My hair was falling out so bad I had bald patches – the viral hack you need to avoid & the £15 buy that fixed it quickly
WAKING up one day, Sofia Daley ran her fingers through her hair, horrified, she noticed bald patches and thinning across her scalp.
At the age of 21, Sofia was waking up to less and less hair until one day she noticed bald patches along her scalp.
Confused and scared, Sofia who was at university at the time had no idea what was going on and was startled as there were no indications of hair loss such as having clumps of hair falling out.
Speaking to Fabulous, she said: "Every day I'd wake up and it was like a little bit thinner and a little bit thinner. To the point where it does sort of become overwhelming.
"I distanced myself from a lot of my friends at the time."
A few months later Sofia managed to get a dermatologist appointment and was diagnosed with androgenic alopecia.
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Androgenic alopecia is often found in mature women with one in three affected by it and can often be linked to genetics.
The ageing process can cause changes in the levels of androgens (hormones that can stimulate male features) causing hair loss.
The hormone in question? DHT - dehydrated testosterone.
However, for Sofia, who is now 24, it started much earlier and a lot more aggressively.
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"I went to see a dermatologist who yeah was not very optimistic about me being able to grow back My hair so it was a little bit demotivating," Sofia says.
After the diagnosis, Sofia spent two years researching treatments to get her hair to grow back and stop falling out.
She explains that while there are treatments for it, there is no cure and you need to use treatments forever.
After years of trying products Sofia has finally managed to get her hair back to being luscious and thick and now she shares the must-have products that helped, and the ones to avoid.
Pumped Up
According to Sofia, hair growth is stimulated by blood circulation -so you need to focus on treatments that do that.
Sofia, who is training to be a trichologist because of her own experience, says: "One of the key problems with hair loss is that the follicles don't receive enough blood, as blood carries oxygen and nutrients to the hair follicle.
"Medications like minoxidil, which is an over-the-counter basically acts as a vasodilator, It takes more blood flow to your scalp."
Sofia says it's a treatment that can't be stopped but it's the one that's made the most difference.
She rubs the product into her scalp every single night before going to sleep.
You can purchase for just £14.85 from Amazon.
Hairstyles that are kind to your locks
- Loose Braids: Opt for loose, soft braids rather than tight ones to minimise tension on the scalp and reduce breakage.
- Low Ponytail: A low ponytail is less stressful on your hair compared to high, tight ponytails. Use a fabric-covered hair tie to avoid snagging.
- Messy Bun: A relaxed, messy bun can be both stylish and kind to your hair. Avoid pulling your hair too tightly and use gentle hair ties.
- Soft Waves: Embrace your natural texture or use heatless methods to create soft waves, reducing the need for damaging heat styling tools.
- Half-Up, Half-Down: This style keeps some hair pulled back while leaving the rest down, reducing the strain on your scalp.
- Headbands and Scarves: Using headbands or scarves can keep hair out of your face without causing damage, and they can be quite fashionable.
- Loose Plaits for Sleeping: Before bed, loosely plait your hair to prevent tangles and breakage overnight.
Down In One
As well as topical treatments, Sofia highly recommends oral supplements to aid blood circulation and block the male hormone DHT.
She says: "Blocking the conversion of testosterone to dehydrate testosterone is very important to stopping the hair loss."
DHT attaches to the hair follicles and blocks blood supply and in turn, blocks the hair from growing.
Sofia said there were many natural supplements that can prevent this.
Some of the ones she takes include; Pumpkin Seed oil, Saw Palmetto, Stinging Nettle Root, and Green Tea extract.
Wash Off
Another topical treatment you can use is caffeine tonics, says Sofia.
Caffeine which is known to increase blood flow helps constrict the blood vessels and then dilates them so it rushes to the scalp.
You can use a tonic on wet or dry hair, it's best used every day without rinsing it out.
can be bought for just £10.99 from Boots.
While this can give your hair a boost, Sofia warns this won't be enough for those with diagnoses of alopecia.
What To Avoid
The search for 'hair loss' on TikTok is staggering with over 494 million videos with the hashtag.
And one product that constantly comes up in advice videos is Rosemary oil.
However, Sofia says its unlikely to give you good results.
She said: "If you're just using rosemary oil, you're probably not gonna see a difference.
"It's not going to help someone with a hair loss condition because they need a more potent treatment.
"Now for someone that doesn't have any kind of hair loss condition Then I wouldn't say that using rosemary oil is a bad idea."
A Force For Good
Sofia, who began sharing her hair loss journey on TikTok says social media has been a force of good for her and her followers.
She's had plenty of people reach out to her from 15-year-old boys to women in their 50s asking for advice and thanking her for being so open.
"It can feel like it's your fault that this is happening," she adds.
" Like, 'What have I done wrong?' 'What am I eating wrong?' Or you know, 'Am I too stressed?'
"But at the end of the day, it's really out of your control if you're losing your hair.
"In most cases, it's not something that you can suddenly switch back. It's gonna take a while and effort and it's not something that you can control in any way."
Sofia adds: "A lot of social media pages get a lot of hate and Mine is just doesn't get any.
"It's just people supporting each other giving advice.
"People have long conversations in my comments about what they've been through and how their hair loss is affecting them.
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"The amount of support and positivity amongst the community is really impressive."
Talking of her own journey, Sofia says: "I feel much more liberated now that people know and it's not a big deal. Yes I've grown my hair back. But if I lost it again, I feel like it would be okay."