5 Asian Habits That Saved Me From Severe Hair Loss *Super Affordable*

And fang chi located at the end of your skull, just behind your ears. I personally love love love to use a wooden comb. One of my favorite oils is actually coconut oil because have you ever looked into the mirror and wonder when did my hair get this thin? A few years ago, I was obsessed with losing weight. I thought that if I could just become skinnier, I would become confident and happy. So I did exactly what so many women do. I ate as little as possible. Someday, I would barely eat enough to fill my body. But every time the number on the scale going down, I thought I was doing something right. Until my body started telling me otherwise. One of the first things that I noticed was my hair. It wasn't just a few extra strands in the shower. My hair was like everywhere. On my pillow, in my brush, all over the bathroom floor. Every time I washed my hair, I was terrified to look at my hands because they was all covered with strands. Then my ponytail started getting thinner. My hair part became wider. I remember trying to style my hair differently just to hide how I suddenly see so much of my scalp. And around the same time, I lost my period. At first, I honestly didn't think much of it. I was so focused on becoming thinner that I convinced myself that was just part of the process. I thought, well, at least I'm losing weight. Looking back now, that was probably one of the biggest mistakes that I have made because losing your period is definitely not a good sign of you become healthier. For me, it was more like a warning sign to tell me that my body no longer feels safe. And my hair was trying to tell me the exact same thing. I wish someone had told me this earlier. Hair doesn't just grow because you use the right shampoo. It grows because your body has enough energy, it has enough nutrition and the right environment to support it. Hair is actually one of the fastest growing tissues in your body which means that it constantly needs protein, vitamins, minerals, healthy fats and energy to keep producing new strength. When your body doesn't have enough of those things, it has to make a very difficult decision of where to use its resources. I just want to say upfront that these are not miracle cures and they won't fix every type of hair loss. But if your hair has been affected by stress, under eating or burnout like mine was, I hope that my experience will give you a few ideas that might help. So let's get into the first habit. Alright, so the first tip is that you should feed your hair before you treat it. The first thing I changed actually had nothing to do with my hair. It was more about the way I was eating. My mom told me that if you want healthy hair, you need to feed it first. Growing up in an Asian family, we used to eat a lot of things that my mom called black food. Things like black sesame, black beans, black rice and dried up blueberries. In traditional Chinese medicine, these foods have been enjoyed for centuries and people traditionally believe that they support vitality including healthy hair. I also remember hearing something about hu shu hu, a very well-known traditional Chinese herb that's usually associated with hair health. What I actually started doing first for my hair was adding more whole, nutrition-rich foods to my everyday meals. Black sesame actually contains a lot of healthy fat, iron, calcium, vitamin E and antioxidants. Black beans are packed with protein, iron and folate. So did black sesame alone make my hair grow back? Probably not. But after months or years of under eating, finally giving my body enough nutrition, minerals and vitamins made a huge difference. I also stopped being afraid of protein. Every day, I made sure that I would eat enough proteins like eggs, chickens, tofu. Because I know that my hair is mostly made of protein. If your body doesn't have enough building blocks, it will have such a hard time to have healthy hair. It was definitely a combination of eating enough, eating consistently and choosing nourishing foods that actually help my body recover. Because before we're trying to spend hundreds of dollars trying to fix our hair from the outside, sometimes I think the best place to start with fixing your hair is what is on your plate. Okay, moving on to the second tip and still it's not about any magical product. It is stop pulling your hair so tight. I know sleek buns are everywhere right now. They are clean, elegant, perfect for the summer. And honestly, I love how they look too. But here's something I didn't realize. If you are pulling your hair tightly to the same exact hairstyle every single day, you are constantly putting tensions on the same hair follicles. Over time, that repeated pulling can lead into something called traction alopecia. Traction alopecia is a type of hair loss that's caused by conic tensions on your hair. It's commonly seen in people who usually wear very tight ponytails, braids, extensions, or other hairstyles that pull on the same area of the scalp. The scary part is it usually happens very slowly. At first, you might notice little baby hair breaking around your hairline. Maybe your temples start looking a little thinner because it happened gradually. A lot of people don't realize anything is wrong until they start seeing their hairline has noticeably changed. If the tension continues for years, the follicles can become permanently damaged. I think we grow much more difficult. That doesn't mean that you can never wear your favorite sleek bun again. It just means that your hair deserves a break. One thing I have started doing is that I was rotating my hairstyle instead of keeping the same tie hairstyle for every single day. Let's just say if I'm wearing a tie sleek bun today, then for tomorrow, I'll just wear a loose claw clip or a low ponytail. Then the next day, maybe I'll just do a braid or lift my hair down. Another thing that I have started doing is that I was switching from this elastic hair band to some silk soft scrunchies because they are so much more gentle on my hair. However, when I really, really wanted to have that sleek bun look, then I would try my best to not pull my hair tighter and tighter. Instead, I would use some styling wax or some hair gels to keep the flyaways, but at the same time keeping my hair very comfortable. It gives me almost exactly the same look without putting extra or unnecessary stress on my hair or my scalp. One simple habit that I follow is actually what I call a 2-2-2 routine. It is not a medical rule. It's just something that works for me. No more than two days in a tie hairstyle. Then I would switch to two days of lower tension styles like a claw clip, loose braid, or wearing my hair down. And whenever I can, I would give my scalp two days with as little tensions as possible. The goal isn't to avoid cute hairstyle. It is actually to stop making the exact same part of your scalp doing all the work every single day. When I was re-carving from hair loss, I realized something. Growing new hair is hard enough. I didn't want to make it harder by constantly pulling back the