Hair Health

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There are many factors that contribute towards having healthy hair and enable it to grow efficiently.

Here we have listed a few vitamins and minerals we feel are important to keep your hair healthy. If you suffer with a vitamin deficiency, this could have a significant impact on your hair and possibly end up in hair loss.

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Iron

Iron helps red blood cells carry oxygen around your body to your cells, including those in your organs, tissues and even the cells in your hair follicles.

When your iron levels become low it becomes harder for your body to transport oxygen to all the important cells and it will give preference to the cells that need it the most. This means that the hair follicles will get less of the supply because we do not need out hair for survival.

Good sources of iron are red meat, lentils, eggs and spinach.

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Vitamin A

Vitamin A helps skin make an oily substance called sebum, this keeps the scalp moisturised. It is also essential for cell growth and because hair cells are one of the fastest growing, it really does need vitamin A.

However, you must be careful, too much vitamin A can have the adverse effect and potentially cause hair loss.

Good sources of vitamin A include cod liver oil, carrots, pumpkin and spinach.

 

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B Vitamins

B vitamins help create red blood cells which carry nutrients around the body which includes the hair follicles. One of the main B vitamins you may have heard of when it comes to hair is Biotin. Biotin is a water-soluble vitamin that is part of the B vitamin family and this helps convert nutrients into energy. A biotin deficiency can lead to hair loss.

Good sources of B vitamins are dark leafy greens, almonds, meat and fish.

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Vitamin C

Vitamin C is a really important vitamin for so many reasons. It is a powerful antioxidant and fights off free radicals. When it comes to your hair growth vitamin C is essential to produce collagen, which is a protein that is an important part of the hair structure.

The body cannot produce or store vitamin C which means it needs to be consumed on a daily basis to keep the body functioning efficiently.

Good sources of vitamin C are citrus fruits, strawberries and peppers.

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Vitamin D

Most people know that our bodies produce vitamin D from absorbing the suns rays. Vitamin D stimulates hair follicles to grow and is essential for hair growth.

Vitamin D deficiencies have been linked with several types of hair loss including alopecia areata.

The best source of vitamin D is of course, sunlight. However, a good quality supplement can also be used.

 

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Vitamin E

Vitamin E is a natural antioxidant and fights free radicals. As well as this it supports healthy hair growth and maintains a healthy scalp. It has anti-inflammatory properties and helps maintain the immune system and cell function.

Good sources of vitamin E are avocados, spinach and sunflower seeds.

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Zinc

Zinc is important for hair growth and repair as well as keeping the oil glands around the follicle functioning properly.

If you are using a zinc supplement, you must be careful that the dose is not too high as this can start to have the opposite effect and can start to cause hair loss.

Good sources of zinc include beef, pumpkin seeds and cheese.

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