Is it weak hair or weak bones? Is it hair fall or hormone imbalance? Is it frizzy hair or dehydrated body?Is it a bad hair day or badly stressed day?
Most of us spend more money on supplements to stop hair , loss & improve hair growth, expensive cosmetics and hair care products, but lose out on the basic things that affect hair growth.
Our hair and skin in its natural state can talk a lot about our overall health and lifestyle. Hair is not a vital organ in our body (though we consider it vital for our looks), hence health and maintenance of hair won’t be a priority if the other vital organs are not well nourished or in a healthy state.
Some of the most important things to prevent hair loss are small changes in your lifestyle, and can be done without emptying your wallet.
Digestive health and Nutrition: Ever felt you lose more hair on the days you feel bloated/constipated or when you eat food that cause heartburn? It’s true, that our digestive health directly affects our hair, and so does the nutritional status of our body.
Hairfall is also a sign of weak bone or calcium loss. Mineral deficiency in your body can easily be spotted by analysing your hair and its health.
Healthier our food, lustrous our hair. When we eat food that is devoid or fibre or any nutrient, it stays in our intestines longer, which impacts our hair growth too.
Tip : Eat fresh, healthy food and include good fat in diet. Avoid sodas, bottled/sugary juices and other junk food.
Hydration: The lustre of our hair is an indicator of hydration in our body. Sip water throughout the day, especially during dry/hot days. Drinking more water will reduce the bad hair days and wont make hair dry and frizzy. When we consume less water, the digestion is affected too. This in turn causes changes in the gut bacteria and reduces hair growth.
If the heater is on in your house/work place during harsh winter, try using a humidifier.
Tip: The colour of urine is the best indicator of hydration in human body, should be clear to mild yellow.
Stress: Long term stress and anxiety might cause diseases in hair follicles, causing hair to fall out sooner than normal, accelerate greying process, weaken the hair more etc. Stress also increases fat storage and causes hormone imbalance, which again affects hair growth.
Tip : Stress can easily be avoided by keeping our mind calm, reducing unwanted stress, practicing meditation for a few minutes every day and avoiding things that will increase negativity in life. Learn 10 tips to reduce stress in daily life.
Sleep: Loss of sleep, reduction in sleep quality, erratic sleep routine, changes in body clock (circadian rhythm) affect the hormone balance, immunity, energy level and mental clarity. Our hair is very sensitive to all such changes inside our body. An average adult needs minimum of 7-8 hours of restful sleep. Restful sleep will help recover, nourish and remove toxins from our body.
Tip : Create and stick to a regular and healthy sleep routine. Learn how to sleep better
Inactivity: When we lead a sedentary life, the blood circulation in our body reduces. This also means that our hair and other organs in our body are not getting enough oxygen, blood supply and nutrients. If the circulation is less, even if we pop expensive supplements for hair growth, the nutrients won’t reach the hair roots. Strength training not only strengthens your muscle, but also your hair. Read about the benefits of strength training here.
Tip : Easiest way to increase blood circulation and hair growth is to start leading an active life, with an hour of work out a day. Learn how to move often and better with these tips.
How healthy is your lifestyle and hair? Let us know in comments.
If you found this post useful, please share it with your friends too.
