By Are you after healthy hair?
Do you want beautiful, glossy locks?
Yes, then you’ll discover the answers here.
Hair care starts at home and there is more to healthy hair than what products you use, read on and discover more.
Healthy Hair Foods
Healthy hair isn’t only about what products you use on your tresses and having regular trims, what foods you eat actually play an important part in the condition of your hair. Being healthy on the inside will show on your hair and skin.
Here are the top food to benefit your tresses-
Protein
Protein is one of the most important ingredients to add to your diet. Hair is made up mostly of protein so it is essential to consume enough protein to have healthy, strong locks A diet with little or no protein can leave the hair weak and dry and may result in breakage, also in extreme cases, it can result in hair loss.
Foods are high in protein-
Lean Beef, Chicken Breast, Turkey Breast, Tuna, Salmon, Cottage Cheese, Tofu, Soy Beans, Egg Whites, Yogurt, Milk, Nuts, and Seeds.
Vitamin C
Vitamin C plays an important part in the production of collagen which is important for hair growth. Also, vitamin C helps with the absorption of iron which is essential for strong healthy hair.
Foods high in vitamin c-
Lemons, Oranges, Strawberries, Grapefruit, Kiwis, Blackcurrants, Blueberries, Guavas, Papayas, Kale, Peppers, Broccoli, and Tomatoes.
Iron
An extremely important mineral for the hair is iron, a diet that lacks iron can actually cause hair loss. Ironworks by creating a healthy blood supply which feeds the hair follicle which creates healthy, strong hair.
Foods are high in iron-
Mussels, Oysters, Lean Beef, Pumpkin Seeds, Almonds, Cashews, Pine Nuts, Hazelnuts, Beans, Pulses, Whole Grains, Dark Leaf Greens, and Tofu.
Vitamin A
Vitamin A is essential for the production of sebum, sebum is an oily substance that is created by the hair’s sebaceous glands and is a natural oil that moisture and conditions the scalp and hair. It also helps to strengthen the hair.
Foods high in vitamin A-
Sweet Potato, Carrot, Dark Leaf Green, Mango, Tuna, Red Peppers, Dried Apricots, Cantaloupe, Squash.
Vitamin E
Vitamin E is another essential vitamin for healthy-looking hair. Vitamin E can actually promote hair growth by stimulating the growth of the hair capillaries and improving circulation which in return can promote strong healthy hair growth.
Foods high in Vitamin E-
Tofu, Spinach, Nuts, Sunflower Seeds, Broccoli, Squash, Olive Oil, Fish, Avocados, Shellfish.
How To Prevent Grey Hair
As we get the dreaded grey hair sets in but believe it or not there are actually ways to prevent your hair from going grey. Follow these simple tips to keep those little silver sparkles at bay.
- Stress – Stress is one of the biggest causes of greying hair, make it a point to take some time out to relax and look after yourself, also don’t sweat the small stuff.
- Water – Keeping yourself hydrated is essential, not only for your health but for your hair too, if you’re dehydrated it can actually stop the nutrients from getting to the hair follicle which can lead to greying of the hair.
- Smoking – Smoking has been proven to speed up the ageing process throughout the body and can cause early greying. Studies have shown that smokers are four times more likely to turn grey sooner, so ditch those cigarettes.
- B-12 – Lack of vitamin b-12 can lead to premature greying. B-12 helps with the production of healthy red blood cells which in return will feed the hair follicles and produce strong hair and prevent early greying.
Treatments For Grey Hair
Coconut Oil and Lemon Juice
Coconut oil is known for its moisturizing effect on the hair but it can also be used to prevent greying of the hair and in some cases can even reverse the greying effects.
To use mix 1-2tbs of coconut oil and 5-10 drops of lemon oil together massage into the scalp then clip the hair up and leave overnight.
Onion Juice
Onion juice is a strong and powerful natural treatment for hair. Not only can it reverse greying hair but studies have shown it can also prevent hair loss.
To use juice a medium-sized onion in a juicer and massage the juice into the scalp, leave between 30min to 1hr and then rinse.
Raw onion is very strong if you have sensitive skin or just want to be on the safe side, test some of the juice on a small patch of the scalp and leave for 24 hours. If you experience any redness, itching or pain do not use it.
Essential Hair Tips
- Stress – Any time you are stressed or tense your scalp can tighten meaning your blood capillaries also tighten, this will reduce the blood flow to your hair follicle, and over a long period of time this can result in hair loss. So don’t sweat the small stuff!
