As women, our goal is beautiful, healthy hair. Damage can make styling a challenge and make us feel less than desirable. I mean, who wants thin, brittle hair?
Beauty supply shelves are full of products promising to help repair damaged hair. But here’s a big secret: sometimes the problem isn’t which moisturizer you’re using, but how you’re nourishing your body.
If your goal is to lose weight, add muscle and get physically healthy, just exercising and lifting weights isn’t enough. A healthy diet and supplement regimen and an overall healthy lifestyle are essential. Likewise, if your goal is healthy hair, using quality hair care products is just part of the puzzle. Nutrition is another essential piece!
And since hair can be the fastest-growing tissue in your body, why not make sure your vitamin intake is supporting your healthy hair goals?
Vitamin supplements support overall health and can specifically improve your hair quality, too. Consider adding these vitamins to your daily supplement routine! Not only will they help you repair damaged hair, but they will help your whole body remain healthy, too.
Biotin
If your hair is thinning, or you sense that you’re losing it too quickly, biotin can help.
Biotin, also known as vitamin B7, is essential to helping your body transform various nutrients into energy. This energy then helps you grow strong hair, skin, and nails.
Since biotin is a water-soluble vitamin, you must drink a lot of water for the supplement to absorb. When taking biotin, understand that the difference it makes won’t be visible overnight. Users consistently say they do not see improvement for several months. However, the wait will be worth it–many users have reported that the quality of their hair improves dramatically with greater shine and thickness.
Iron
If you’re super tired and your hair is not growing, you might have an iron deficiency. An iron supplement can help add nutrients that will allow your hair to grow.
Before using an iron supplement, test your iron levels during a checkup with your doctor. If you begin taking an iron supplement without a deficiency, you may experience side effects such as stomach pain, vomiting, and even diarrhea.
Vitamin A
If you want healthy hair, vitamin A is a must. Vitamin A helps your skin glands produce sebum, which moisturizes your scalp. Sebum also helps your hair remain healthy. A vitamin A shortage in your body can directly lead to hair loss
Eating nutrient-rich foods such as sweet potatoes, carrots, pumpkins, spinach, and kale will help you maintain a healthy amount of vitamin A in your diet. Supplements like cod liver oil are also great for boosting your vitamin A intake.
Vitamin C
Now, if you really want your hair to break less and grow stronger, you’ll need plenty of Vitamin C. Vitamin C helps us stabilize collagen in our bodies, which makes your hair strong and even prevents hair follicle damage. Vitamin C also protects your hair from fallout and damage by helping you absorb iron.
Vitamin C is water-soluble, so we cannot make it with our own cells. However, we can find vitamin C in foods such as citrus fruits, greens, and bell peppers.
Zinc
If you want healthy hair that doesn’t snap and break, eating foods rich in zinc is important. Zinc plays a key role in creating the necessary proteins for your hair to grow long and strong.
If you have low zinc levels, you may experience hair loss and slow-healing wounds.
Eating foods like beans and legumes, shellfish, and red meat will help your zinc levels remain adequate.
Final Thoughts
Growing healthy hair takes time and patience. Every day, you’ll need to take some time for self-care, moisturizing your scalp, and being gentle on your strands as you brush and style. And, if you are not already drinking at least eight glasses of water daily and eating lots of fruits and vegetables, it’s time to start! A healthy diet is a win-win: you’ll enjoy the energy, stamina, and a stronger immune system, and your hair will visibly reflect your healthy habits!
Awakening Your Roots Blog 