One of the most dreaded side-effects of aging is hair loss. The older we get the more important it becomes to take care of our scalp. In this article, we will go over what foods make hair grow thicker, what shampoos you should use, and how you can regrow your hair naturally.
What Foods Make Hair Grow Thicker?
Unfortunately, the biggest factors regarding hair growth are often things that are out of our control. This includes age and genetics. However, your diet can also have a role in hair growth and hair loss prevention. Here are some of the foods you can eat to promote hair growth:
- Eggs
- Berries
- Spinach
- Fatty fish
- Sweet potatoes
- Avocados
- Nuts
- Seeds
- Sweet peppers
What Shampoo Makes Your Hair Grow Faster?
The type of shampoo we use and how often we use it also plays a huge role in the rate of hair growth and hair loss. The root of thinning hair actually starts at the scalp rather than on your ends. This means using the right type of shampoo can help improve the volume, growth, and circulation of the follicles, creating an environment for the hair to thrive.
Most experts recommend choosing shampoos that are made out of natural ingredients. Products with too many manufactured ingredients can be harmful to your hair, resulting in long-term damage. Experts also recommend applying pre-shampoo scalp oil before applying shampoo. Proper scalp oil opens the follicles encourage cellular turnover and increases blood circulation.
Do Hair Growth Vitamins Work?
Just like the rest of your body, your hair needs a variety of nutrients to be healthy and grow as much as possible. We have already established that genetics are the main contributor when it comes to hair loss, but nutritional deficiencies also play a big role. There are several different vitamins and nutrients that can help promote healthy hair growth. These include:
- Vitamin A - Vitamin A helps the skin produce an oily substance known as sebum, which moisturizes the scalp, keeping your hair healthy
- Vitamin C - Free radicals can cause massive amounts of damage to your hair, blocking growth the older you get. Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant that helps protect against these free radicals
- Vitamin D - Low levels of vitamin D have been linked to alopecia. Vitamin D can help create new follicles and is thought to play a crucial role in hair production
- Vitamin E - Studies have shown that people with hair loss experience a 35% increase in hair growth after supplementing with vitamin E for 8 months
Taking vitamin supplements to assist with hair growth can help in many different ways. Yes, they can help grow hair faster, but they also help keep the rest of your body healthy.
How to Regrow Hair Naturally
There are many factors that attribute to hair loss, so many in fact, that researchers still aren’t 100% certain as to why hair loss happens. While it is believed that diet, diseases, lifestyle choices, and mental health all play a role, most researchers believe that the main reason is genetics. Even though our genetics may be out of our control, there are still some ways that you can promote fast hair growth naturally. Here are some natural hair growth tips:
- Massages - Scalp massages can help improve hair growth. This is because massages stimulate the scalp by stretching your hair follicles, encouraging hair growth and thickness
- Ginseng - The number one way you can boost your hair growth is by stimulating your hair follicles. Ginseng supplements can help promote hair growth because ginsenosides, the active components of ginseng, stimulate your hair follicles
- Aloe Vera - It reduces dandruff and can unblock any hair follicles that may be blocked by excess oil. You can apply pure aloe vera gel to your scalp and hair a few times per week. You can also use shampoo and conditioner that contain aloe vera
What Oil Is Best For Hair Growth?
Essential oils have seen a huge boom in popularity in recent years and for good reason. Believe it or not, there are some oils out there that can help with hair growth. Here are some of the best oils for hair growth:
- Coconut oil - Coconut oil contains fatty acids that will penetrate the inside of a hair shaft, reducing protein loss from hair. Experts recommend that you use this product either directly before or after washing your hair, depending on your hair type
- Fish oil - Fish oils and omega-3 fats provide numerous health benefits, benefits that also extend to hair volume and hair growth. Whether it’s through your diet or through supplements, intaking fish oil can help improve hair density and diameter. These omega fatty acids help boost your immune system, which, believe it or not, has a direct impact on hair growth
- Rosemary oil - Rosemary oil stimulates new hair growth and can be used to treat androgenetic alopecia. Mix a few drops of rosemary oil into a carrier oil and massage it into your hair and scalp before rinsing. Do this a few times per week. Add a few drops of rosemary oil into your shampoo and conditioner on a daily basis
Does Hair Growth Serum Really Work?
Hair growth serums can promise a lot of things but do they actually help? Experts believe that the best way to encourage healthy hair growth is by optimizing scalp conditions. If you have a healthy and well-conditioned scalp, you can increase your chances of promoting hair growth.
If the hair serum that you’re interested in contains ingredients that moisturize the scalp and increases blood flow, it can improve the condition of the scalp. While this doesn’t guarantee the hair serum will not increase hair growth, it does boost the chances.
Supplements Can Help
Taking care of your body with a proper diet, exercise routine, and supplement regimen can help you prevent hair loss. As we mentioned earlier, vitamin supplements can greatly improve hair quality and growth. One other supplement to look into is spermidine. Spermidine is a naturally occurring polyamine which helps your body induce a process known as autophagy. Autophagy is your body’s natural cellular renewal process, which recycles older potentially damaged cell parts with newer healthier ones. While research on spermidine and hair growth is still early, the results have been promising. Spermidine supplementation has been shown to reduce hair loss by boosting keratin production, a key protein necessary for hair and nail growth. Furthermore, studies have shown spermidine supplementation to prolong the anagen phase of hair growth - the phase responsible for hair growth.
