Most people are aware that dehydration can make your skin look dry and lackluster. But, did you know that dehydration can have a negative effect on your hair as well?
Below, we will explain just what chronic dehydration can do to your growing strands, review if hair loss is one of the consequences of dehydration, outline the most common signs and symptoms of dehydration, and then recap just how much water you should be drinking each day.
If you are chronically dehydrated, that may mean that the blood flow to your scalp is less than ideal. Over time, this may affect how your hair follicles grow hair.
Your hair is made up of about 25% water, so in the case of a shortage, your hair strands may get short-changed a little on their share of the H2O. This may lead to your hair looking thin, brittle, dry, or even breaking off more easily than if it were hydrated.
There are not currently any studies proving that dehydration alone can be a cause of hair loss. But, if you are already experiencing the most common forms of hair loss (male pattern and female pattern hair loss), it is not a stretch to assume that adding dehydration on top of that could potentially exacerbate the situation.
So, while it is unlikely that dehydration is the cause of your hair loss, it could still be leading to your hair looking and feeling less healthy.
The most common signs and symptoms of dehydration include:
Dehydration may be more likely to occur in people with certain conditions, or when you find yourself in certain situations. Drinking lots of alcohol, being outside in high heat for a long period of time, sweating a lot during exercise, using diuretic medications, having diabetes, and experiencing vomiting or diarrhea can all increase your risk of being dehydrated.
For most people, the general rule for how much water to aim for per day is around 8 8-ounce glasses of water daily. However, this amount may change based on your size, your activity level, and any conditions or medications you are currently using. If you are not sure what a good amount of daily water intake is best for you, talk to your doctor to see if you need to vary from the general 8 by 8 rule.
While it is a good goal to try and keep yourself hydrated for good general overall health, it is unlikely that dehydration is the cause of hair loss.
Most forms of hair loss occur due to a genetic predisposition to hair loss, also known as androgenetic alopecia (male pattern and female pattern hair loss). This form of hair loss tends to respond to medications that help stimulate blood flow to the scalp like Minoxidil, and medications that help to reduce DHT in the body like Finasteride. DHT is a hormone derived from testosterone that can lead to hair follicle miniaturization in those that are sensitive to it.
At Strut, we try to make it simple to get prescription hair loss treatments from licensed doctors and pharmacies, all from the comfort of your own home.
If you are dealing with hair loss and want to see if a prescription medication is a good fit for you, simply select a hair loss product, and complete a free online questionnaire and image-based telemedicine consultation in under 15 minutes. If our doctors determine that the medication is appropriate for you, your treatment will be put together at a compounding pharmacy and shipped to you with our free shipping.
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