Over time have you noticed the amount of hair going down the drain or ending up on your floor increasing? That might be because of increased hair loss. Hair loss can occur for a number of reasons like increased stress, rapid weight loss, grief, menopause, or even because of the lack of nutrients going into your hair.
Hair loss isn’t fun, there are ways to help your body mitigate it. But first, let’s understand why you might be experiencing hair loss in the first place.
What Leads to Hair Loss?
There are a number of reasons why you might be losing your hair. It might be hereditary, hormonal, nutritional, due to medical reasons, or because of stress. Some of the reasons like hereditary hair loss or anything medically related, so we recommend you consult your doctor before adding supplements or medications to your routines. When it comes to stress and nutrition, we got you covered.
Here at Copina Co. we don’t believe beauty is as easy as slathering on the world’s best serums. We believe it starts from within. That means we understand that our skin, hair, and nails are greatly affected by what we put into our bodies and also by the amount of stress our bodies are under. If you are experiencing heightened amounts of stress or lack of sleep, this could be the reason behind your sudden increased hair loss.
It is important to find the root cause of your hair loss to also understand ways you can support it. If you have had a sudden loss, are under extreme stress at work or school, or find yourself barely sleeping – this all can contribute to your hair loss. You’ll want to help heal your hair loss by helping manage your stress and health too, but we have a few other things that might help support you during this process too.
How Can I Help Fight Hair Loss?
A few ways you can help fight hair loss are focusing on the basics: sleep, managing stress, diet, and supplements. We will get into the supplements later, but let’s talk about sleep, stress, and diet.
As your stress levels increase, so do your cortisol levels. This can be connected to any type of hair loss.* Cortisol levels affect the sugars in your blood which can affect functions in your body. issues. Having high cortisol levels for extended amounts of time can affect your body’s health due to the ongoing stress it puts on the body.
Making an effort to try and implement a good sleep hygiene schedule and make your diet full of nutrient-dense foods can also help regulate cortisol levels and hair loss*. Nutritionally, there are two focuses that should be prioritized to support our health - whether we are in a high or low-stress period. A purposeful focus on having nutrients and foods that are both anti-inflammatory and antioxidant is key. The human body requires a certain amount of inflammation in order to protect us from illness, viruses, and any unknown threat outside of our bodies.
The symptoms that are most commonly experienced when we have a cold are our bodies' inflammatory responses being used to help our bodies eradicate the virus. However, when these inflammatory responses are turned on and left on for longer periods of time, they can create more harm than good. When these stressors are not addressed in a traditional setting, our bodies' next method of communication is to show physical symptoms - digestive disturbances, skin reactions, disrupted sleep patterns, headaches, and hair issues - to name a few.
Outside of managing your stress and diet, we also have a few other ways you might be able to aid your sudden hair loss. Our vegan collagen boosters not only help support your body’s natural collagen production, but they help aid your hair, skin, and nails.* When it comes to hair loss though, they have two ingredients that really shine through.
Ashwagandha + Amla Berry and Hair Loss
Ashwagandha
Ashwagandha is known as an adaptogen, which means it might help your body’s resistance to stress*. It is used as a tonic to help your body with stress and anxiety. It is also known for its powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. For us, Ashwagandha is an important part of our Cacao Calm which is our version of grown-up hot cocoa. So, how can this help my hair?
- Relieve stress-induced hair loss
As we have discussed above, stress hormones can affect your hair follicles and hair loss. Using an adaptogen like ashwagandha can help control follicle damage and hair loss by helping manage stress and anxiety effects within the body*. Ashwagandha can increase DHEA synthesis in the body which is a naturally occurring hormone in your body that is antioxidant-like. Due to this, it can aid the elimination of free radicals from your scalp and hair which supports the hair growth process*.
- Scalp and Hair nourishment + Condition
Ashwagandha is a really rich adaptogen. It contains protein, iron, vitamin C, tyrosine, and potassium which are all needed for healthy hair growth. It can also help with the delivery of nutrients due to the dilation of blood vessels which helps improve blood circulation*.
