I’m still at the age where I just kinda eat whatever I want and it’s only recently hit me that, well, this may not be the best course of action. I’m not even only referring to weight gain – it has come to my attention that I… may be balding.
Dramatics and stress levels aside, I realised that diet really plays a huge part in the early onset of hair loss. This may be something that you already know, but it’s pretty hard to keep tabs on foods that we should avoid eating. Especially so if they’re delicious.
Here are five dishes that you’ll never believe are giving Singaporeans hair loss:
1. Char Kway Teow
Say it isn’t so! Char Kway Teow is a national favourite and is something that some of us may even eat every day. The problem is that it’s one of the greasiest hawker dishes out there, and greasy foods increase oil on the skin which can lead to greasy hair.
This often results in the decrease in hair follicle size, restricted blood flow and the clogging of sweat pores – factors that tend to lead to hair loss.
2. Hot Pot
There’s nothing like a good ol’ hot pot to soothe the soul, but having one of these in some restaurants (and one too many times) may be speeding up your hair loss. More often than not, many flavour enhancers, or MSG, are added to the broth in order to make it taste even better.
In large quantities, these flavour enhancers do nothing to help keep your mane healthy.
3. Braised Pork Belly
One of the main ingredients of braised pork belly (or any braised dish for that matter) is soy sauce. This hearty dish is thus chock-full of sodium, one of the number one reasons for hair fall.
As with everything health-related, having it in moderation is fine, but the danger is when we fail to resist spooning all that sauce-y goodness over a bowl of rice.
4. Nasi Lemak
Nooooooo. Nasi Lemak is one of my go-to breakfast dishes, and I tend to go a bit overboard with the a la carte add-ons. This is exactly the problem though, as those side dishes are usually processed foods.
I’m referring to the delicious fish cakes, sausages, and even the necessary otah. These processed food items affect hair growth and become a problem when each hair strand gets shorter and thinner.
5. Bubble Tea
Okay, I know bubble tea isn’t a dish but it’s something that so many of us consume so often, especially to beat the Singapore heat! Milk tea with pearls, 100% sugar level, right?
No wonder I’m balding. A diet that’s high in sugar sometimes leads to a hormonal imbalance. This may cause hair follicles to shrink, while some follicles will become dormant and produce progressively finer and thinner hair.
The problem is definitely not limited to these five dishes, but we can start by looking at what goes into some of our everyday staples. If you’re like me however, and realise that you may already be dealing with an issue (or you just want to be sure), help is available.
Experiencing hair loss? Have no fear. TK TrichoKare is here!
I never thought I’d find myself at the doors of a hair and scalp solutions centre, but I rocked up to TrichoKare at Orchard Gateway, not knowing what to expect. TrichoKare has been around since 2004 and has set itself apart by advocating a holistic approach to hair and scalp care.
The treatments and products have been carefully extracted from premium grade European herbs (no harsh chemicals!), and with five outlets islandwide, you can easily make an appointment to find out what would work best for you.
Trichology is the study of the health of hair and the scalp, and as such, trichologists are the best people to consult for common hair problems. With a holistic approach in mind, TrichoKare trichologists will analyse your lifestyle, diet and general well being in order to recommend the necessary treatments.
I was surprised to find out that I was possibly even using all the wrong shampoos! I knew I was experiencing quite a high level of hair fall but seeing the actual state of my scalp on that monitor was pretty shocking.
I was given a customised hair mask which helps to deeply cleanse the hair by removing impurities and excess sebum while regulating the scalp sebum.
Such specialised and personalised service and treatments have won TrichoKare many awards, including ones from Elle Beauty Treat List 2017, Her World Style Awards 2016, Harper’s BAZAAR Hair Awards 2016 and The Singapore Women’s Weekly Hair Awards 2016.
Even celebrities like Xiaxue, Jay Nesh (OLI 96.8FM) and Anand (OLI 96.8FM) swear by the treatments, which have successfully helped them with their hair problems. Let’s face it – with our hectic schedules and busy lives, we all need some help maintaining healthy hair and preventing hair loss.
The wash was professionally done by one of the hair experts. They make sure to massage each and every single pressure point and use a soothing botanical hair wash which will deeply cleanse and regulate the pH balance of your scalp, while removing the dead skin and grime.
With treatment rooms that are ideal for such a luxurious and pampering experience, I was left feeling extremely rejuvenated.
After the wash, the hair expert helped to apply the customised tonic onto my scalp to strengthen the cohesion of keratin fibres to improve the hair density. A scalp massage was given to ensure that the nutrients and proteins were fully absorbed into my scalp.
The infrared light therapy helps to improve blood circulation in your scalp, in turn increasing oxygen flow to the hair follicles. It also helps to open up the pores and clean up your hair roots, preventing the follicles from becoming dormant!
This intensive regeneration encourages activity on the cellular level to promote hair growth and restore your hair to its former glory while soothing your scalp.
After only one session, I knew there was hope. Not just because my hair and scalp immediately felt (and looked) better, but because I now had a deeper understanding about what the real issue was, and how I could go about treating it.
It’s so clear from the ‘Before’ and ‘After’ pictures of my scalp scans that my pores were so badly clogged with dry and flaky skin before the Award Winning Hair Fall Prevention Treatment. The results are pretty amazing and my scalp felt so much cleaner and healthier after!
My hair had so much more volume and shine to it, and stayed that way throughout the following day. There was also next to zero hair fall on my pillow, something that I haven’t seen in the longest time. My hair is pretty damaged from years of colouring, so this whole experience was very uplifting.
TrichoKare’s Premium European herbal hair remedies and products are specially formulated by a professional herbalist and validated by Trichologists. I’ll probably be due for another session soon, but I happily bought the Revitalizing Bath (shampoo) to try and regularly maintain a healthy scalp.
I know a lot of people my age think that hair loss is something that only happens to the older generation. It horrifyingly does not, and besides eating properly, diagnosing a scalp problem early could save you lots of stress!
Only for the first 10 readers who book via our link:
Experience the Award-winning Hair Fall Prevention Treatment at ONLY $40 and receive a FREE Hair Care Kit + Energy Serum (total worth $743)
Click here to book an appointment with TrichoKare today, and try to stop drinking so much bubble tea while you’re at it.
TK TrichoKare Singapore: Outlets | Website | Facebook
*This post was brought to you in partnership with TK TrichoKare
