It’s normal for humans to lose a few dozen hairs each day, as each hair’s growth phase usually lasts about 2 to 4 years. However, during the fall and winter months, the scalp’s sebum production is lower due to dry conditions and cooler temperatures. This can cause hair loss, especially for people with weak spleen/stomach function.
What can we do to prevent hair loss? Eating these three foods can help protect your hair:
1. Seafood: Salmon, tuna, and other types of fish that live in saltwater contain omega-3 fatty acids, which provide necessary nutrients to nourish hair and prevent dryness, cracking, and even loss. Walnuts and other nuts also contain these beneficial fats.
2. Green Vegetables: Spinach and other green vegetables are high in vitamins, minerals, and various plant antioxidants, providing comprehensive nutrition for hair growth and effectively preventing hair loss.
3. Carrots: Carrots contain β-carotene, a powerful antioxidant that turns into vitamin A in the body and plays an important role in developing scalp cell tissue. Lack of vitamin A can affect scalp health and thin hair. Other orange-yellow foods are also rich in β-carotene, such as pumpkins, oranges, and goji berries.
Moreover, Chinese traditional medicine recommends the Five-step Head Massage Method to prevent hair loss:
1. Rubbing the Forehead: Use your thumbs or palms to rub gently over the skin on the forehead above both eyebrows, then use both hands to move outward to the temples, and back to the middle of the forehead. Alternate hands rhythmically for about 10 times with moderate force to avoid excessive pressure on the forehead skin.
2. Combing and Massaging the Top of the Head: Place both hands on opposite sides of your head and comb your hair from the hairline at the front to the back of your head for about 20 times with a slight pressure. Then, place your thumbs on both sides of your forehead and the four fingers slightly apart on the top of the head to apply moderate pressure, massaging from the top to the bottom and back to the top for roughly 10 times. Finally, use your middle or index finger to press and rotate the Baihui acupoint at the top of the head for approximately 10 times.
3. Tapping and Rubbing the Scalp: Bend your 10 fingers slightly and tap your head for about 10 times, then use your fingers to grab your hair and make the same combing motion from front to back 10 more times. You can also use a comb instead of your fingers.
4. Facial Dry Rub: Use your fingers or palm to massage your face back-and-forth from your eyebrows to your chin. If you want to achieve a beauty effect, lift and massage gently from bottom to top. The massage motion should be gentle, rhythmic without suddenly changing the speed.
5. Lightly Patting Your Face: Finally, pat your face gently with both hands, alternately up and down with moderate strength using wrist power rather than arm power.
Note: This article has been rewritten to align with the reading habits of Western countries.
