Our body reacts the exact way we treat it. We know it's difficult for us to find out where we are lacking and continue practising the right things to get what we want in life. Our busy schedule is one of the main barriers that prevent us from building healthy habits. It's not sufficient to build a habit; what's important is to maintain consistency. Here we are talking about hair care. Sometimes it's almost impossible to follow healthy hair habits in our busy schedule. However, if we have an insight into hair problems and some knowledge about the prevention of hair fall, then it's not a waste of time, right?
Hair is the fastest-growing natural tissue in our body and tends to grow 0.2cm-1.7cm per month. The growth differs from person to person. We see optimal hair growth from age 15 to 30 years, and the growth reduces from age 40 years to 50 years. Males may find faster hair growth than females. Age, genetics, pregnancy, health also affect hair growth.
Flawless, bouncy and healthy-looking hair is a dream to almost all of us. We can't think of anyone who doesn't want to have good hair. Even healthy-looking hair shows a person's good health and good hair habits. We wonder how many factors are there that helps us to get our desired shiny hair. Getting a proper diet is the key to solving this problem. Here, in this article, we have discussed the most essential five vitamins that play vital roles in getting flawless hair.
People tend to shed 50-100 hairs per day, and it is considered normal. But the sky falls when we find our comb is full of our precious hair and start worrying. As always, old is replaced by new things, and our old hair also shed when its time comes, and new hair takes its place. But the abnormality happens when hair follicles become weak and shed hair before its time. To understand the process, let's discuss the stages of hair growth.
Stages of Hair Growth
People are born with around 5 million follicles. Among them, around 100,000 follicles are on the scalp. Those with oval-shaped follicles tend to get curly hair, and those with round-shaped follicles get straight hair. Hair growth follows a series of stages and thus creates a cycle. Here the stages are mentioned below, which will help you to understand the process.
All hair follicles do not pass through the stages at the same time.
Factors That Affect Hair Growth
Everyone's hair is different and depends on various factors that how much time it will take to grow. There are various internal as well as external factors that affect our hair growth. Nutritionists confirm that some have dry, dull, stringy hair for nutritional deficiency in their diet, and some even experience excessive hair loss. We have mentioned some of the common problems here.
1. Age, sex, genetics and nutrition play vital roles in hair growth.
2. The telogen stage is when hair growth enters into an inactive stage. Stress, child-birth, severe illness, various medications lead hair roots to enter this stage, and telogen effluvium occurs. This means one can shed 70% of scalp hair within a few months.
Ways to Get Healthy Hair
We have discussed a few of the causes of hair loss. Now, the actual question is how we can get healthy hair? Where does the secret lie? Some basic ways we have mentioned below.
1. Maintaining a healthy diet full of vitamins and minerals.
2. Taking doctor prescribed dietary supplements.
3. Following good hair care habits.
4. Regular exercise increases blood flow to the hair root and enhances hair growth.
As we discussed before, there are many factors affecting hair growth. Micronutrient deficiency may not be the only key factor but they play an important role.
Let's see what are the best 5 vitamins you can include in your diet to influence hair growth.
1. Vitamin A
The consumption limit of vitamin A is 10,000 IU per day. Our body needs sufficient stock of vitamin A as it contributes to the growth of cells, including the cells of the follicles on our scalp.
A. Benefits:
a. Sebum- Vitamin A helps to create a substance that moisturizes and hydrates our skin and follicles. This substance is called sebum. We get healthy hair from healthy follicles. The secret of your thick and luscious hair lies in the hydrated and healthy follicles.
b . Natural Oil production - hair follicles and glands secrete natural oil. The health of your hair depends on such oils. There are various shampoo and other products which tell you to wash the oil away. Without the natural oil, your scalp and hair will be rough, brittle and damage may occur. Oil is good for your hair and scalp. So, be sure of adequate consumption of vitamin A.
B. Over Consumption:
Make sure that you are not taking more than the limit of consumption. This is also reported that overconsumption of vitamin A leads to hair loss. You certainly don't want that.
C. Source:
a. Beta-carotene turns into vitamin A. So, the sources rich in beta-carotene are vegetables like sweet potato, spinach, pumpkin, carrot, kale.
b. Animal products rich in vitamin A are milk, egg and yoghurt. Cod liver is also a good source rich in vitamin A.
2. Vitamin B
Vitamin B helps in cell metabolism. It has several health benefits. However, if you take a balanced diet, you may not need to take other B vitamin supplements in particular. There are vitamin B Complex and other eight water-soluble vitamin substances, known as thiamine(B1), riboflavin(B2), pantothenic acid(B5), vitamin B6, biotin(B7), folate and vitamin B12. The deficiency of biotin, riboflavin, folate, and vitamin B12 is mostly related to hair loss.
