5 Tips For Stronger, Healthy Hair
Most people desire healthy hair that is robust, lustrous, and simple to manage. However, getting there may be difficult. The majority of us confront some sort of hair problem that gets in the way of a good head of hair.
Though your genes may pre-determine some aspects of your hair, such as texture and thickness, there is still plenty you can do to improve its health and appearance. This article provides 5 tips for growing stronger, healthy hair.
1. Dial down the heat
Heated styling tools, such as blow dryers, straightening irons and hot curlers, can damage your hair- especially if it is fine, dry or broken easily. Applying too much heat weakens the strands of your hair which results in frizzy or damaged hair.
According to a 2011 study by Trusted Source, limiting the damage from hair drying can be done by holding the blow dryer about 6 inches away from your hair and making sure to keep it moving rather than concentrating on one spot.
Reduce the frequency of blow-drying and other heated styling treatments to two or three times a week to give your hair time to recuperate between each session.
Set your dryer and other heated styling tools to a lower temperature to minimize hair damage. To reduce harm and keep healthy hair, consider using a heat protectant on your hair.
2. Boost your vitamin intake
Like the rest of your body, your hair requires specific vitamins and minerals in order to be healthy and strong. Nutritional shortages have been linked to hair loss, according to ResearchTrusted Source. The following vitamins and minerals may be particularly important for healthy hair growth:
- Vitamin A: It can be found in many foods, such as sweet potatoes, carrots, pumpkin, spinach, milk, eggs and yogurt.
- B vitamins, especially biotin: are found in egg yolk, liver, salmon, avocados, nuts and seeds, and dairy products
- Vitamin C: Citrus fruits, strawberries, and bell peppers are three excellent sources.
- Vitamin D: it is found in fatty fish, egg yolk, and fortified foods like milk and orange juice.
- Vitamin E: good sources include sunflower seeds, almonds, spinach, and avocados
- Iron: found in oysters, clams, eggs, red meat, lentils, and spinach
- Zinc: good sources include oysters, beef, pumpkin seeds, and lentils
If you can’t get the essential nutrients from the meals you consume, consider taking a multivitamin that includes all of these vitamins and minerals.
However, you should always speak with your healthcare provider before taking any kind of supplement, especially biotin. Excessive biotin intake can affect the results of laboratory tests that are designed to detect things like heart attacks, according to ResearchTrusted Source.
3. Go easy on the shampoo
To have healthy hair, it’s critical to keep them clean. Shampoos, certain shampoos contain chemicals that strip away your hair’s natural oils in order to eliminate grease and debris. Unless your hair is excessively greasy, you may usually cut back to washing with shampoo twice or three times a week rather than daily. Washing your hair too frequently might damage the shaft of your hair and render it brittle.
The American Academy of Dermatology recommends only using a quarter-sized amount of shampoo, focused mainly on your scalp, to cleanse your hair.
4. Massage your scalp
Revving up the circulation in your scalp might assist improve the health and condition of your scalp while also increasing blood flow to the hair follicles.
A 2016 study found that a 4-minute daily scalp massage may improve hair thickness and strength over time. To give yourself a Scalp Massage: Wet or dry your hair, then use your fingertips to apply pressure in circular motions on your scalp for several minutes.
5. Up the protein in your diet
Did you know that hair follicles are mostly made up of protein? It’s no wonder then that Research has shown us time and again that a lack of protein in our diet can lead to thinner, weaker hair. To keep your locks luscious and to keep healthy hair, make sure to include these protein-rich foods in your diet:
- eggs
- fish, like mackerel and salmon
- nuts and seeds
- lean meats
- spinach and kale
- beans and legumes
