The Role of Diet in Hair Health: Nutrients That Promote Strong, Shiny Hair
There are many steps you can take to start on your journey to your best, healthiest hair. You can choose the right products, reduce heat styling, and have regular trims to promote new growth. All of these should be backed up with the foundation of a good diet, though. Hair is mostly made of keratin, which needs good nutrition to grow and maintain. The cells in your scalp and hair follicles change quickly, too; they have one of the fastest regenerations in your body, so they need a constant stream of nutrients to keep up. Your body needs access to the right nutrients to grow strong, shiny hair, and lacking certain minerals and nutrients can lead to thinning hair prone to breakage. This is because if you’re deficient in nutrients, your body will focus on essential organ function instead of hair growth and maintenance.
How to Get the Right Vitamins for Great Hair Health
Once you prioritize good nutrition, you should see positive changes in your nails and skin, too. If you commit to a varied healthy diet, you should see a difference within a few months without having to turn to expensive supplements.
Healthy fats help protect your hair cuticles so they can lock in moisture. Omega-3 fatty acids also help in ensuring your scalp stays hydrated and able to grow new follicles. Focusing on healthy nuts and seeds, such as chia seeds and walnuts, can be a good source of omega-3, and good fat sources are olive oil and avocados.
The keratin your hair is made of is largely protein, so a portion of your daily food should be a protein source. There are recommended goals based on weight and sex, so make sure you know yours and hit them. Healthy sources of protein are lean meat, seafood, and fish such as salmon. If you’re a vegetarian, eggs are packed with protein. If you’re vegan, tofu or other soy products are healthy protein sources and also contain omega-3.
Being low in iron means there’s less oxygen getting to your scalp for hair growth, so it’s a common cause of hair loss. Focus on lean red meat, green leafy vegetables, and lentils to boost your iron stores. Lentils will help you hit your protein goals, too.
Vitamin A helps the production of sebum to keep your scalp nourished. Vegetables such as sweet potatoes and kale are great sources of this. Vitamin C helps your body produce collagen, which can strengthen your hair, and citrus fruits are the best source for this. B vitamins are another common deficiency, especially among vegans and vegetarians, and they can prevent thinning hair. Good sources other than meat are Greek yoghurt and other dairy products, bananas, and spinach.
Don’t Forget Hydration
We all rely on caffeine these days, and we can neglect our water intake. For hair health, it’s vital though, as it carries those nutrients to your follicles, prevents a dry flaky scalp, and improves the cuticles, giving your hair a natural shine. Try for 8 glasses of water a day and include moisture-rich foods such as cucumbers and watermelons.
At Indulge Salon, we can’t make you drink water, but we can provide incredible deep conditioning treatments, which are great for hair health.
