Our Favourite Tips For Healthy Hair
We all want beautiful hair, but sometimes it’s easy to become confused by the huge amount of products available in the shops. The more times we change colour, use heat treatments or add chemicals to our locks, the weaker and more brittle our hair gets. This is even before we factor in increasing levels of air pollution, which can spell disaster for the health of our follicles. In 2019, researchers showed that polluted air, similar to that found in many cities, can significantly reduce our levels of beta-carenin, the protein responsible for hair growth.[1]
All this means we need to take extra-special care to have a beautiful, lustrous, healthy head of hair. So here are our top tips to achieve hair heaven….
The wonderul nutrients found in flax seeds (also known as linseed) make them not only one of the healthiest things you can eat, but also mean they’re absolutely fantastic for your hair. They’re full of protein, which is also what your hair is made of. They contain B vitamins, which strengthen hair and enable it to grow. The vitamin E in flax has antioxidant properties which prevent damage to your scalp – and the Omega-3 fatty acids provide essential nutrients and stop hair loss by reducing inflammation to the follicles.
To take advantage of the awesomely hair-friendly properties of flax, you can make your own hair mask, which is also fantastic used as a hair styling gel. Simply boil 50g of whole flax seeds in a pan containing 600g of water for around 8 minutes or until the water reaches the thickness of egg whites. Turn off the heat and let the pan and contents cool for about an hour, then strain it to separate the seeds, using a muslin bag or a stocking. Hey presto! Your restorative gel is ready to bring health to your hair. It should keep in a jar in the fridge for about three weeks.
Oiling your hair is rather wonderful for the health of your scalp and to strengthen and hydrate individual strands. Start by massaging the scalp with oil, and then apply it to the hair. Covering with a shower cap or a towel and leaving it in overnight will give your hair an excellent deep treatment. Next morning, simply shampoo and rinse.
Some of the best oils to use on your hair include coconut oil and argan oil, both of which are excellent sources of fatty acids, which penetrate deep inside each hair strand and strengthen them from the inside. Sunflower oil is a wise choice if your hair is prone to breakage, as it’s high in oleic acid, which softens hair by reducing the rate of moisture loss. Olive oil isn’t just for Mediterranean diets – it’s also superb at protecting hair against heat damage, coating each strand to make it more resilient. Avocado oil is great at sealing hair’s outermost layer (the cuticle cells), which cuts down on hair breakage, and grapeseed oil moisturises, conditions and is excellent for those with ailments associated with sensitive skin, such as dermatitis, as it doesn’t block pores. It also stops your body producing dihydrotestosterone, a hormone that causes hair loss. Other great oils for hair include flaxseed oil, macadamia oil and shea butter. When using oils on your hair, make sure to choose the most unrefined versions available in order to reap the full benefits of the compounds they contain.
Aloe vera is a cactus-like plant with a wide range of health benefits. The gel from this wonder-plant is very efficient at cleaning residue from the hair left by hair products, particles of pollution in the air and buildup of sebum (the hair’s natural oils). It also has anti-inflammatory properties because of its excellent levels of healthy fatty acids. These work wonders if you have an irritated scalp – for instance, the condition dermatitis, which causes dandruff and is characterised by itchiness and flakiness. Aloe vera works wonderfully applied to the hair just before oil, for a double-whammy of follicle-love which will leave your tresses feeling healthy and luxurious and looking gorgeous. The folic acid and vitamin B12 in the gel will also help stop hair loss, and the wealth of vitamins A, C and E will encourage hair growth and bring a lustrous sheen to each strand.
From kitchen cupboard to bathroom cupboard
Sometimes, ingredients we normally associate with cooking and baking can be rather wonderful to use on our hair – take for example potato starch, which makes a superb dry shampoo. Arrowroot powder works equally as well. It also absorbs oil, so if you have greasy hair, raiding the kitchen cupboard for some arrowroot can be a canny move! Many people use bicarbonade of soda (baking soda) on their hair, reporting that it leaves it shiny and bright. It appears to restore the hair’s sebum by removing the dimethicone, an ingredient in many commercial hair products that builds up and stops moisture penetrating the hair cuticle.
Sometimes the natural, DIY approach is better than spending your money on chemical-laden supermarket hair care products. Armed with a little knowledge, you can whip up a brilliantly hair-friendly homemade hair mask in no time at all. For moisture retention, use an ingredient with plenty of B-vitamins, such as banana, citrus or soya milk. Another ingredient high in vitamin B is oats, and these are also very good to add to lightly exfoliate your scalp. Apple cider vinegar is also a fabulous ingredient for your homemade hair mask. It’s superb at detangling your strands, preventing dryness, reducing frizz and even slowing the rate of colour loss. It also works just like a clarifying shampoo, reducing buildup and performing a thorough deep-clean.
There are many haircare supplements available (and even some in gummy form!) However, eating healthily is the very best (and most enjoyable) way to keep your hair strong. Biotin is believed to be good at preventing hair loss and promoting hair growth, and can be found in pulses and legumes such as peanuts. As your hair is predominantly made of protein, it makes sense to ensure you’re getting enough of the stuff in your diet! Pulses are an excellent source, as are nuts and seeds. Those who want to top up their protein levels further may want to consider trying a protein powder, excellent added to your morning smoothie. You may also like to add some berries – these are packed with antioxidants, perfect for reducing scalp inflammation, and also contain high levels of vitamin C, which encourages the production of collagen, a potent hair-strengthener. It’s also worth ensuring you’re eating plenty of foods containing vitamin A, which is important for the health of your hair, and can be found in foods such as apricots, sweet potatoes and kale. Food rich in Omega-3 fatty acids are very beneficial to your hair – try walnuts, hemp seeds or even seaweed for a tasty omega boost. Selenium is another nutrient awesome for hair health and can be found in great amounts in Brazil nuts as well as in brown rice.
