How to Prevent Hair Loss: 30-Day Expert Plan for Stronger Hair in 2025

Millions of men and women worldwide suffer from hair loss. Losing 50-100 hairs per day is normal; however, losing excessive amounts of hair can be both distressing and an indication of underlying health issues. 

The good news is that in many scenarios, hair loss can be reversed. In this guide, we will simplify some of the common causes of hair loss and the best strategies backed by research to restore your tresses. 

What Are the Main Causes of Hair Loss?

There are both temporary and permanent causes of hair loss. A few common ones have been listed below: 

Genetics

Androgenetic alopecia, also known as male or female pattern baldness, is the most common cause of hair loss in both men and women. It occurs slowly and in a typical pattern, which differs between genders. 

Hormonal changes

A change in hormone levels, such as those seen during pregnancy, menopause, thyroid disorders and other medical conditions, can disrupt the natural hair growth process, leading to temporary or permanent hair loss. 

Stress

Severe stress (emotional or physical), both psychologically and physically, can shock hair follicles into entering their resting phase early, resulting in marked shedding a few months later. This can gradually resolve over time. 

Health problems

Conditions such as anaemia, lupus, or other autoimmune diseases can impact hair follicle health. Conditions that limit blood supply to the scalp, or cause inflammation, can make hair brittle, weak and easily damaged.

Medications

Blood thinners, chemotherapy, antidepressants, and blood pressure medications can also disrupt the hair growth cycle, leading to shedding or eventual hair loss. 

Nutritional deficiencies

A shortage in essential nutrients, such as iron, biotin, vitamin D, or protein, can make hair fragile and hinder the hair growth cycle. A poor diet can significantly impact the health of your hair.

Rigorous hair styling

When hair is constantly tightened into a ponytail, braids, buns, or subjected to chemical relaxers, dyes, or excessive heat, the hair shafts can become damaged. An example of excessive tension causing hair loss is ‘traction alopecia’.

How Do I Stop Hair Fall Naturally?

Making minor adjustments in your everyday life can help strengthen your hair and promote regrowth at a healthier pace. This is especially important in the early stages of hair thinning.

Try out the following:

Scalp massage

Spend a few minutes lightly massaging your scalp every day to increase blood flow and bring more oxygen and nutrients towards the scalp. A massage can also ease tension, reducing overall stress levels. 

Essential oils

Rosemary, peppermint, and lavender oils have been found in some studies to stimulate hair growth. They can be blended with a carrier oil (such as coconut oil or jojoba oil) and rubbed into the scalp to help reduce inflammation, soothe the scalp and promote hair growth. 

Avoid hairstyles that pull the hair

Styles that pull tightly on the scalp, such as high ponytails, tight braids, or cornrows, can put pressure over time on hair roots, leading to traction alopecia —a type of hair loss. Letting your hair down and choosing looser hairstyles can help prevent unnecessary tension on follicles.

Use mild sulfate-free shampoos

Harsh shampoos containing sulfates or parabens can have an irritating and drying effect, as well as lead to dryness, breakage, and scalp irritation. Use nourishing pH-balanced shampoos designed for sensitive or thinning hair to prevent this damage. 

Minimise heat and chemical styling

Excessive styling using flat irons, curling wands, bleaching, or relaxers can damage hair shafts over time. Where possible, avoid high-heat tools and heavily chemicalized styling products.

Control stress

In our modern and busy world, stress is a leading cause of hair loss. To balance your nervous system, healthy practices like meditation, mindfulness, yoga, therapy, and coping mechanisms can help lower stress levels.

Which Vitamins and Foods Prevent Hair Loss?

You are what you eat, and your hair is, too. A diet rich in varied vitamins and minerals allows for healthy hair growth. Be sure to obtain:

• Iron: Seafood, legumes, red meat, spinach
• Vitamin D: Sun, fatty fish, supplements
• Biotin (Vitamin B7): Eggs, nuts, seeds
• Vitamin E: Almonds, peanuts, sunflower seeds, spinach, avocado
• Vitamin C: Citrus fruits, berries, kiwis, red and green peppers, broccoli
• Omega-3 fatty acids: walnuts, flaxseeds, salmon
• Protein: To replace the protein needed for hair strength, consuming protein-rich meats and produce like tofu can help keep hair healthy and strong.

Blood tests can help you determine what vitamins and minerals you are deficient in and need to replace. Boosting these levels is a simple but very effective way to help maintain hair health.

