Our eating habits greatly impact our skin and hair. Baldness is one such problem that’s greatly related to dietary deficiency. When our hair is shiny and resilient, we can make certain that our body is in great shape while when our hair looks dull and lifeless, it reflects a general state of ill health. This is because our hair receives nourishment from the blood stream and grows on the nourishment it receives. Hair growth is also negatively influenced by hormones, drugs and waste material. Lets now talk about some frequently asked questions on hair care and hair loss.
Nutrients that impact our hair
Dietary needs vary for proper hair growth. Stress deprives us of a good deal of nutrients, especially calcium. Tobacco neutralizes vitamin C and other anti-radical vitamins. Alcohol interferes with the absorption of vitamin B.
- Our hair is primarily composed of proteins. Thus, a key requirement for good looking hair is sufficient protein intake.
- Fat helps in making the hair appear shiny as linoleic acid stimulates the sebaceous gland. Sebum secreted from the sebaceous glands gives hair its shine.
- Vitamins, minerals, essential fatty acids and essential amino acids are essential for harmonious cell equilibrium. Therefore, they influence the cells responsible for hair growth.
- Vitamin C and E or beta-carotene, especially act as anti-oxidants, protecting our hair from free radicals. They assist our hair to resist pollution, chemicals, cold, sun, stress and medication.
Eat this to have great hair
A balanced diet is needed for healthy hair. This should include:
- 55% carbs, particularly those of slow assimilation (e.g. rice, pasta, potatoes).
- 30% Lipids, half of which should be mono saturates like olive oil, a quarter ought to be poly saturates like groundnut oil and jojoba oil and another quarter of saturates like butter, cream, cheese, animal fat etc..
- 15% proteins (found in cereals)
- Vegetables and fruits should represent in volume, half of your foodstuff.
Feed your hair nicely: Hair Loss as a result of nutritional deficiency is called Loose Anagen Syndrome. Hair fall is common when one doesn’t eat right and besides baldness, an individual may find hair with white tip in its head. Falling of hair in addition to the white tip demonstrates that the root isn’t powerful enough to hold the hair in hair follicle. Dieting is a significant cause of hair loss in young women.
Tough and unmanageable hair
Wavy hair has a tendency of getting frizzy in summer because of humidity. Use gentle frequent-use shampoos and frizz control products and conditioner.
Extremely dry and rough hair
First and the most important advice, have a hot oil treatment twice weekly. If you can, employ heena, mixing it with 4 tea-spoons of lemon juice and coffee, 2 eggs and enough yoghurt, as well as 2 tea-spoons oil. This will nourish your hair and thus softens it. After shampoo, you should use a conditioner. You could even use a hair polish. Apply very small amounts on the palms and smoothen over hair and leave it on. This won’t only keep your hair in place but also make it look less dry.
Get rid of dandruff permanently
You need to use a mild shampoo, twice per week, heat pure coconut oil and apply on the scalp at night. Next morning, apply the juice of lemon and wash your hair after half an hour. Rinse completely with water. Wash your hair three or four times per week, using less shampoo, but rinsing well with water. Have weekly henna treatments. Add 4 tsps each of lemon juice and coffee, 2 raw eggs and sufficient curd into the henna powder, mixing it into a thick paste. Apply on the hair and wash off after an hour. If you don’t want to use egg, then add more curd.