It might also help boost the formation of collagen (hence why it is in our vegan collagen boosters) through DHEA production*. By supplementing with Ashwagandha,you can help moisturize your scalp and hair while helping repair dry and brittle hair. Increased collagen and sebum can help protect your scalp and hair from further UV damage*. These benefits are part of the reason why we decided to create our Cacao Calm blend, which has Ashwagandha in it.
- Controlling scalp irritation
Ashwagandha can help promote the overall health of your hair follicles because of its anti-inflammatory properties. It can help with scalp conditions like dandruff, itchiness psoriasis, eczema, and other inflammation allergies*.
Amla Berry
Have you heard about amla berry's amazing benefits for your hair? Amla is the most revered medicinal berry of Indian origin. Spiritually, it’s said to have been the first tree to ever grow on Earth while Brahma (Indian god of creation and evolution) was meditating. Also known as Indian gooseberry, this beauty-boosting superfood fruit is round and usually a bright yellow or green in color. In a 2009 study, amla berry had the strongest antioxidant activity amongst other plants and one of the highest polyphenol and tannin content.
As for its benefits on hair health, amla is rich in vitamin C, vitamin E, vitamin A, and antioxidants. These properties can help to promote circulation to the blood vessels in the scalp which helps to enhance hair regrowth and scalp health.* Amla also has anti-inflammatory properties which can help to reduce scalp inflammation and the production of excess oil production*.
Amla Berry has amazing benefits, which is why it is an important ingredient in all of our vegan collagen boost blends. We use organic Amla Berry powder in all our flavors because of its rich history in Ayurveda and how it has been traditionally used as a general tonic both topically and internally as a coolant for heat and inflammation in the body. It also is known for its ability to increase vitality, enhance digestion, stimulate hair growth, and promote longevity.*
- Can Help Balance a flaky scalp
Vitamin C is an important building block in the internal synthesis of collagen which also means it is important for hair health. It can also help work as an agent to help clarify the scalp to remove chemical build-up, dirt, or other grime*. This helps ensure your scalp is clean which helps it absorb your hair products.
You can use physical amla oil as a scalp exfoliant if you want.
- Promotes Circulation in the Scalp
As for its benefits on hair health, amla is rich in vitamin C, vitamin E, vitamin A and antioxidants. These properties help to promote circulation to the blood vessels in the scalp. When there is active circulation in these vessels, it helps to enhance hair regrowth and scalp health. Because of its anti-inflammatory properties, it helps to reduce scalp inflammation and the production of excess oil production*. The oil from amla berries has been used as a hair tonic to help enrich hair growth and even potentially improve pigmentation.*
Other Ingredients That Help with Hair Strengthening
Another ingredient that is present in all of our Vegan Collagen Blends is Biotin. Biotin – aka vitamin B7- is an essential water-soluble B vitamin that helps fuel many intricate pathways in the body. It’s critical for our daily utilization of fats, carbohydrates, amino acids (like those found in collagen), and energy (ATP).* More than 1800mcg of biotin (D-Biotin) per serving, giving your body an added advantage in building strong and healthy nails.*
Bamboo leaf extract, which is chock full of silica, provides protection against brittle nails and premature fallout of hair.* Bamboo Leaf Extract is also present in all of our collagen boost blends. And lastly, Hyaluronic acid, which is produced naturally in our bodies. Ingesting hyaluronic acid has been shown to support collagen production, increase hydration in cells, and increase elasticity in the skin, making this vegan-derived dynamic ingredient essential for everyday consumption. *
Combining the benefits of ashwagandha and amla berry with a healthy diet, stress management, and a good sleep routine may help hair loss problems. Using our vegan collagen boosters is a good way to get both of those supplements in along with other great ingredients for healthy hair, skin, and nails. Try implementing our Cacao Calm blend in your coffee for a mocha morning stress reducer or as a nightcap hot cocoa!
Try some of these amazing recipes with our cacao calm blend to help boost your hair health and growth:
