7 Natural Ways to Keep Your Hair On
Healthy Hair for Life
Do You Love Your Hair?
Nearly every time I go in for a haircut, the stylist says, “I love your hair. What kind of products (hair stylist lingo for shampoos and conditioners) do you use on it?” I always smile, thank them, and tell them I don’t use any special products, just water and shampoo.
Contrary to popular belief, the health of your hair does not solely depend on the shampoos and conditioners you use. Your diet can literally make or break your hair.
Tortures and Stressors
Women especially, tend to subject their hair and scalp to voluntary tortures such as – perms, dyes, hot iron rods and hot air driers. Little wonder then that these days, hair fall, discoloration, and baldness can affect anyone at anytime in their life.
Stress, an under-active thyroid gland, hormonal changes and environmental factors can all negatively affect your hair.
How to Fight Back & Win
A nourishing and balanced diet can bring about a dramatic turnaround in the health of your crowning glory. Here’s how:
- Your hair needs Vitamin A, so incorporate fish, eggs and liver in your diet. Vegetarians could benefit from apricots, rock melon (cantaloupe), green leafy vegetables and beetroot.
- Beta Carotene can bring lustre back to your hair. Yellow, orange, red and green fruits and vegetables including carrots, broccoli and sweet potatoes can boost the beta carotene content in your diet.
- Zinc promotes health of the hair as well as of the scalp. It improves thinning and brittle hair by increasing the function of the thyroid gland. .It can be found in seafood, meat, wheat germ, nuts, beans, and pumpkin seeds.
- Copper supplements help reverse the discoloration or graying process since the coloring pigment melanin requires this mineral. Seafood, liver, legumes, pasta, nuts, seeds, peas, avocados, garlic, mushrooms and bananas are a good source of copper.
- Essential fatty acids such as flax seed oil or evening primrose oil resurrect dry and lifeless hair. Flax seed oil can also treat dandruff and eczema or psoriasis of the scalp.
- Massage your scalp with warm oil to increase blood circulation to the scalp. Olive oil helps rejuvenate and nourish the hair and scalp. For an added treat add 5 drops of frankincense essential oil to a half cup of olive oil (enough for a couple treatments). Leave the oil on for about 30 minutes covered with a shower cap. Then rinse thoroughly and shampoo.
- Studies have found that smokers tend to suffer from premature graying and early hair loss. So, kicking the habit will (in time) lead to a better head of hair.
Begin using these tips for healthy hair, and soon, your hair stylist could be telling you, “I love your hair.”
Photo credit:pronatali
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