hair that I was trying to grow back so hard. Sometimes, protecting your hair isn't about buying a new product. It simply is about being a little more gentle with your hair every single day. Moving on to the third habit and also probably the most relaxing one. Every night before bed, I would spend about five minutes massaging my scalp. This is something that I learned from my mom and I also believe that it was inspired by traditional Chinese medicine. Growing up, she would always give me this free massage whenever I complained about a headache or I felt stressed. At the time, I thought it was just something that my mom did for fun. But now I can confidently say that is my favorite self-care habit. In traditional Chinese medicines, there are commonly a few points to massage. Like bai hui, which is right at the top of your head, and fang qi, located at the end of your scalp, just behind your ears. These points are traditionally believed to promote relaxation and to improve the flow of energy throughout the body. I do think that this is a habit that worth trying because it has very little downside. Usually, I would start at my temples, just doing this for one minute. Very relaxing. And then I would move up to the crown of my head and then massage around my hairline. And finally, the base of my neck. I would personally spend a little extra time on the crown of my head because that's where I notice the most of my hair thinning. Sometime, I would do it on a dry scalp. I personally love, love, love to use a wooden comb. Sometime, I would add a little drops of scalp serum so my fingers glide more easily without pulling my hair. You shouldn't be scratching yourself or leaving your scalp feel sore afterward. It should feel super relaxing. Almost like you're releasing all the tensions you have been holding on throughout the day. For me, this routine isn't just about my hair. It is my favorite five minutes of the day where I would just focus on myself, put my phone away, slow down, relax. Tip number four is I bring back my hair oiling ritual. One of my favorite traditions that I brought with me from home is hair oiling. Growing up, I don't think my grandma has ever thought of it as a beauty treatment. To her, it was just part of something that you do to take care of yourself. She would warm up a little oil, massage it on my scalp, slowly work it through the lengths of my hair, and tell me to leave it on for a while before I wash it out. At the time, I thought it was just like an old family tradition. Now, when I go on TikTok or YouTube, I have been seeing in many cultures that people have been doing hair oiling for many generations. Hair oiling is not about making your hair grow overnight. It is about protecting the hair that you already have. One of my favorite oils is actually coconut oil because research has shown that it helps which may leave your hair feel stronger and less prone to break it. Another oil that's also my favorite is rosemary oil. But one thing that you have to remember is always dilute your oil in a carrier oil. Never directly on a scalp. Just like that. So you would drop just a few drops of oil. I would usually do this once a week. When I have time, I would try to do it twice a week. I would warm a small amount of oil between my hands, massage my scalp for a few minutes, then work the remaining oil through the mid length or the ends of my hair. If I have time, then I would leave it on about 30 minutes to an hour. Sometimes, especially during the weekend, then I would probably leave it on for two to three hours before I wash it out. Once again, what I usually like to do is that I would use this wide tooth wooden comb to distribute the oil throughout my hair. Could I use a plastic comb? Yeah, of course. I just find the wooden combs glide through my hair more smoothly. And it's just a small reminder for me to slow down, be gentle, and don't rush when I'm taking care of myself. And honestly, the favorite part of this routine is nothing to do with the oil. It's more about the ritual, the routine. It's just a little small thing that you do to take care of yourself. And in this busy world, I do believe that we don't do enough of that anymore. Okay, so the last and final habit is something that probably surprised a lot of people and myself as well. It's your shower water. You heard it right. It's your shower water. I would never thought that the water that's coming out of my shower would make a difference. But after moving, I noticed that my hair feel completely different. It tangled more easily. It didn't feel as soft after washing. Doesn't matter how much conditioner I use. That's when I started learning more about hot water. Hot water contains a lot of minerals like magnesium, calcium. These minerals aren't harmful to drink, but over time it can build up on your hair. For some people, that build up can make your hair feeling rough, dull, or more difficult to manage. It can also make your shampoo less effective, which means it doesn't matter how much you clean your hair, your scalp might feel like not as clean after you wash it. Now, I want to be honest. A shower filter is not a miracle cure for hair loss. If your hair loss is caused by genetics, stress, hormones, or any other medical condition, changing your shower filter probably won't solve that. But if your hair is like me, when you constantly feel like your hair is dry, coated, difficult to manage, especially if you live in an area with hot water, it's one simple thing that I personally think it's worth looking into. After using a shower filter, I do notice that my hair changed a lot. I personally felt that my hair was softer, tangled less. It was much easier for me to brush through my hair after I start changing my shower filter. Healthy hair is definitely not about one product. It's about removing as many sources that are damaging to your hair, while at the same time, you're giving it enough nutrition and care that it needs to regrow. And that's it! Those are the five simple habits that helped me truly recover my hair. The best part about it is most of them cost you nothing. And the ones that does cost you, like coconut oil or rosemary oil, are still so much more affordable, cheaper than the trendy hair products that people are talking about on TikTok or YouTube. Once again, I just want to remind you that all those tips that I'm giving you today will not cure all the types of hair loss. Hair loss can have many different causes. And sometimes it might be important for you to see a healthcare provider to do your lab test to actually understand what's going on inside your body that's causing the hair loss. For me, healthy hair is not about finding the one secret ingredient. It was about making small, consistent choices that helped my body recover. If you found this video helpful, please don't forget to share, like, and subscribe. I would love to hear more about you or the practice that you have been doing. Which of these five habits that you actually did or which one are you going to try first? Thank you so much for watching and stay with me until the end. I will see you in the next video.