Article: Hair fall and thinning ? key nutrients your scalp needs to thrive this season.
Is Your Hair Everywhere—Except on Your Head?
Are you afraid to comb or wash your hair as the moment you run your fingers through your hair you see them falling like autumn leaves. Disappointed after trying almost every product which promises new hair growth now all you want is to preserve and protect whatever hair you have. Hair fall and hair thinning can be extremely frustrating and disheartening, seeing your hair on a pillow and hairbrush everyday is not easy. In order to solve this issue it is important to understand the reasons for hair fall first.
Hair thinning is caused by multiple reasons like stress, hormonal imbalances, genetics, poor lifestyle and nutritional deficiencies. In this blog, we’re going to talk about one of the easiest and most effective ways to tackle hair thinning, that is managing the nutritional deficiencies by providing your body with essential nutrients for hair growth.
Why Is Your Hair Falling Out?
Before we dive into the best nutrients for hair growth, let’s understand why these hair fall nutrients are crucial. Your hair is like a plant. It needs the right nourishment to grow strong and healthy. If you’re missing out on key nutrients for hair loss, your hair follicles weaken, leading to thinning and excessive shedding.
The structure of hair is mainly divided in two - the hair shaft and the hair follicle. The hair shaft is what you see and the hair follicle is hidden beneath your scalp. It is like the root of your hair, your hair grows from the hair follicle. These hair follicles are highly sensitive and active; they are the most rapidly growing cells in your body. This is why they need the best nutrients for hair growth.
Essential Nutrients for Hair Growth
1. Protein
Your hair is mainly composed of a protein called keratin, it is also found in nails and the outermost layer of your skin that is epidermis. Keratin is made up of long chains of amino acids which are the best nutrients for hair growth.
This keratin provides the structure and strength to your hair. It also gives a smooth texture and shine to your hair. Without enough keratin your hair becomes fragile and weak. They break easily and become brittle thus causing hairfall and thinning. Thus it is crucial to include protein in your diet which will help with keratin production.
Protein sources - Nonvegetarian sources include eggs, chicken, meat while vegetarian sources include dairy products like cheese, paneer, milk. Other sources like legumes, nuts and seeds also provide protein to the hair.
2. Biotin (Vitamin B7) – The Hair Growth Booster
Biotin is also known as vitamin B7. It is one of the most essential nutrients for hair growth because it helps in strengthening the shaft of hair. It improves the elasticity of hair and prevents them from breaking. Biotin also stimulates the production of keratin. Deficiency of biotin may lead to brittle hair which breaks easily and results in excessive hair fall. Sources: Eggs, nuts, seeds, and sweet potatoes.
3. Iron
Iron deficiency is a leading cause of hair loss. Thus women lose hair when they are suffering with iron deficiency anemia. Iron helps the red blood cells to carry oxygen to hair follicles which keeps them healthy and alive. Sources of iron in food are spinach, lentils, and dates.
3. Vitamin D
Vitamin d is one of the key nutrients for hair fall as it plays an important role in hair follicle cycling. Lower levels of vitamin D can result in slow growth of hair and hair loss while adequate vitamin D stimulates the hair follicles resulting in new hair growth. The main source of vitamin d is sunlight; other sources are fortified dairy, mushrooms, fatty fish.
4. Zinc
Zinc is one of the most essential nutrients for hair growth as it keeps the oil glands in the scalp functioning properly. It mainly helps in repairing the hair tissue. If you are suffering from excessive dryness of scalp and dandruff it means you are not having enough zinc in your diet. Zinc prevents the flakiness of scalp and strengthens hair and also prevents premature greying of hair. Sources of zinc - pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, chickpeas, whole grains, lentils etc.
4. Vitamin C
Vitamin c helps in absorption of iron, it also helps in collagen production. The main sources of vitamin c are citrus fruits like oranges and lemons, alma contains the highest amount of vit C.
5. Omega-3 Fatty Acids
Omega 3 fatty acids are crucial nutrients to stop hair fall as they nourish the scalp and promote overall hair health. If you want faster hair growth then adding omega 3 fatty acids to your diet is important. Omega 3 fatty acids also reduce inflammation and promote thicker, shinier hair. The main sources are seafood, mainly fatty fish, flaxseeds, walnuts etc.
6. Magnesium
Magnesium is one of the important nutrients for hair fall. It helps in keeping your scalp healthy by preventing the calcium buildup on the scalp, which can clog hair follicles. Magnesium deficiency is also one of the main reasons for hair loss.
7. Vitamin E
Vitamin E is a powerful antioxidant and considered as a crucial nutrient for hair fall as it helps in improving the circulation to the scalp, it promotes the growth of healthy and lustrous hair the main sources are almonds, spinach avocados and sunflower seeds.
Practical Tips to Make These Nutrients Work for You
- Balanced Diet: Focus on whole foods rich in vitamins and minerals. This will prevent the deficiencies and help in providing your body with essential nutrients for hair fall prevention.
- Stay Hydrated: Not drinking enough water will lead to dehydration. Dehydration weakens hair strands. So having enough water is crucial for hair growth.
- Use Hair Oils: Coconut, castor, and rosemary oils nourish the scalp. Research says that rosemary oil helps in the growth of new hair.
- Avoid Heat Damage: Minimize use of straighteners and curlers. They emit heat and may cause damage to your hair strands.
- Scalp Massage: Boosts blood circulation and promotes growth.
- Supplements: If your diet lacks key nutrients, adding natural supplements to your routine can make a huge difference. Something like Cureveda Grow - it is a plant Biotin hair vitamin which contains 10,000 mcg of biotin sourced from the herb sesbania, it also contains antioxidant lycopene to provide nourishment for stronger, longer, and healthier hair.
- Herbal ingredients: Herbs like Bhringraj, Fenugreek (Methi) Seeds, Brahmi, Neem help in hair growth and prevent scalp infections. Incorporating them in your routine can be a game changer. Potent herbs in the right proportion and combination can do wonders for your hair. Extract of onion seeds with sesbania help prevent hair loss and stimulate hair growth. These potent ingredients are found in Cureveda Beauty it contains Onion seed extract - Provides 4% quercetin that helps prevent hair loss and stimulate hair growth by blocking actions of hormone DHT, a derivative of testosterone that damages hair follicles in both men & women. It also contains Jatamansi extract which helps improve the size of the hair follicle for strong and thick hair.
Conclusion - If you want your hair to be healthy and strong again, make sure you get all those nutrients for hair fall prevention. Don't forget that Healthy, strong, and voluminous hair is the result of proper nourishment. Instead of stressing over the hair loss take action and incorporate all above nutrients in your diet. Give your hair the nourishment it deserves, and you’ll soon see the difference.