How to Prevent Hair Loss: Avoid Daily Hair Wash

A professional has advised that washing hair daily might not be beneficial for preventing hair loss for people over the age of 40.

On the 30th, Professor Kwon Oh-sang from the Department of Dermatology at Seoul National University appeared on YTN’s ‘Newsrider’ and answered “varies from person to person” to the question about the frequency of washing hair.

Professor Kwon explained, “It varies depending on personal habits and the amount of sebum on the scalp, but from the age of 40, the scalp becomes quite dry. A too dry scalp is not good (for preventing hair loss), so it’s enough to wash your hair about 3 to 4 times a week”.

Regarding the water temperature when washing hair, he recommended, “If you wash your hair with cold water, it does stimulate the hair follicles, but it’s not enough to remove sebum or grease. It’s best to use lukewarm water”.

About the effects of hair loss prevention shampoos and treatments, he explained, “Even if there are good ingredients (in them), don’t we foam it up and rinse it off right away when we wash our hair? Even if it’s a good effective ingredient, it all gets washed away. It’s better than not using it, but it’s not as effective as medication. It’s enough to use it as a supplement”.

Professor Kwon said about hair loss treatments, “Of course, drug treatment is necessary, but anything related to anti-aging helps. Things like actively doing aerobic exercise or managing your diet can help maintain youthfulness”.

He also mentioned the side effects of hair loss medication, saying, “There are side effects in about 1% of cases”, and mentioned fatigue and a decrease in sexual desire.

He also agreed with a popular belief that you should cut your hair instead of plucking it because there’s a set number of hairs that can grow from a single follicle in a lifetime.

According to the National Health Insurance Service, it is estimated that the population suffering from hair loss in Korea reaches 10 million. This is equivalent to one in five people. In terms of age, it was shown in the following order: 30s (22.6%), 40s (21.7%), 20s (20.0%), 50s (16.5%).

By. Ran Choi