Can Stress Cause Hair Loss and How Can It Be Managed

Yes. Stress is one of the most significant causes of hair loss, and can result in a condition known as ‘telogen effluvium’. After a period of considerable stress, hair follicles prematurely enter the resting phase of the hair growth cycle and begin to shed.

Ways to help lower stress levels:

1. Mindfulness, medication and breathing exercises 
2. Regular physical exercise
3. Therapy and counselling sessions
4. Quality sleep and lowering caffeine consumption

 How Often Should I Wash My Hair to Prevent Loss?

There is no perfect routine; however, overwashing can strip the scalp of its natural oils, and underwashing can lead to buildup that clogs pores and hair follicles. Striking a balance is key to a healthy scalp.

Oily hair/scalp: Shampoo 1-2 times a week using a mild shampoo

Dry hair: Reduce washing to every 3-4 days, and condition well to moisturise hair.

Try not to use excessively hot water to wash, as it can irritate and dry out the scalp. 

The trick is to achieve a balance between cleanliness and protection.

What Are the Best Hair Care Habits to Avoid Breakage?

Hair breakage is often confused with hair loss; however, they are not the same. Breakage occurs when the hair shaft is weak and breaks, while hair loss involves the falling of hair at the roots. 

Brush with a wide-toothed comb.

When wet, hair tends to snap more easily. Gently comb through with a large-toothed comb, starting at the tips and brushing upward to remove tangles without pulling.

Avoid using a towel roughly to dry your hair

Scrubbing your hair with a towel may result in breakage and frizz. Instead, absorb moisture from your hair with a soft microfibre towel and pat dry without twisting or pulling the hair.

Use silk or satin pillowcases

These have less friction and breakage than cotton pillowcases, and aid in retaining moisture and preventing split ends. 

Regular trimming to avoid split ends

Having your hair cut every 6 to 8 weeks can help remove these damaged ends and prevent damage from spreading further up the strands. 

The easiest and most obvious way to prevent hair damage and maintain its health in the long term is to treat your hair with care, especially when it is wet or styled.

How Does Scalp Health Affect Hair Loss?

Hair starts with a healthy scalp. Hair growth can be stunted due to conditions like seborrheic dermatitis, dandruff, or clogged follicles.

To make the scalp healthier, consider the following:

• Wash with soft exfoliating scrubs or tea tree oil shampoos
• Products such as heavy oils or styling products that block pores should be avoided
• Keep yourself well hydrated to keep your skin moisturised
• Shower after workouts to prevent buildup and infection
• Consult with a dermatologist for scalp-specific therapies in case of problems

How Effective Are Treatments Like Minoxidil and Finasteride?

These well-researched hair loss medications have been FDA-approved:

Minoxidil (Regaine): a hair loss medication that is thought to improve blood circulation to hair follicles and extend the anagen (growth) phase. It is suitable for use by both men and women.

Finasteride (Propecia): A DHT-blocking hair loss medication that prevents damage by DHT (dihydrotestosterone) to hair follicles, allowing hair to grow unimpeded. 

The most successful treatment plans involve early intervention and regular use.

Is Low-Level Laser Therapy or PRP Useful?

Low-Level Laser Therapy (LLLT) involves the application of red light to the scalp to stimulate hair follicles and allow more active growth.

In contrast, Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP) involves injecting growth factors from your own blood into the scalp. These factors then work on hair follicles to stimulate growth. 

One can administer LLLT at home with laser combs and special caps. 

 PRP injections are usually carried out in a clinic, and it can take between 3 and 6 sessions to see improvements. 

These add-on treatments are most effective in conjunction with healthy habits and lifestyle changes, as well as hair loss medications. 

When Should I See a Trichologist or Dermatologist?

If in doubt about where to start or how to boost your hair growth and prevent hair loss, specialists in skin and hair health, as well as your local family physician, can be very useful sources of information.

Seek help when:

You see yourself with bald spots or parts of your hair pulling out

There is itchiness, burning, or excessive flaking of your scalp

There is a history of early hair loss in your family 

A dermatologist or a trichologist can perform scalp scans, conduct blood tests, or even prescribe advanced treatments.

Can Hair Loss Be Reversed or Regrown?

It will depend on the cause. Loss of hair may be a reversible change when caused by stress, diet, or a temporary illness, and can be modified through lifestyle changes and seeking the right treatment options.

Genetic hair loss, such as male or female baldness, unfortunately worsens over time, and requires hair loss medications as a starting point to slow this loss and potentially even stabilise your hairline.

