But what nutrients does your hair require, and how do you ensure it is healthy and strong? Below, we answer these questions and explain the difference between clean, food-based ingredients and food for your hair, the impact of diet and exercise on your hair, and the problem with oils and DIY.
What nutrients does your hair need?
Our hair needs a variety of nutrients to stay healthy and strong. Some essential nutrients include protein, iron, zinc, biotin, and vitamins A, C, D, and E. These nutrients can be found in various foods, such as eggs, nuts, leafy greens, and fish. It is essential to maintain a balanced diet to ensure that our hair and overall health are well-nourished.
Understanding Hair structure
The cuticle, cortex, and medulla are the three layers of our hair. It's made of keratin, a fibrous protein produced in hair follicles in the skin's outer layer that gives your hair elasticity. Your follicles determine your hair type. Curly hair develops from oval follicles and has more keratin on one side than the other. It tends to be drier and more prone to breakage.
What nutrients are needed for healthy hair?
Maintaining a healthy and balanced diet is essential to promote optimal hair growth. Essential nutrients that significantly contribute to the maintenance of strong and lustrous hair, include:
- Biotin, a B vitamin, preserves hair strength, texture, and function.
- Vitamins A, B, C, and E maintain the integrity of hair follicle cell membranes, provide hair elasticity and flexibility, and prevent hair loss.
- Amino acids, such as L-cysteine, help support hair strength.
- Omega-3 fatty acids support follicle health, hair structure, and barrier function while helping to reduce dry, flaky scalp.
- Protein gives your curls strength, shape, and structure.
What is the difference between clean food-based ingredients and food for your hair?
Clean food-based ingredients and food for your hair are two distinct things that serve different functions.
Clean food-based ingredients are natural, free of potentially damaging chemicals, and usually organic. They're also high in vitamins and minerals. In food and beauty products, clean food-based ingredients are used to provide a healthy and natural option for nourishing your hair and promoting healthy growth, making them a healthier choice for your hair. Avocado, coconut oil, and aloe vera are popular clean food-based hair ingredients.
Food for your hair, also known as hair food, is a type of product that contains specific nutrients, vitamins, and ingredients that improve the health and appearance of your hair, promote healthy hair growth, and prevent damage and hair loss. Shampoos, conditioners, hair masks, and serums are all forms of hair food. To avoid exposing your hair to unnecessary toxins, choose products free of harmful chemicals that contain natural ingredients.
How diet and exercise affect your hair
While some natural home remedies promise a lot, nothing is more important than paying attention to the ingredients you consume. Diet and exercise, in addition to hair structure, genetics, and other factors, play a role in the health of your hair. Several studies have shown that diet and exercise both have an impact on hair health. A healthy diet rich in vitamins and minerals and regular physical activity can promote healthy hair growth and prevent hair loss.
Diet
Eating a well-balanced and nutritious diet rich in protein, vitamins, and minerals is critical for maintaining healthy hair. Protein is vital for hair health because it helps to build and repair the structure of the hair. Protein-rich foods include lean meats, eggs, seafood, legumes, and nuts. Vitamins and minerals such as vitamin A, vitamin E, iron, and zinc are also necessary for healthy hair growth. These nutrients can be obtained by eating various fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean proteins.
Exercise
Regular exercise can also improve the health of your hair. Exercise stimulates hair follicles and promotes healthy hair growth by increasing blood flow and circulation. Exercise can also help reduce stress, which can help prevent hair loss and thinning. Excessive exercise or intense physical activity, on the other hand, can have the opposite effect and cause hair loss as a result of stress on the body. As a result, it is critical to strike a balance and not overdo it.
How to ensure your hair gets the nutrients it needs
It is important to note that some hair care products may contain essential nutrients. However, while external substances such as lotions, oils, and creams can be absorbed through the skin, nutrients such as vitamins and minerals must be obtained through food or supplements. Hair strands can absorb external substances such as hair products and chemicals, but like the skin, they cannot absorb nutrients.
To ensure that your hair receives the necessary nutrients and vitamins, it is recommended that you maintain a balanced diet, consume the right foods, drink plenty of water, and use supplements as needed.
The issue with using oils and DIY food masks
The natural hair community frequently promotes the use of oils and homemade food masks for healthy hair, but these methods may not be as beneficial as they appear. While hair absorbs moisture, it benefits most from products made with clean, food-based ingredients rather than those from your pantry or fridge. Many DIY treatments popular in the natural hair community are ineffective because the molecular structure is too large to penetrate the hair shaft.
Oils do not moisturize.
Oils to not seal in moisture.
Oils do not promote or aid in hair growth.
Oils do not help with dry scalp or other scalp concerns.
This applies to locs as well.
The sooner we learn this, the sooner we’ll all be free.🙏🏾— Camille Janae | Curly Hair + Loc Educator (@camillejanae) February 11, 2023
There is no alternative to oils bc they weren’t beneficial to begin with. If your scalp is itching as soon as 3 days, you may need to use a diffuser shampoo or address how you’re shampooing. But oil would only make that worse.
— Camille Janae | Curly Hair + Loc Educator (@camillejanae) February 11, 2023
Just eat the Avocado! Stop relying on DIY masks that are mostly wasting food, and trust properly formulated products with clean, food-based ingredients like Striking + Strong.
Striking + Strong is your ultimate hair care ally. Our hair care products are specifically designed for active women who have wavy, curly, or kinky-coily hair. No more bad hair days, just fabulous curls that match your fierce personality.
