Does Over-Exercising Cause Hair Loss?

Does excessive exercise cause hair loss? There is no conclusive cause-and-effect relationship between excessive exercise, particularly low-intensity exercise, and hair loss. Depending on your lifestyle, what you consider to be excessive exercise or its intensity is also a matter of opinion.

Over-exercising, often known as excessive exercise, is professionally defined by more than three to four hours daily. Even though the number of hours may seem overwhelming to some, it is a typical program for athletes or fitness aficionados.

According to studies, “stress” is the term used to describe the physical and psychological demands that are present during vigorous exercise. At least 20% to a significant number of athletes experience stress as a result of overtraining and insufficient rest. Long-term stress levels unquestionably damage the health of the hair, preventing healthy hair development and even encouraging hair loss.

The overall quantity of activity was higher in the group with hair loss than in the normal group, according to a 2017 study of 1,716 persons (1,182 normal, 534 with hair loss). (ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)

You may be well aware of the advantages of exercise for your body and health, but what about your hair? Generally speaking, if you are a normal person seeking to start your fitness regime or you have not gotten accustomed to exercising regularly yet, you may want to read on to learn how too much exercise might affect the health of your hair.

Greater Possibility of Telogen Effluvium

Telogen effluvium is the name for a typical cause of temporary hair loss due to the excessive shedding of telogen or resting hair. Excessive exercises, along with an inadequate proper nutrition to support the fitness routine might result in premature hair loss leading to Telogen Effluvium. Overexercising may ultimately put your body in a persistent state of stress that increases your risk of developing telogen effluvium.

As a result of hair shedding, people with telogen effluvium “tend to notice more hair in their brushing or the shower, a general decrease in volume and density of the hair, and ultimately frizz and flyaways when the hair regrows.

To restore hair health and reduce the likelihood of hair loss, it is crucial to keep a balanced and healthy diet in addition to your exercise routine.

Sweat from exercise causes hair loss

Contrary to common belief, excessive exercise and the resulting perspiration or sweat may cause hair loss. Since perspiration is composed of water and natural salts, it may damage your hair follicles and clog your pores over time. This is especially true when it is brought on by excessive exercise and strenuous workouts. Sweat accumulation and build-up on the scalp makes your hair cells weaker, which results in dull, dry hair that is also more prone to hair breakage.

Male pattern baldness, which causes your hair follicles to progressively shrink and diminish, is the most common cause of hair loss in men. Your hair follicles might sustain additional damage from excessive exercises, which would make balding related to hair loss more significant.

Prolonged tight hairstyles or stress levels might be the root cause of hair loss in women. To keep hair from getting in the way when exercising, many women choose to put their hair up in a tight ponytail or braid. Frequent regular workouts or exercises need you to pull your hair back more often, and this consistent long-term root straining might hasten hair loss.

To combat and prevent hair loss issues, it is crucial to constantly keep hydrated in between your workouts and exercises and, if you can wash or rinse your hair with cool water.

In the past, there used to be posters in the restroom encouraging people to wash their hair with cold water occasionally to avoid hair loss and at the same time help to conserve electricity. If you have long struggled with hair loss, you might try washing your hair with cold water at least twice a week. Subsequently, after a few months, you may notice fewer hair strands on the floor and in the hair tie. To preserve healthy hair, this method was also supplemented by the use of hair tonics.

Excessive level of stress

When regular exercise releases endorphins, which may lower your stress levels, but excessive exercise and workouts can raise your cortisol levels, which are the main stress hormones. Overexercising may eventually damage your mental health since it can cause physical and emotional anxiety, irritability and exhaustion.

Older men with high levels of cardiorespiratory fitness produce 42 percent less cortisol throughout the day than the older men who are unfit, according to 2015 research published in PLOS One.

Unquestionably, intense exercise raises cortisol levels, and long-term chronic stress may cause hair loss. Even if overtraining makes you better at the particular sport or activity, it does have some harm to your general health.

You may be wondering why certain exercise or workout routines or plans include at least one rest day each week. Rest days are meant to rejuvenate or reinvigorate your body and let your muscles have adequate time to repair any damage they may have experienced while exercising. The health of your body will suffer if you do not allow it enough time to recuperate in between workouts.

Spawns Lack of Nutrition

There is a likelihood that over-exercising may cause adequate nutrition. Frequent or intensive exercises or workouts and poor diet tend to have strong correlation. Either you are not eating enough to fuel your level of exercise, or you are purposefully dieting and reducing your food intake. Increased hair loss and poor condition of the hair shaft, such as dull and brittle hair, are often brought on by nutritional deficiencies. What foods are best to consume, then, to ensure that your body is receiving what it requires?

Increasing your protein intake after exercise or workout is very crucial. It is crucial to make sure you are receiving enough vitamins and minerals to maintain the healthy level of your body and hair. A balanced diet is the greatest method to ensure that you are getting enough of them, although supplements are also widely accessible. Make sure to drink lots of water both during and after your exercise since dehydration may also result in hair loss.

Does over exercise have any good benefits on hair?

Performing more exercise than necessarily has some benefits, but they are few and far between. Exercise advantages include lowering stress levels, decreasing scalp inflammation, and boosting blood flow to the hair follicles. However, overexercising tends to do more harm than good. A crucial component of healthy hair is exercise. Regular exercise will increase blood circulation, bringing vital nutrients and blood flow to the scalp and hair follicles while lowering the risk of chronic diseases that can stunt the healthy growth of hair. Moderate exercise boosts our mood and lowers stress, which not only lowers the chance of stress-related hair loss (telogen effluvium) but also improves our self-esteem. However, over-exercise is more likely to have a negative outcome, thus it is important to maintain balance and moderation is the key.

How can you prevent the harm that over-exercise causes?

So, do you still want to continue exercising or working out regularly? Sure, why would you not? Protein is crucial for preventing injuries and fatigue from occurring during long, vigorous or strenuous exercises. Your hair will also benefit from this. Consuming enough amounts of carbohydrates, protein, and good fats all benefits hair health. You must moderate all of your workouts in addition to keeping an eye on your diet. The greatest strategy to counteract all the negative consequences is to decrease the intensity and length of exercise to avoid overexercising. Please contact your healthcare physician as soon as possible if you suspect that you may be exercising excessively on a long term basis, particularly if you are experiencing obsessive or unfavorable thoughts about dietary restrictions or exercise.

Conclusion

Even while excessive exercise may cause hair loss, moderate exercise along with a healthy diet and nutrition can help to promote hair growth!

Regular exercise promotes blood circulation throughout the body, including the hair, and supplies vital nutrients to the scalp and hair follicles, making it a crucial factor in maintaining healthy hair. Regular exercise and workout may also assist you in reducing stress, which lowers your likelihood of developing hair loss disorders and problems.

That said, excessive exercise can harm your hair and the body’s overall health, just as it can when exercises are not done in moderation or your body is not given enough time to rest. Excessive exercise can also harm your mental health, which is directly linked to cases of hair loss.

To maintain your hair growing and healthy, practice moderation in all you do in order to achieve a good balance.