Does Working the Night Shift Cause Hair Fall?

The idea of working the night shift can be appealing to some people. These jobs can offer a unique sense of freedom, working while everyone else is fast asleep. They also usually pay more because of extra demands and non-traditional working conditions.

While many Filipinas thrive while working at night, this schedule has its cons. Studies have shown that the graveyard shift causes more health issues than working 9-to-5. These health issues include appetite disorders, irregular menstrual cycles, and hair loss.

Stress from night shift work is a concept worthy of discussion, given the many health-related concerns that come with it. Because of changes in the sleep cycle, your circadian rhythm is disrupted and affected. The circadian rhythm is the body’s internal sleep clock that controls your sleep-wake patterns. This biological clock depends on the body’s exposure to light and temperature, which signal the brain to wake up or go to bed. A sudden change in this cycle can cause noticeable hair loss.

While on average, a person may lose around 80-100 strands a day, working during nighttime can cause more hair fall than usual. Stress and poor sleep quality are the usual culprits since these affect a hormone called melatonin. When sleep is affected, melatonin production decreases, disrupting the hair growth cycle and increasing the risk of hair fall. 

When changing your shift or ditching your current job is not an option, you can adjust other factors to decrease its impact on your overall health and hair growth.

Eating more during the wee hours of the morning to stay awake is unhealthy. Working the night shift leads to poor eating habits, which result in hair loss as your body takes in all the junk and none of the necessary nutrients to promote hair growth.

Stock up on foods rich in protein and vitamins or, better yet, avoid snacking altogether. Vitamins D, E, B, biotin, and zinc are some nutrients essential to hair health. You can get vitamin B from meat, fish, and eggs. Meanwhile, biotin, which plays a vital role in keratin production and hair growth, is abundant in bananas and sweet potatoes.

Making sure you log in some cardio is just as important, especially if you work the night shift. There is a tendency to put exercising on the back burner because one would rather sleep in than stay active. According to research, working out early in the day when you’re sleep-deprived helps combat the effects of sleep deprivation.

Maintaining good hair and scalp care entails sticking to a haircare routine. Use products such as Dove Hairfall Rescue+ Keratin Tri-Silk Serum Shampoo, which has DynaZinc complex that helps nourish the roots to the tips. It keeps your hair more resilient to damage from external factors.

After rinsing, condition your hair with Cream Silk Triple Keratin Rescue Ultimate Hair Fall Defiance Ultra Conditioner. It has three keratin products that reduce hair fall and strengthen weakened hair.

You can also try a repairing shampoo like Sunsilk Damage Reconstruction Shampoo to restore already weakened strands and prevent further breakage or split ends.

Wearing ponytails can seem practical when burning the midnight oil, but they can do a lot of damage to your locks. While it keeps your hair off your face, the tension and strain it puts on your scalp can lead to more hair fall. Instead of a ponytail, use a soft (or silk) headband to keep your hair neat.

Working the night shift for an extended period comes with health – and hair – hazards. The small things you can control to keep yourself in shape and happy are essential to your well-being. So, make sure to adjust your lifestyle to stay healthy and in top form.