwagandha (Sensoril®)

Likewise, ashwagandha has been used in Ayurvedic medicine for three millennia to help relieve stress, anxiety and depression. Sensoril® Ashwagandha is a full spectrum, root extracted form of the herb in its most bioavailable form and it has been formulated in LYMA at a clinically-backed daily dose of 250mg. Ashwagandha works by blocking the neural pathways in the brain responsible for emitting stress signals.

Turmeric (HydroCurc®)

Turmeric or rather curcumin, the naturally occurring carotenoid within turmeric's roots, is effective to protect the scalp from external stressors. Indeed, its well-known antioxidant properties help to reduce the oxidative stress caused by free radicals which, in turn, promote hair growth. Furthermore, thanks to its ability to balance hormone levels in the body, it helps decrease the high levels of dihydrotestosterone (DHT), one of the primary factors in hormonal hair loss.

LYMA’s formula contains ingredients that are backed-up by science, all helping in their own ways to manage stress and its associated symptoms. If you’re worried about hair loss and looking for proven ways to improve your hair thickness and growth, try the LYMA Supplement. Designed to help you feel your best, realise your potential, restore your balance and unlock your inner confidence, LYMA is here to help you make your move.