Pretty Hair Week: Nutrition

Happy hair week my pretty friends! Although I am not a beauty blogger, I do love learning something new about hair and makeup any chance I get. This week I’ve decided to dedicate it to getting our hair to a healthy state because who doesn’t love a good hair day?!

I truly believe that nutrition and beauty go hand and hand. If we eat pretty, our bodies will respond by glowing and looking its best. For example, when you drink enough water, your skin radiates. This is why its essential to have a well balanced daily diet. One macronutrient we absolutely need is protein. A strand of hair is composed of mostly protein, which means your hair needs protein to grow. “Hair and nails are both protein fibers,” says dermatologist Paradi Mirmirani, MD, of the Permanente Medical Group in Vallejo, Calif., and a member of the North American Hair Research Society.

At any given time, about 90% of your hair is in the growing phase. For each individual hair, this growing phase lasts 2 to 3 years. At the end of that time, hairs enter a resting phase that lasts about 3 months before they are shed and replaced by new hair. If you are not getting enough protein in your daily diet,  get enough a disproportionate number of hairs may go into the resting phase. And here’s a fun fact: a typical scalp has about 120,000-150,000 strands of hair, and sheds about 50 to 100 strands of them each day. Neat!

Along with protein you also need iron, vitamin E and trace minerals such as selenium, copper, and magnesium to help keep your hair healthy. “These are all involved in the production of the various proteins that make up your hair,” says Christine Gerbstadt, MD, RD, spokeswoman for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Iron is very important in our diet because if you are not getting enough, it could lead to hair loss.

Worried you are not getting enough nutrients in your daily diet? I suggest taking a multivitamin every day in order to get your minerals and vitamins each day. And contrary to popular belief, there is no scientific data that proves that biotin supplements help hair/nail growth. This is why I advice my patients to take a multivitamin instead of an exclusive biotin supplement.

So what are some healthy foods you can eat to achieve pretty hair?

• salmon for shine
• oysters for zinc. This mineral helps prevent hair loss.
• greek yogurt for protein
• lentils for iron
• leafy green vegetables for vitamin A, iron, beta carotene, folate, and vitamin C. These work together for a healthy scalp and mane
• eggs for protein and iron
• acai berry for antioxidants
• guava for vitamin C to protect hair from breakage
• lean meats for protein
• sweet potatoes for beta carotene. Your body turns beta carotene into vitamin A, which helps protect against dry, dull hair
• cinnamon to help circulation, which is what brings oxygen and nutrients to your hair follicles

I hope that this little nutrition hair lesson helps! If you have any questions please feel free to shoot me an email. And make sure you come back every day this week to learn something new! From what tools and products to use, to advice from fabulous hairdressers, we will achieve the perfect hair day together.

Xo,

References:

Eat Right For Your Hair. WebMD.