I’m sure each and every person reading this piece has heard that a woman’s hair is her crowning glory (or some variant of the phrase). For a lot of us, this adage is true. We struggle to get the right hairstyle, we frequently go to the salon, we always look at hair tips at any women’s magazine. At the end of the day; we just want to have hair that looks and feels good and achieve hair growth.
But the real struggle for any girl is not to have the right hairstyle; it’s having healthy hair. Any hairstyle will not look good if your hair is dead. No amount of layering and hair extensions can hide a hundred split ends either. This is why I have come up with a short list of nutrients your hair should have to help you maintain a healthy growth for your crowning glory.
Nutrients for Healthy Hair Growth
1. Vitamin A
Vitamin A is closely linked to healthy hair growth because it helps stimulate the production of a particular kind of oil called sebum. Sebum is important for healthy hair because a good amount of oil on your hair strengthens the strands and prevents them from drying; making them brittle. When your hair is brittle, they can easily break which affects your overall hair growth.
You can also apply essential oils to your hair so that you can maintain moisture. One famous oil you can apply is coconut oil. Coconut oil is very famous because it is proven to lock in moisture in your hair follicles so that they are rarely dry and prone to breakage.
2. Vitamin C and Iron
Vitamin C is a common antioxidant that helps fight free radicals in the body. But more importantly, it is a good source of collagen which is needed to have healthy hair growth. It also helps iron absorption. Even if Vitamin C and iron are two different nutrients, they both should be present in the body in the right amounts. Iron is responsible for blood circulation and for your blood cells to carry oxygen and other nutrients to different parts of the body. If you don’t have enough iron, chances are that your body, let alone your hair; will not be able to get enough nutrients. But if you have enough iron but lack Vitamin C; then your scalp cannot absorb the nutrients your blood carries to your scalp which is just as damaging to healthy hair growth.
3. Vitamin D
A deficiency in Vitamin D leads to hair loss. This is because Vitamin D is concerned with creating new follicles which are tiny pores where your hair strands grow. More follicles on your scalp help prevent hair loss. Some people who are starting to grow bald take in a lot of Vitamin D found in fortified foods so that they can avoid further hair loss.
4. Protein
Our hair is made of protein. With this alone, you can already have an idea of what lack of protein can do to your hair. Protein is simply a nutrient that repairs tissues in the body. Unfortunately, some kinds of protein are not naturally produced by our body. These kinds of protein are needed for hair growth. To get these nutrients, you should eat dairy products and meat.
Usually, you’ll know when your body is running low on these nutrients when your hair starts to grow worse. Some symptoms can be hair loss, breakage, or dandruff. Your hair is one of the parts of the body that reveals any vitamin deficiency, so sometimes it is really not your shampoo or conditioner’s fault. But of course, we can’t deny the effect of knowing the right shampoo and conditioner for your hair. Hair care varies per person so it would be best to know your hair type (whether it’s oily, dry, etc.) so that you can choose the right products to use. Take note that when you’re trying out products. It is best to stick to one product for a considerable amount of time before trying another one. If you keep on switching hair products, you might end up damaging your hair even more. I understand that waiting for results can be a real test of patience, but once you get your nutrients and hair care products right, the results will be worth the wait.
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Author bio: Terry Shin is the director and owner of a top-notch Melbourne hair salon. He has been in the hairdressing industry for more than 10 years and has served satisfied thousands of satisfied clients.
