Most people will experience hair changes when travelling abroad. For instance, their soft, smooth locks might suddenly look and feel like straw, frizzy, or unloved after arriving at a destination.
Different factors can determine your hair health on and after a holiday, such as the humidity, stress levels, diet, or water chemicals. While a good quality conditioner might resolve many people’s problems, others might struggle with more serious consequences, such as hair loss.
If you have lost hair after short or long-term travel, there are various actions you can take to restore your locks. Find out what you can do for hair loss after travelling.
Identify the Cause of Your Hair Loss
The first step you must take is to identify the potential cause of your hair loss. If you noticed your hair started to thin or bald after spending a week abroad, the chances are the holiday wasn’t to blame. The cause would have had to occur three months earlier, as your hair will experience a resting period of three months before it sheds.
Possible causes for sudden hair loss may include:
- Illness, such as food poisoning
- Diet changes
- Weight loss
- A surgical procedure
- Emotional stress
- Stopping an oral contraceptive
If any of the above apply to you, it’s possible they may be a cause for your sudden hair loss. In many cases, your hair may restore itself once your stress levels are lower, your hormones return to normal, or you reach a healthier weight.
Learn About Your Travel Medications
Many women choose to take oral contraceptives before short- or long-term travel. While many women will not struggle with hair loss as a side effect, the pills may cause changes to your hair and skin. In some cases, specific medications may exacerbate or trigger hair loss or thinning, which can take its toll on a woman’s self-esteem and confidence.
Once your body becomes used to the oral contraceptive, the hair loss or thinning will likely stop, and the lost locks will likely grow back. However, if your hair doesn’t return to normal, you may need to consider various hair cosmetic procedures from hshairclinic.co.uk, such as a hair transplant or hair loss medication.
Counteract Travel-Related Stress
Travelling to one or more corners of the world can feel stressful, especially if you’ve experienced trauma, endured many flight delays, or suffered anxiety at a destination. When you feel stressed, your body will produce extra hormones to make it easier to cope, and the hormonal changes can cause hair loss.
Your hair is unlikely to fall out right away following travel-related stress, but you might experience its impact up to three months later. If you don’t have an underlying cause for your hair loss, stress may be the likely culprit, but it will likely grow back with time and patience.
In the meantime, you can protect your hair by finding ways to lower your stress levels, taking hair loss medication, and restoring your confidence and appearance temporarily by wearing a wig.
