Sweat And Hair Loss: Does Sweating Really Cause Hair Loss?

Sweating is a natural phenomenon. Though, it can sometimes lead to unwanted situations like hair loss. If you live in a tropical climate or work out a lot, then you must have experienced excessive sweating on your scalp as well. As surprising as it might sound, scalp sweating hair loss is a real thing, which can be harmful for health and nourishment of your hair. This makes a lot of people wonder, does sweating cause hair loss? There are numerous reasons behind it and one needs to understand the effect of sweat on hair to unravel this problem.

Reasons For Sweat on Hair

In order to understand how sweat causes hair loss, it is important to first understand the reasons for excessive sweating. Ideally, the following factors can trigger excessive scalp sweating and hair loss.

• The most common reason for sweating is working out. When we perform any physically demanding exercise, our body temperature increases. In order to regulate it, we release sweat through all the eccrine glands spread across our body (including the scalp)
• Temperature is also a big factor behind sweating. Majorly in the summers, we sweat more because the surrounding temperature is high and our body needs to cool naturally
• Sometimes, even a sleeping posture can trigger sweating as well. If you wonder why does my hair sweat when I sleep, then you need to monitor your postures. When we sleep on one side for a longer duration or cover our hair, then it can increase our body temperature as well
• Hormones can also have a direct impact on the way we sweat. Some people just sweat more than others. Pregnancy or a drastic lifestyle change can often increase perspiration in our body
• A medical condition like diabetes or thyroid imbalance can also be a reason behind hair sweating problem. It can also be a side effect of a medicine as well
• Last, but most importantly – tension, stress and anxiety could be some major triggers for sweating and are certainly not good for our body as a whole.

Also Read: Hair Loss Treatment

How Does Sweat Cause Hair Loss?

Even though perspiration is a natural phenomenon, it can lead to hair thinning and hair loss. In order to further understand how can sweat cause hair loss, consider the following factors-

• One of the major triggers related to sweat hair loss is lactic acid, which is naturally present in our perspiration. If accumulated on the scalp for a long duration, it can cause inflammation and damage the natural texture of our hair
• The combination of sweat and sebum on our scalp can also block our hair pores, which can further boost hair loss
• You must have experienced irritation and itchiness on the scalp after excessive sweating. Needless to say, the more we scratch our scalp, more hair we might end up losing
• When the amount of perspiration is high through the sweat glands present on the scalp, it leads to their dehydration. This can be a direct effect of sweat on hair
• The most important factor that answers sweat and hair loss relation, is the presence of DHT. DHT (Dihydrotestosterone) is an active form of testosterone, which is mostly found in post-workout sweat. It has been observed that DHT can bind with our hair follicles and prevent them from growing naturally. This can further contribute to male pattern baldness as well.

Can Sweat Damage Your Hair?

By now you must have guessed that hair sweating problem is quite complex. Apart from causing hair loss, excessive sweating on the scalp can even damage our hair quality as well.

• The lactic acid present in our sweat can bind with keratin (protein) that is already present in our hair follicles. This can take away the natural lustre and strength of our hair.
• If you have a flaky scalp, then the sweat can mix with it and make your scalp moist. This can block your hair follicles from getting the essential nutrients for hair growth.
• The accumulation of sweat on the scalp can be unhygienic as well. It can get mixed with bacteria on the scalp and might develop into a fungal or bacterial infection.
• The inflammation on the scalp due to the presence of lactic acid can restrict the supply of blood to the scalp and affect the quality of hair. As lactic acid accumulates on the scalp it also makes the hair brittle and weak

Also Read: What Are The Causes Of Hair Loss In Men & Women

 How to Control Sweat In Hair?

Now when you know how does sweating cause hair loss, you can easily understand how to control sweat in hair as well. After all, it is important to know the relationship between excessive scalp sweating and hair loss to control this problem. Ideally, you can implement these suggestions to learn how to stop sweating in your hair –

• The best way to resolve the hair sweating problem is by keeping your scalp clean and hygienic. Wash your scalp after an extensive workout session and make sure it won’t accumulate sweat. Furthermore, you should shampoo your hair every alternate day to have a clean scalp
• Nourish your hair and scalp with oil every now and then. Besides shampoo, oil is the best way to keep your scalp clean from toxins and unhygienic components.
• You should also brush your hair at least once a week. This will help with the circulation of blood and would further strengthen your hair follicles.
• If you have a hair sweating problem due to hormones or a medical condition, then you can get help from a doctor as well. By taking the right medicines, you can easily regulate the formation of sweat on your body
• Try to follow a deep breathing technique while working out. This will automatically calm your body and reduce perspiration as well.

Treatment of Hair That Is Lost Due To Sweat

There are many specialized treatments that can help you regain and regrow the lost hair. While many advanced procedures help in natural regrowth of hair, one of the procedure is very popular for its sheer safety and efficacy. This is the PRP or platelet-rich plasma treatment. It is a non-surgical and almost painless and therapeutic procedure. The blood from patients own body is extracted and it is then put to double spin process (centrifuge device) to separate the good platelets and plasma from rest of the blood. Then this platelet rich solution is infused with growth rich factors thus PRP is obtained. This PRP is then injected into the problem areas of the scalp which stimulate the dormant hair follicles and help in hair re-growth and regeneration.

There are other surgical treatments like hair transplant, scalp reduction, etc. In Hair transplant, grafts from your scalp are harvested and then sewed back in the scalp to stimulate hair growth. This procedure can be little painful though.

Also Read: PRP Vs Other Treatments For Hair Fall – Which Is Better?

Prevention of Hair Loss Through Sweating

In order to prevent hair loss due to sweat, you can additionally follow these expert tips –

• Undergo a steam therapy for your scalp. This will let you get rid of dirt, sweat accumulation, and other toxins. It will clean your hair pores and make your hair follicles active as well
• Avoid making buns, ponytails, and the kind of hairstyles that can accumulate sweat and make its natural evaporation harder
• Follow breathing exercises and other practices to calm your senses. This will help you avoid sweating due to stress and anxiety. Avoid work pressure and other triggers that can cause anxiety
• If you are undergoing rapid hair loss due to sweating, then consider getting a dedicated treatment. A biotin treatment can strengthen your hair while a PRP (Platelet-rich Plasma) treatment can boost your hair growth and help you reclaim the lost hairline
• There are also some readily available drugs, serums, and creams that you can use to reduce sweating on the scalp and strengthening your follicles at the same time. You can consult expert dermato-trichologists to know more about these solutions
• Even though workout can be responsible for scalp sweating, it doesn’t mean that you should not exercise. Maintain a healthy and fit lifestyle as it will keep your scalp pores open and active. Just make sure that excessive sweat does not accumulate on your scalp.

There are different ways to get a holistic treatment for scalp suffering with sweat and hair loss. Try to follow the above-stated suggestions to keep your scalp clean and hygienic. If hair loss is a serious issue for you, then you should consult an expert. With the help of experienced cosmetic dermatologists and rigorously trained certified therapists, you can easily get lustrous hair and regain your lost hairline.