A. Benefit:
a. It helps in creating red blood cells that carry oxygen to the hair follicles on the scalp. Healthy hair follicles generate new hair.
b. A study conducted in 2017, published in the journal, Skin Appendage Disorders, showed that biotin deficiency causes skin and hair problems and the proper supplement improves both of their conditions. Though there was a case of the medical condition along with biotin deficiency. However, biotin intake is one of the remedies for hair, skin and nail problems, which is not supported by many studies.
c. Vitamin B5 prevents greying and hair loss. It also gives hair shine and strength.
d. Vitamin B6 prevents dandruff.
e. Vitamin B12 contributes to the prevention of hair loss.
B. Source:
B vitamins are widely available in foods. So, it's difficult to have a deficiency. However, some sources are mentioned below:
a. Whole grain.
b. Salmon Fish.
c. Almond.
d. Leafy greens.
e. Liver of beef, pork or chicken- Liver is packed with B vitamins.
f. Egg- One large egg contains 33% of RDI for biotin. It also has a smaller amount of other B vitamins.
g. Milk – Milk provides 26% of RDI for riboflavin. It also serves a smaller amount of other B vitamins.
h. Oysters, Clams- Source of vitamin B12 and riboflavin. They also have a smaller amount of thiamine, niacin, folate.
One should keep in mind that when your body surpluses the rate of B vitamins, then it expels the excess amount through urine. At the same time, various health issues may occur with the consumption of excessive B vitamins.
3. Vitamin C
Vitamin C is one of the most important nutritions that one must consume regularly. Otherwise, deficiency may occur. A daily dose of 100mg – 200 mg of vitamin C is recommended to intake for healthy hair and skin.
A. Benefits
a. When our body turns consumed food to glucose for energy production, free radicals are formed naturally. Vitamin C is an essential antioxidant that helps to get rid of oxidative stress caused by free radicals.
b. Collagen is an important ingredient to your hair structure. Vitamin C helps to create collagen inside of your body. Which helps to get healthy hair.
c. Vitamin C is essential for those who have iron deficiency. As iron is one of the essential minerals for hair growth.
d. Vitamin C helps to prevent dry hair and split ends.
e. Our hair roots often get clogged with dry skin and dandruff on the scalp. This can damage hair follicles and prevent new hair growth if not treated. Vitamin C helps to fight bacteria on the scalp and promote new hair growth. It wards off dandruff.
f. Its antiviral properties help to treat an itchy scalp.
g. Vitamin C improves blood circulation and thus helps to thicken the hair.
h. It retains natural hair colour and prevents greying of hair.
B. Source
a. Citrus fruits
b. Red peppers- They have loads of vitamin C. ½ cup of red pepper consists of 95mg of vitamin C.
c. Kiwi fruit- A medium-sized Kiwi has around 70 mg of vitamin C.
d. Strawberry- One cup of strawberry has around 85 mg of vitamin C. It also contains fibre, a variety of antioxidants and is low in calories.
e. Broccoli- ½ cup of cooked broccoli has around 50 mg of vitamin C.
f. Tomato- A medium-sized raw tomato contains 20mg of vitamin C. The amount of vitamin C decreases when a tomato is cooked.
g. Potato- A medium-sized baked potato is stuffed with 20 mg vitamin C. It's also the source of fibre and potassium.
h. Cauliflower- A cup of cauliflower has around 40mg vitamin C.
i. Papaya- Around 90 mg vitamin C is there in a cup of papaya.
4. Vitamin D
Vitamin D is an essential nutrient in our diet. It helps to create new hair follicles, strengthen the bone, makes skin healthy, stimulates immunity power and helps in the growth of cells. The primary source of Vitamin D from where we get it is sunlight. When our body is exposed to sunlight, it synthesizes vitamin D on its own. Otherwise, one can take dietary supplements, and certain foods are also available.
The medical term alopecia is linked with the deficiency of Vitamin D. Alopecia is the state of baldness where one faces excessive hair loss.
A. Recommended Doses
You should check with a doctor for your daily recommended intake. However, get approximately 600 IU(International Unit) of vitamin D per day for a one-year-old. Older than 70 years should have about 800 IU of vitamin D per day.
B. Source
a. Vitamin D supplements – Supplements are one of the sources of vitamin D. These supplements contain only 400 IU, which is below the recommended intake of Vitamin D. To fill this gap, you should try to have a vitamin D enriched diet. However, to decide how much vitamin D you should have, it is suggested to check up with consult a doctor and follow the suggestions.
b. Sun Rays – Vitamin D is not like other vitamins. Your body can make its own vitamin D. Most of us get Vitamin D from exposure to sunlight. The cholesterol in our body converts to Vitamin D when it comes to exposure to sunlight. Give yourself a minimum of 15 minutes of exposure to the sun rays to synthesize vitamin D in your skin. If you find it hard for you to remain in the sun for a long time, try to place yourself beside a window or some other sources from where sufficient sunlight is coming through.
c. Foods – Consuming a healthy and nutritional diet naturally contains vitamin D and helps to fulfil deficiency. Some foods are-
1. Fatty fish.
2. Fish liver oils.
3. Animal fats.
4. 1 spoon of cod liver oil contains 340 % of our daily need for vitamin D.
