While hairstyles are important, the health and strength of your hair can impact your image and perception. Growing at a rate of 0.5 inches per month, your hair is always affected by your lifestyle. That means your daily habits, including what you eat and drink, if you smoke, and how you treat your hair, all have an impact on your locks. Poor lifestyle choices can weaken the structure of your hair and may ultimately lead to hair loss. If you want to keep your hair looking strong and lustrous—and avoid hair loss—then follow these daily habits.
- Feed your follicles: Your hair needs a balanced combination of nutrients to grow and stay strong. You also need to have healthy circulation so oxygen and nutrients can reach your hair follicles. Biotin, also known as vitamin B7, is one of the most important hair-growth nutrients because it helps with the body’s metabolism of nutrients such as fatty acids, amino acids, and glucose[1]; it also strengthens hair shafts and supports hair growth[2]. Other vital nutrients include vitamin C, which can help support hair growth by assisting with collagen production[3]; vitamin E, which promotes circulation in the scalp and helps transport oxygen and other nutrients to the hair follicles; and vitamin D, which may help stimulate the growth of new hair follicles[4]. If you’re concerned you’re not getting enough nutrients to your hair, then DrFormulas’ HairOmega line of hair growth supplements can help.
- Enhance with essential oils: Rubbing some essential oils on the scalp is believed to promote hair growth. Lavender oil, for example, has been shown to promote hair growth in people with alopecia areata[5], an autoimmune disease that causes hair loss. Applying essential oils, like rosemary, to the scalp where hair is thinning may also help stimulate hair growth[6]. A mixture of thyme and cedarwood oils has also been shown to be effective for supporting hair re-growth[7].
- Water your roots: Drinking plenty of fresh water is vital for healthy hair. Each of your hair shafts is made up of 25% water. If your hair is not getting enough water to flourish, it will weaken, break easily, and begin to thin. Drinking plenty of water will encourage strong hair growth and leave hair looking thick and shiny. You should aim to drink around 8-10 eight-ounce glasses of water every day. Adding zinc to your diet can also support hair growth[8].
- Say no to stress: Stress has a serious impact on your hair, particularly in the long run. It can lead to alopecia areata, patchy hair thinning, and Telogen effluvium, sudden, diffuse hair loss throughout the scalp. Keep stress to a minimum by maintaining a regular sleep pattern. Learn some relaxation techniques, like mindful breathing, or find an activity that relaxes you, like reading or taking an evening stroll around the block. Manage your time carefully so you’re not overburdened with a schedule you can’t handle. Get plenty of exercise. If your job has you sitting for most of the day, get up and walk around at least every 20 minutes.
- Love your locks: Treating your hair well begins with how you wash and condition it. Many of today’s hair shampoos contain harsh detergents such as sodium lauryl sulfate and polyethylene glycol. Always use a conditioner after shampooing to restore oils removed by shampoos. HairOmega shampoos and conditioners were formulated to maximize buildup removal while shampooing and maximize moisture restoration when conditioning.
Once you are done showering dry your hair gently. The best way is to let your hair dry naturally. But if you have long hair and you’re in a hurry you should use a hair dryer on the warm setting. If your hair dryer only has a hot setting then keep the drier farther away from your hair and don’t point the drier at a single location for too long. Limit your use of harsh chemicals and treatments as much as possible.
- Get physical: Regular exercise benefits your hair because it promotes better circulation. This helps improve the passage of oxygen and nutrients to your scalp and hair follicles. Exercise also helps you sweat, promoting the release of toxins from your system.
- Heat up the oil: A regular warm oil hair treatment can contribute a lot to healthy hair. You can use any natural oil—coconut oil, olive oil, almond oil, argan oil, and jojoba oil are all good choices. We recommend jojoba oil because it closely mimics natural human sebum. Put the oil in a container and heat it by standing the container in hot water. Once the oil is warm, massage it gently into your scalp using your fingertips. When you have applied the oil evenly, put on a shower cap and leave the oil on your hair for an hour, then wash out with a mild shampoo. It’s a good idea to have a hot oil treatment once or twice each month, as it helps prevent your hair and scalp from getting dry.
Don’t make mistakes that can give others a poor impression about your hair and health. Maintain a healthy diet, drink plenty of water, limit your use of hair styling tools and chemical treatments, utilize conditioner and oil treatments, decrease your stress levels, and exercise regularly help your hair feel stronger and look healthier within a matter of weeks.
Making sure you are getting all the nutrients you need from your diet is not always easy, so a nutritional supplement might better for you. Whatever hair loss pills you choose make sure the hair growth supplement you choose has Vitamin B7, Vitamin C, Vitamin A, silica, zinc, iodine, and other all-natural ingredients to support hair growth, such as saw palmetto, Beta-Sitosterol, lycopene, Pygeum africanum, green tea, and grape seed extract. Having too many vitamins can be just as bad for your hair as having too little so make sure that the product you choose is developed by experienced professionals.
[1] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12459313
[2] http://www.jbc.org/content/171/2/471.full.pdf
[3] https://www.hindawi.com/journals/tswj/2014/641723/
[4] http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.5966/sctm.2012-0032/full
[5] http://www.umm.edu/health/medical/altmed/herb/lavender
[6] http://pennstatehershey.adam.com/content.aspx?productId=114&pid=33&gid=000004
[7] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9828867
[8] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2703143/
About the Author:
Dr. Bryan Do, D.O. is an osteopathic physician whose research interests include gastroenterology, immunology, and dermatology. He is particularly interested in the role of probiotics in the gut-brain-skin axis and has written many articles on the topic. He graduated from University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) before graduating from Marian University College of Osteopathic Medicine in Indianapolis, Indiana and becoming a Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine. Osteopathic physicians are taught to take a holistic approach to medicine and to consider mind, body, and spirit when treating a patient. Osteopathic physicians receive training in Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine (OMM) in addition to the standard rigorous medical school curriculum. Both physicians with a Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (D.O.) degree as well as a Doctor of Medicine (M.D.) can practice medicine.