Can Dehydration Cause Hair Loss? If So, How Can it be Reversed?

Water plays a main role in improving our health and well-being because it helps our body and organs to stay hydrated and function well. But still, most of us don’t drink enough water, as we forget during our busy daily life schedules. However, make sure to have adequate water daily. If you don’t have sufficient water, it can lead to dehydration that harms your skin, nails, body organs, and even hair.

Dehydration affects the human body depressingly. Besides being the key element to our overall wellness, our hair and skin health are greatly associated with water intake. After all, water hydrates the entire body to ensure all the body parts, including hair, are in good condition.

Wondering how dehydration impacts hair? Due to the lack of adequate water in the body, hair tends to become frizzy, dry & brittle, and form split ends. Hence, it causes breakage while hampering further growth.

Today, we discuss how water impacts overall hair health and how dehydration triggers hair loss.

Why Staying Hydrated Matters?

On average, healthy adults require around 2 to 4 litres of water per day. However, it depends on various factors, such as the climate you reside in, your gender, physical activities, and others.

Water is vital to keep your skin and hair healthy, so you need to stay hydrated day in and day out. It lubricates the body when you drink adequate water while rejuvenating hair follicles. It also stimulates natural hair growth leading to healthy hair. Hence, hydration plays a key role in maintaining the lustre & health of your hair.

Sixty percent of the human body is made up of water, so you need to keep it well-hydrated to maintain the good health of every body part. A well-hydrated body also jeopardises the health of human hair, which is known to absorb around 13% of water.

Dehydration and Hair Loss – How Are They Related?

Wondering if dehydration and hair loss are related? Well, the short answer is - Yes. It does so in a very passive way compared to common hair loss due to stress and genetics.

Water is vital to hydrate the human body while regulating the circulatory system and lubricating hair follicles. This further stimulates overall hair growth. After all, water plays the main role in providing necessary minerals and nutrients to the hair.

If there is an improper supply of water to hair follicles, it may result in hair getting dull, brittle, lifeless, dry, and easy to break. That’s how dehydration is one of the major side effects of hair loss.

Dehydration for a short period does not have significant consequences. It happens when the body tries to regulate water to keep the body healthy. But if water intake is not sufficient, hair will likely become dull, dry, and lead to breakage. But if it’s on low liquid resources, your hair’s physical appeal and overall integrity have to deal with unfortunate collateral damage.

So, it proves that dehydration causes hair loss. It may occur either due to breakage from hair roots, through breakage due to follicle dryness, or as blood circulation slows down. Eventually, these conditions impact the hair integrity while leading to hair loss.

How to Recognise the Signs of Dehydration?

Dehydration may develop due to urination, sweating, illnesses, diarrhoea, or vomiting. Some simple things like forgetting to drink water are also present in the common causes of dehydration.

Some common signs of dehydration are:

1. Xerostomia (dry mouth)
2. Dizziness
3. Tiredness and fatigue
4. Intense feelings of thirst
5. Dry skin
6. Infrequent urination
7. Dark-colored urine
8. Excessive sweating

If you are severely dehydrated, you will likely experience a rapid heartbeat, confusion, lack of urination, or excessive sweating. Severe dehydration also affects blood supply and oxygen supply to your organs, potentially leading to shock.

Extreme dehydration is also life-threatening. And in this case, you may require emergency medical help as soon as you develop symptoms of severe dehydration.

Preventing and Treating Hair Loss from Dehydration

The key to hydration is not a secret anymore. You have to drink adequate water all day long.

If possible, follow the 8x8 rule or simply have eight glasses of water every day. It is a good target for many people. But if you live in a humid or hot region, you need to consume more water.

As per the Institute of Medicine (IOM), you have to maintain a total daily water intake of around 3.7 litres in the case of men and around 2.7 litres of water for women. You can make a few simple changes in your lifestyle to make things easier while keeping your hair, body, and skin well hydrated.

Enlisted below are a few important tips to follow to stay well-hydrated:

1. Carry a drink when you are out: One simple way to boost your water intake is always to carry a water bottle wherever you go outside. Fill it before leaving your house in the morning, and keep sipping water whenever you start experiencing some mild signs of dehydration.

2. Prefer Water Over Sugary Beverages: Fruit juices, soda, and other sugary drinks will keep you well hydrated. However, these are often packed with sugars that affect your overall well-being. It also contributes to excessive weight gain. Whenever possible, you need to pick water over other sugary drinks. Not only does it help you consume fewer calories, but it also helps you save money whenever dining out.

3. Have More Water Whenever You Consume Anything: One simple way to keep your body hydrated is to drink adequate water with meals. You should have at least a glass of water when you have food.

4. Drink Enough Water to Regain Hydration Lost Due to Illnesses: If you are experiencing diarrhoea or vomiting, you are likely to lose more water from your body than normal. Thus, you need to drink ample water to keep your body hydrated. You can consume some oral rehydration solutions that include electrolytes and other ingredients that help improve the hydration level in your body. According to research, these solutions effectively prevent and treat dehydration due to diarrhoea & vomiting.

5. Have Fruits and Vegetables With a Higher Amount of Water: Eat enough fruits and vegetables, such as watermelon, muskmelon, grapes, oranges, peaches, strawberries, and tomato, which are rich in water content to keep your body & skin happy.

6. Use Bottles with Measurers or Markings on Them: You need to keep a specific target for water intake to meet the desired hydration goals. Ensure to use bottles with markings on them. You may calculate the markings every time you drink water. It is helpful for you to keep track of your water intake every day.

7. Use Health/Fitness Apps: It is quite challenging to keep proper track of water intake every day. However, with today’s modern technology, it’s become easier to keep track of our health and water intake with fitness apps and devices. You can consider installing a health/fitness app on your Smartphone to monitor your water intake. It will measure it every time you consume water. Meanwhile, it will send you timely alerts or reminders to have water frequently.

Treating Hair Loss from Dehydration

Seeking treatment for hair loss due to dehydration? You can prevent it by following a proper hair care routine while picking the right products as per your hair type.

You can look for a shampoo and conditioner with coconut extracts for hair with low porosity. Such products include coconut milk extracts that are vital nutrients for hydrating hair follicles and hair strands. It helps in sealing split ends resulting from a lack of internal moisture.

Your hair remains protected from frizziness while restoring its natural shine and bounce with proper nourishment. For hair with medium porosity, a small amount of hair oil is needed to regulate the moisture level of hair follicles. Whether you pick onion-based hair oil or multipurpose castor oil, you will make the most of the natural nourishment with its cold-pressed formula. These oils strengthen your hair strands and follicles while maintaining optimal hydration levels. Meanwhile, it prevents excessive moisture in the hair.

For hair with high porosity, use Moroccan argan oil products for beautiful shiny locks. These products are likely to improve overall scalp health while nourishing hair with multiple vitamins. Hence, it helps boost hair growth to a great extent. Since it also helps seal moisture within the hair follicles, it reduces the chance of split ends and hair breakage.

Besides all these products, consult a professional Hair Specialist to prescribe you the best hair care products for restoring your hair’s moisture levels.

Conclusion

The overall health of hair, skin, and nails depends mainly on your body's hydration level. The optimum rule is to drink at least eight glasses every day. But you need more than that according to your activity level and body weight. If you often feel thirsty, you are experiencing dehydration already. So, before it gets worse, ensure that you follow healthy practices to restore your body's hydration levels. Follow the hair treatment for hair loss or consult a hair specialist to improve your hair hydration level.