Your hair is one of the first things people notice about you, so it’s important it looks its best.
If it’s limp, greasy and lifeless, or dry and straw-like, it can impact your appearance.On the other hand, thick, glossy, flowing locks tend to paint a more positive picture of your overall health.
While a good hair care regime – which involves regular cutting, washing and brushing – can help you keep your hair looking in tip top condition, improving your hair health will help you to maintain a strong, thick, natural mane even as you get older. Your diet and lifestyle can also play a key part in your hair’s overall health and condition.
Stress, lack of sleep, over-exposure to sunshine and airborne pollutants, smoking and too much caffeine and alcohol can all result in thin, brittle and unhealthy hair. A good diet, however, can help you combat hair loss and even strengthen your hair and encourage the cells in your scalp to regrow and replenish any hair you do lose naturally. Using hair care products with natural ingredients can limit your exposure to harmful chemicals, such as sulphates, which can weaken your hair and strip it of the natural oils it needs to stay healthy. Here are a few other things you can try.
• Five Ways To Keep Your Hair Healthy & Shiny
Eat lots of protein
Proteins, particularly collagen, are the building blocks upon which every cell in your body is built, including your hair, nails, skin and teeth. So, ensuring your diet includes adequate protein from lean meats, fish and dairy products is essential. If you don’t eat enough protein in your diet your hair can soon become weak and brittle. Maintaining healthy hair tends to be more of a challenge the older we get. As our bodies age, they produce less collagen, a naturally occurring protein that is the building block of every cell in the body. Without enough collagen, your hair can suffer.
Get to know your hair
Knowing your hair type and how to look after it is the first step in getting healthier, shinier hair. Your hair texture, how often you use hair products and your level of activeness all contribute to your hair health. Find products that work for you and make your hair feel the best it can. Consulting with your hairdresser on what styling products and shampoos will be best for your specific hair type is a great place to start.
Avoid heat
Heat styling on a regular basis can quickly lead to damaged hair, but sometimes it cannot be avoided. While leaving your hair to air dry is best, blow drying is often easier to get hair dry and styled quickly. If you do use a hair dryer, try to use it on the lowest heat setting and gradually increase the heat where needed.
Up your Zinc intake
Zinc deficiency can cause hair to shed and break. It plays a key part in hair tissue growth and repair. Eating foods such as spinach, nuts and lentils will help increase your Zinc intake and give you the shiny luscious locks you’ve always wanted. Omega-3 fatty acids such as ones found in fish oils, can also help promote good scalp health and stimulate hair follicles to keep them strong.
Review your hair care routine
Many people over-shampoo their hair and find themselves washing it on a daily basis. The truth is, for most people this is doing more bad than good. Washing your hair every other day or every third day is usually the best way to achieve healthy shiny hair. Shampooing too often strips hair of its natural oils and can actually dry it out further.
Using hair care products with natural ingredients can limit your exposure to harmful chemicals, such as sulphates, which can weaken your hair and strip it of the natural oils it needs to stay healthy.
Also look at how often you’re getting your haircut. Regular cuts prevent split ends from occurring and therefore leave you with a healthier looking head of hair. If you dye your hair, always try to have your hair colour done at a professional salon over a box dye job at home. Hairdressers will know what dye and hair treatments are going to let your hair thrive and which ones to avoid.
Vitamins and an overall healthy diet full of protein and fibre are an essential part of achieving healthy shiny hair. While watching what you eat and making positive lifestyle choices can have an impact, your body still might not be getting enough of the vital vitamins, minerals and other nutrients it needs to boost collagen production and maintain healthy hair.
If you are concerned your diet is lacking in the vital vitamins, minerals and nutrients you need to keep your hair healthy and strong, Lily & Loaf can help.
Check out these links to find out more:
Disclaimer:
Information and other content provided in Lily & Loaf blogs should not be construed as medical advice and should not be considered a substitute for professional medical expertise. If you have any medical concerns, you should consult with your health care provider.