5. Milk
It is hard to get vitamin D from food for vegans and vegetarians. So, they might need to take some supplements. However, some vegan-friendly foods which are rich in vitamin D are:
1. Fortified soy milk – Check the level of vitamin D before buying soy milk. Those that are not fortified contain a very low level of vitamin D. One cup of fortified soy milk contains 116 IU of vitamin D.
2. Mushroom – Mushrooms that grow in dark places contains a significant amount of vitamin D. Those that grow in the sunlight contains about 450 IU of vitamin D in every 100 gm serving.
3. Fortified cereals – The amount of vitamin D varies among brands. However, cereal contains 8-100 IU per serving. Some cereals and oatmeals contain a significant amount of vitamin D.
4. Almond milk – Contains approximately 96 IU of vitamin D per serving. However, the amount of vitamin D varies from brand to brand.
5. Rice milk – Generally, rice milk contains about 96 IU of vitamin D. Some other vitamins like vitamin A and B12 are also present in rice milk.
5. Vitamin E
Every average adult needs 22.4 IU of vitamin E on a daily basis. Vitamin E helps to prevent radical damages. It maintains an oxidant-antioxidant balance. Vitamin E is used for various hair related benefits like reducing frizziness, damage, unmanageable state and making hair shiny and healthy.
A. Benefit
When we start to talk about the benefits of vitamin E, then the topic is endless. Early research suggests that Vitamin E helps to keep the scalp and hair healthy. Let's see some of the other benefits:
a. Prevents hair loss – Oxidative stress is linked with hair loss. Vitamin E helps to reduce oxidative stress from the scalp. A small trial in 2010 showed that vitamin E improved hair growth for those who had hair fall problems.
b. Blood circulation improves – Vitamin E helps to increase blood circulation in our body. We discussed before how blood circulation brings oxygen supply to the hair follicles on the scalp and improves new hair growth.
c. Oil secretion – Vitamin E helps to balance oil production to keep our skin hydrated. However, it's not supported by studies on how vitamin E helps to balance oil production on the scalp. Even though oils that contain vitamin E, like avocado oil, helps to hydrate the scalp.
d. Shiney hair – The Academy of Dermatology said that when the layer of fat outside of our hair is damaged, the hair looks dull, unhealthy, and frizzy and loses its natural shine. It's also very difficult to manage and style the hair. In this case, a vitamin E rich oil can improve the fat lair, lock the moisturizer, and brings back the healthy, shiny look to our hair.
B. Source
Thank god that we don't have to find it hard to get Vitamin E rich sources. Plenty of sources is available out there. You get vitamin E not only from diet but also from applying it to the skin. Vitamin E enriched oil, shampoo, mask, and conditioner also help a lot to maintain vitamin E balance on our scalp.
a. Wheat gram oil – 100 grams of wheat gram oil contains about 149 mg of vitamin E.
b. Sunflower seed – 100 grams of sunflower seed contains about 65 mg of vitamin E.
c. Almonds – Almonds are a great source of vitamin E. 100 grams contain about 26 mg of vitamin E.
d. Hazelnut oil – In every 100 grams of hazelnut oil we get approximately 47 mg of vitamin E.
e. Pine nuts – 100 grams of pine nuts contains about 9.3 mg vitamin E.
f. Peanut – 100 grams of peanuts contains approximately 8.3 mg of vitamin E.
g. Leafy greens
h. Olive oil
i. Avocado
j. Supplements – There are plenty of supplements available in the market. But it's not necessary to get Vitamin E from supplements. Rather, it's beneficial to get it from diet alone.
Always dilute vitamin E oil with other oil before applying it to the skin, scalp and hair. Pure vitamin E oil can cause irritation and rash. Vitamin E can play an important role in your hair care arsenal. You don't even have to find hard for it.
To sum up everything that we have been discussed so far, having good multivitamins can lead to a healthy body. When changes occur in our skin and hair, we come to understand that we are having some vitamin deficiency. Some vitamins, minerals and amino acids are necessary to maintain keratin metabolism.
Any abnormality in our body is ultimately reflected by hair problems. When we are having malnutrition or suffering from any disease, we face hair problems. Hair stops growing and even become dry, losing natural shine. To prevent these consequences, we must maintain the vitamin level in our body carefully.
Hair enhances our beauty. Each and everyone desires to get bouncy and shiny hair. We sometimes listen to so many stories from our grandparents about their hair care regime. They suggest we consume many foods rich in vitamins and minerals that are good for hair. But we, being modern, tend to refuse those suggestions. If we knew the main causes of our hair problems then we should have listened to them. When we watch commercials on TV, make us feel jealous and provoke our imagination to get the same results at any cost. We buy so many hair products which promise to add value to our hair. But alas! Sometimes we find it good and other times it's just a waste of money and energy. So, what do you think? What do we need to do? To get thick and manageable hair, we first need to understand the root causes of hair fall, and we must try to prevent it from inside. Don't overthink and start to understand symptoms and act accordingly to get your desired hair.
References:
- healthline.com
- The Trichological society