- Head Massage – When shampooing takes a couple of minutes to massage your scalp, doing this will get the blood circulation going which will increase blood flow and result in stronger healthy hair and scalp.
- Shampooing – Try not to shampoo your hair on a daily basis try to leave at least one day in between, more if you can. There are always exceptions though, if you have really greasy oily hair or really short hair you may be able to get away with shampooing your hair every day.
- Before Shampooing – See how your hair looks before automatically shampooing in the morning you may get away with a spritz of dry shampoo and a brush.
- Deep Cleanse – If you use lots of hair products or have a build-up of oil a great tip is to mix 1 tablespoon of baking soda with your shampoo, this will give your hair a deep cleanse.
- Deep Conditioning Treatment – If you have dry hair or colour your hair try to do a deep conditioning treatment once a week. You can either buy a treatment or why not make a fresh treatment from ingredients you can find in your cupboard.
- Cold Rinse – After shampooing and conditioning, give your hair a blast with cold water to close the cuticle, this not only will leave your hair shiner but will also give your hair some protection during styling.
- No Rubbing – When drying your with a towel never rub only squeeze the water from the hair, rubbing can cause frizziness and even breakage.
- Combing – Never brush your are when wet always use a comb, wet is more fragile and needs some extra TLC when wet so use a wide-toothed comb and work from the ends of the hair up to the roots to avoid tangles and breakage.
- Natural Bristle Hair Brush – Invest in a natural hair brush, they can be a little pricy compared to the cheap plastic ones but they are well worth the investment. The natural bristles are designed to clean the scalp while distributing the natural oil through the hair to leave the hair shiner and glossy.
- Air Dry – If possible leave your hair to air dry so you’re not using as much heat on your locks which will result in less damage. If you need to use the hairdryer make to squeeze as much water out of the hair as possible.
- Split Ends – Sorry ladies there is no product on the market that is going to mend those split ends and let’s face it they look horrible. The only way to get rid of them is to have them cut off so regular trims are a must.
- Volume – For added volume to your style tip your head upside and blast with the hairdryer using your fingers to style.
- Cold Air – After drying your hair, switch your hairdryer to cool mode and give your tresses a blast to close the cuticles to leave your hair glossier.
- Toothbrush – If you have some flyaway hairs sticking up, squirt a little hairspray on an unused toothbrush and comb them down.
Around The World Hair Tips
Australia
Eucalyptus Oil
Our first tip comes from Australia where they recommend massaging a few drops of Eucalyptus into the scalp and leaving overnight. Eucalyptus oil will not only simulate the scalp to promote healthy hair growth but add moisture as well as help combat dandruff.
Argentina
Aloe Vera Gel
If you want healthy, gorgeous-looking hair take a leaf out of Argentina’s book (literally). They recommend applying the gel from an aloe vera plant to the hair as a conditioning treatment, this protein-rich gel will leave your locks looking and feeling fantastic. 100% pure aloe is largely available and reasonably priced. Use as would a conditioner treatment leave for 20 to 30 minutes and rinse.
Brazil
Coconut Butter & Water
This hair mask from Brazil sounds yummy enough to eat. Apply a generous amount of coconut butter to the hair and comb through using a wide tooth comb, wrap in a towel and leave for 30mins-1hr, rinse using coconut water. Your tresses will be softer and more manageable.
Columbia
Avocado & Eggs Whites
Next up is Columbia, where they recommend a hair mask made up of 1 avocado and two egg whites mashed and mixed together. Apply to the hair and cover with a towel or shower cap and leave for 30mins-1hour then rinse, you’ll be left with some glossy healthy-looking locks.
India
Amla Indian Gooseberry
Amla powder is packed full of antioxidants and vitamin c which can help with the growth and thickness of hair. Be warned amla powder is usually for dark hair so read the label and instructions before using.
Italy
Olive Oil
A tradition that has been used for centuries in Italy is to use olive oil as a hair conditioning treatment. Fatty acids found in olive oil are very beneficial to hair and will leave the hair stronger, healthier and full of shine. To use massage a generous amount of olive oil to the mid-lengths and ends, comb through and wrap in a towel for 30 minutes.
Morocco
Argan Oil
No doubt you’ve heard about Argan oil. Only in the last few years has it gained popularity over here for its beauty properties but in Morocco, the benefits of this oil have been around for centuries. Argan oil has many uses check out my page dedicated to precious oil.
Romania Honey
To give your highlights a little lift and keep them glistering take a little tip from Romania and use some honey. Just add a tablespoon of honey to your daily conditioner to see the benefits.
