Healthy hair starts with healthy follicles. Like any other part of your body, your scalp needs a good supply of oxygenated blood and nutrients to thrive. Most women don’t realize this. While you’ll still want to pay attention to what’s on top, taking care of your hair follicles can also make a big difference. Consider what follows your inside-out hair-care program.
Strengthen your heart and hair. Vibrant health is all about good blood flow, so anything that’s smart for your heart is great for your hair. Since the heart is a muscle, exercise actually strengthens and enlarges it so that it pumps more blood with more force on every beat, including way up to your head.
Clean up your arteries. Not only can the typical high-fat diet plug up arteries, but it can also plug up follicles, which can cause thinning. In fact, studies have found a link between heart disease and hair loss. The connection is likely due to a naturally occurring chemical called nitric oxide—its job is to prevent clotting, dilate blood vessels, and, as a sidelight, nourish hair. When atherosclerosis damages the walls of your vessels, less nitric oxide is produced. To keep arteries clean and your hair gorgeous, eat a heart-healthy diet—lots of fiber, complex carbs, protein, and “good” (unsaturated) fat.
Get stress under control. If you’re in a constant state of high anxiety, follicles can actually shut down. And this is true for psychological as well as physical stress. (Crash dieting, for instance, can trigger hair loss.) To help your body deal with stress, aim to get 1 extra hour of sleep a night. Skeptical? Try it for 1 week.
Pump more iron. Not getting enough iron can spell trouble for red blood cells—crucial to the health of hair follicles. The Daily Value (DV) for iron for women is 18 milligrams, but vegetarians and those who are pregnant need significantly more. Keep in mind that drinking coffee and tea hurts iron absorption, while taking in vitamin C helps it.
Break bad habits. Anything that negatively affects your overall health doesn’t stop at your hair. So, smoking and drinking, for example, can make your hair look and feel less healthy. Just think: healthy body, healthy hair.
Deploy the secret weapon. All these previous changes take time, so while you’re waiting for them to kick in, use a hair-thickening shampoo. It actually works. With a protein-rich formula that penetrates hair and a protective layer that seals in moisture, hair-thickening shampoo can increase the diameter of each strand by as much as 50% to create the illusion of thicker hair.
Comments from Members
I have a hard time finding a shampoo that delivers results
. I think I've purchased every kind! I wonder if there is a hair vitamin that actually works or at least some kind of shampoo and conditioner for conditions like mine; which are oily on top and a little dry on the ends!! I am currently trying Pantene and crossing my fingers!
I have always had thick, healthy, long, red hair...recently i have started having an itchy scalp and dry skin on my head. Last weekend I attended a pre-halloween party and used hairspray to hold my style...i never use any product or stylers except occasionally a CHI flat iron. Could it be from the hairspray-maybe it irritated my scalp? Or maybe it's the change in weather and using the heater more is drying out the air in the house? I don't know. Help please??
This article is great. And all the information everyone has shared has been very useful for me. Thanks for taking the time everyone. Take care!
Please let me know how much baking soda to put in our shampoo !
THIS ARTICLE i HAVE FOUND EXCELLENT. GREAT INFO. JUST WISH YOU HAD OF MENTION SOME NAMES OF SHAMPOO'S. I CURRENTLY USE PANTENE PRO-V FOR FULL AND THICK HAIR AND S FAR IT RATED THE BEST FOR ME.
PAM
ALL THE INFORMATION I THIS ARTICLE IS EXCELLENT. do WISH THAT YOU AD SOME NAMES OF SHAMPOO'S. I USE PANTENE PRO-V FOR FULL AND THICK HAIR AND SO FAR IT'S THE BEST I HAVE FOUND.