How to Prevent Hair Loss FAQs

1. What triggers hair loss in women?
   Common causes include genetics (androgenetic alopecia),  hormonal changes (pregnancy, menopause), PCOS, thyroid disorders, and iron deficiency anaemia. 
2. Is oiling hair daily good?
   Not necessarily. Application of oil without washing may result in clogging. Apply oil 1-2 times a week, before washing your hair.
3. Can shampooing daily cause hair fall?
   It can when you use severe products. Use non-sulfated shampoos that are gentle, and avoid using hot water.
4. Do scalp massages help hair growth?
   Yes, they improve blood circulation, which can thicken the hair over time with regular use.

References

Dermatology Consultants of Frisco. (2024, August 5). 10 effective ways to prevent hair loss: Tips for healthy and strong hair. MyDermConsult. https://mydermconsult.com/2024/08/05/10-effective-ways-to-prevent-hair-loss-tips-for-healthy-and-strong-hair/

Mitchell, H. (2025, May 23). Can you prevent hair loss before it’s too late? SELF. https://www.self.com/story/can-you-prevent-hair-loss

Reszko, A., Rieder, E., & Kahn, A. (2025, June 29). The best products for thinning hair, from serums to supplements. Vogue. https://www.vogue.com/article/best-products-for-thinning-hair

Wikipedia contributors. (2025, June 16). Management of hair loss. Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Management_of_hair_loss

Yetman, D., & Watson, K. (2022, March 25). How to prevent hair loss: 22 things you can do to stop hair loss. Healthline. https://www.healthline.com/health/hair-loss-prevention

[Author unknown]. (2023). How to prevent or slow down continued hair loss. Verywell Health. https://www.verywellhealth.com/how-to-prevent-hair-loss-8408027

While male and female hair loss is nothing to be ashamed of, it’s not something that any of us particularly want to experience. Many people actively try to avoid losing their hair to avoid the need for hair loss treatment by using expensive shampoos or taking ‘miracle’ supplements, but is it really possible to prevent hair loss? The truth is that there actually are some methods that can help to keep hair strong and healthy, but whether or not these techniques can prevent or reduce hair loss ultimately depends on what’s causing the hair to fall out in the first place.

For example, some hair loss is caused by genetics. Other incidences of hair loss may be caused by illness, some by natural hormonal changes, and some by high levels of stress. These are risk factors that can’t always be avoided, making hair loss through these particular causes difficult – if not impossible – to avoid. However, hair loss can also be caused by many other factors, and it may be possible to take measures to avoid these types of loss.

Ways to avoid hair loss

The most important thing to understand is that there’s no magical rule that can guarantee you’ll keep a full, thick head of hair for your whole life. There are, however, a number of good habits that can be adopted which may help to slow down, reduce, or even prevent some types of hair loss:

Minimise traction

Sometimes, hair loss can be caused by continuous rubbing or pulling of the hair. This is known as traction alopecia. To reduce the risk of traction alopecia, avoid tying your hair back tightly, pulling the hair with a brush or styling tools, and wearing tight-fitting hats.

Stay clean

There are many substances that can clog the hair follicles, restricting hair growth. Sweat, dirt, bacteria, and chemicals in styling products such as gels and hairsprays are some of the biggest offenders. To reduce the risk of hair loss, try to keep the scalp as clean as possible.

Eat well

Although the link between diet and hair loss is the subject of much debate, studies have found that people with hair loss typically have high rates of nutritional deficiencies. Eating a healthy, varied diet could be key to hair health.

A Scalp Massage to Prevent Hair Loss

It might sound silly, but a good scalp massage may be a very effective way to avoid hair loss. Research suggests that massaging the scalp stimulates the human hair follicle dermal papilla cells that control the growth cycle, increasing the thickness of the hair.

Reversing hair loss

Of course, these tips for avoiding hair loss aren’t guarantees. If they were, we’d never have to worry about hair loss ever again! Sometimes, despite even the best efforts, hair loss can – and does – happen. But if you do experience hair loss, don’t panic. There are a few different ways to reverse the process.

Medications are one such way. Finasteride and Minoxidil may be suitable solutions, especially for younger people who may still be at risk of losing more hair in the future. For others, especially those aged 27+ and with uneven loss (thick areas, coupled with thinning parts), a FUE hair transplant could be effective. This type of transplant takes hairs from the healthier areas of the head and transplants them to the thinning areas, where the hairs continue to grow over the span of around 8-12 months.

There’s no ‘one size fits all’ when it comes to avoiding – or reversing – hair loss, so the best thing to do is to discuss your options with an expert. A good hair transplant clinic, such as The Treatment Rooms, will always be happy to work with you to determine the best course of action, and answer any questions you may have about hair loss. Get in touch with us today to find out more.