Take More Of These Nutrients For Healthy Hair Growth

It is important to know that nutrients play a huge role in growing your hair and keeping it healthy. Nutrients provide nourishment essential for maintenance and growth. These nutrients are found in the foods we eat.

So, if you’re too busy to be consistent with using your hair care products, you can pay more attention to your diet and nourish your hair from the inside-out.

How to tell if your hair is damaged

Believe it or not, hair can get dehydrated. As you might guess, when your hair doesn’t maintain enough moisture, the resulting look is dry and dull-looking. It can cause some hair types to become frizzy, while others might just fall flat. Outdoor climates, diet changes, age, and certain products all can be culprits when it comes to dry hair causes.

If you’re wondering “Is my hair damaged?”, ask yourself if you are experiencing any of these common signs of damaged hair:

1. Your Hair Feels Dry or Brittle

If your hair constantly feels dry, damage to the cuticle layer is likely the cause. When the hair’s cuticle layer is damaged, moisture can easily escape leading to brittle hair. Plus, the moisture you try to infuse your dry hair with can’t be retained. If your hair tends to dry extremely quickly after getting wet, it could also be a sign of a damaged hair cuticle layer.

2. Your Hair Feels Thick at the Root and Thin at the Ends

As we mentioned earlier, hair damage is the result of a missing or inconsistent cuticle layer, which typically happens near the middle or ends of your hair, which have been most exposed to damage. When the cuticle layer is missing or disrupted, the hair will feel thinner and rough. You may notice this when you run your fingers through your hair, or by simply witnessing the ends of your hair appearing thin or split. Split ends can often be a clear sign of damaged hair.

3. Your Hair is Shedding

Are you noticing more hair left on your brush, or in the shower drain? Damaged hair is more prone to hair breakage, which means hair will break off and shed more easily.

4. You Have Difficulty De-tangling Your Hair

When the cuticle layer is disrupted, strands of hair catch more easily on other strands and cause excessive tangles. However, curly hair and long hair are also prone to tangles, so just because your natural hair is difficult to de-tangle, it doesn’t necessarily mean it’s damaged. If, though, it is abnormal for your hair type to be tangled and tough, damage could be the culprit.

5. Your Hair Appears Dull

Dullness can also be a sign of hair damage. Hair with damaged cuticles will lack the smoothness and shininess that come from a smooth cuticle layer and properly moisturized hair. Damage that shows itself with dullness could be caused by pollution, UV rays, product buildup, hard water, and more. Excess product buildup can also lead to scalp irritation- we recommend using a weekly dry scalp treatment if you start to notice your scalp feeling dry or irritated.

Here are some essential nutrients for a hair 

1. Proteins

Lean meat, such as chicken & turkey, and fish like tuna, halibut & tilapia are great high protein foods for proper hair growth.

2. Water 

Water helps to prevent hair dryness and maintain moisture in hair to avoid breakage. Always ensure you are drinking enough water (h2o) daily and eating water-rich fruits and vegetables to hydrate your mane.

3. Omega-3s fatty Acid

Natural oils are found in your scalp and make hair produce stay hydrated. Omega-3s are found in the cell membrane of your scalp skin. Taking enough of these fatty acids can help prevent dry scalp and help your hair grow and shine. Eating food such as wild salmon, fish(striped sea bass or mackerel twice a week), canola oil, soybeans, walnuts etc.

4. Biotin

Too little biotin can lead to hair loss, carrots, almonds, walnuts & cauliflower are good choices to consider. This is a nutrient that has been shown to promote hair growth.

5. Iron

Low ferritin has been linked to slow or retard hair growth and cause shedding of hair. Eating foods that contain iron such as oysters, clams, lean beef, eggs, tuna, soya beans, spinach, tofu, would help improve the iron in your body. Your hair follicles receive nourishing oxygen from the iron in your red blood cells.

6. Vitamin C

Oranges, kale, brussel sprouts, thyme, bell pepper, parsley, and strawberries contain this nutrient which is essential to promote healthy hair.

7. B vitamins

Foods such as pork, beans, chickens, oatmeal, are great carriers of B vitamins (B6, B12), it creates red blood cells. If your body lacks adequate B vitamins, the cells can starve which can lead to shedding, slower growth and hair breakage.

Healthy hair habits to practice daily

• Brush your hair before showering
• Eat a balanced diet
• Turn down the temperature of your shower when bathing
• Shield hair strands from the sun
• Maintain a proper hair length by trimming regularly
• Apply your Groomed By Elereka hair and beard products to lock in moisture and keep hair shiny

6 signs your hair is healthy

• Shiny and smooth
• Good elasticity
• Sheds a few strands daily
• Detangles easily
• Moisturized
• Minimum breakage