How thick your hair is partly to do with genetics, and you can’t change what you were born with. You could, however, be making your hair thinner through some of your habits and lifestyle choices. If you want to improve the health of your hair and increase its volume, then read these ten habits that could be the cause of your hair being thinner than it could be:

1. Wearing your hair too tight

Tight hairstyles, like ponytails and braids, can put excessive strain on the hair follicles and cause irreparable damage. Wear your hair down more often or loosen up your style. If you don’t, you could end up with what is known as to traction alopecia, a non-reversible loss of hair caused by tight hairstyles.

2. Taking hot showers

Turn down the temperature on your shower because too much heat will dry out the hair, make it more brittle and then it can snap. Hot showers also strip out the natural oils from your hair and that can also lead to damage and hair fall.

3. Fiddling and twiddling

Are you a nervous hair twister? Well, that will definitely lead to damage of your hair and thinning. Leave your hair alone or you might even find yourself with a few bald patches on your scalp.

4. Too much sun

It’s not just your skin that can be damaged by the UV rays of the sun; your hair is at risk too. Prolonged exposure to UV light weakens the hair, which can cause hair loss, so cover up with a hat or a scarf when you are out in the sun.

5. Not shampooing often off

Skipping the shampoo for long periods of time will also weaken the hair. If you don’t wash your hair regularly, then the build-up of product and dead skin cells can clog the follicles making it difficult for new hair to grow.

6. Excessive dieting

Crash dieting will make your hair thinner, as well as your waistline. Your hair needs nourishment and if you starve it, it will begin to fall out. In fact, one of the symptoms of anorexics is hair loss.

7. Being too rough with wet hair

When your hair is wet, it is far more fragile, so be gentle when drying your hair. Gently patting with a towel is all you need, because vigorous rubbing will break the strands of your hair and can damage the follicles.

8. Using super-hold hair products

The really strong, long lasting hair sprays and gels make hair stiff and therefore more prone to breakage. They also dry out the hair, so when you brush it out, you will also be taking out your hair. Avoid any products that make your hair really stiff or gluey.

9. Not blow drying upside down

Flip your head upside down, when you blow dry, and it will give your hair a lot more volume. Drying the regular way up can flatten the hair against your scalp and make it look a lot thinner than it really is.

10. Scratching your head

If you have an itchy scalp, then either try a shampoo with a couple of drops of tea tree oil in it or, if the itching persists, visit your doctor. Don’t, however, keep scratching your head, because that will damage the hair follicle and cause hair loss.

BDST: 1659 HRS, JAN 03, 2015