Written by Menswear Style in Hair on the 25th July 2017

We’ve all had those days when our hair just can’t be saved, and no matter how much blow-drying, brushing and hair products; our hair just refuses to co-operate. However, before we banish those frustrating bad hair days, we first need to identify what’s causing them. A survey conducted by hair transplant specialists, Crown Clinic, has at long last revealed the root causes of ‘bad hair’, and Dr Asim Shahmalak, hair transplant surgeon and hair loss expert, offers his suggestions for steps you can take to avoid those troublesome bad hair days.

What causes a bad hair day? 

There are many reasons why your hair is misbehaving, and Crown Clinic’s survey provides an insight into some of the top causes.

Bad Luck: The most popular answer amongst respondents was sheer bad luck. Unfortunately, not much can be done about bad luck, however, there are simple steps you can take to promote healthy hair and improve its appearance over time. 

Weather: 42% of those surveyed blamed the weather for their hair woes, making it the second most popular cause. Wind, humidity, rain and heat are all factors that can mess up our hair on any given day. Moisture in the air can leave hair frizzy and unmanageable, so it might be worth checking the weather forecast before spending copious amounts of time on your ‘do’. 

Lie-Ins:  Lie-ins was the third most popular cause. Pressing snooze and sleeping in for those extra minutes may feel great, however this gives you less time to prepare yourself for the day and could be the root cause of your bad hair days. If your hair is getting you down, why not try getting up a few minutes earlier to give yourself more time to prepare and restore your hair to its former glory.  

Hangovers: After a heavy night out, many of us aren’t in the mood to do anything, let alone spend lots of time doing our hair. That’s why hangovers was revealed as the fourth most popular cause of bad hair days, as many respondents said they found it impossible to sort their hair out after a big night out.  

Thinning Hair: Around 65% of men experience some kind of hair loss in their lives, and this makes hair more difficult to manage over time; and this survey revealed that thinning hair, in both men and women, was the fifth most popular cause.

Dr Shahmalak’s Tips for Avoiding Bad Hair Days  

Now we’ve examined the main causes of difficult hair, let’s look at Dr Shahmalak’s top tips for helping you avoid those pesky bad hair days.  

Diet: Consuming food such as eggs, fish and spinach, can provide your hair with rich nutrients that stimulate growth and strengthen hair over time. Whereas poor diet that lacks in nutrients, can leave hair dry and brittle. 

Avoiding Stress: Stress affects your body’s hormones, which in turn, affects the hair’s condition. An abundance of estrogen may help the growth and retention of hair, while too much testosterone can have the opposite effect. Therefore it’s important to manage stress well, to keep your hair looking healthy. 

Build-Up Of Hair Products: Certain ingredients in shampoos and conditioners, cling to our hair and can build up over time. These products do not get washed out over time and can cause hair to look limp. That’s why Dr Shahmalak recommends sourcing a shampoo that is specifically made for ridding the hair of this build up. 

Keratin: Keratin is the protein that gives hair its structure. Harsh weather conditions such as humidity, can break the bonds in that protein and make your hair frizzy. The key is to keep hair well conditioned with high-quality products and have regular trims, to help your hair retain it’s moisture and stay frizz-free.

We get expert haircare tips on how men can avoid a bad hair day from Dr Asim Shahmalak from the Crown Clinic.