This is a follow up to my previous post Hair Cleanse. While it is hugely important to identify and avoid as many chemicals from beauty products as we can, a healthy head of hair relies on many factors and first and foremost, a look at what's going on inside the body will provide the best solutions.
I am going to share with you some of the supplements and foods that I'm taking right now to improve the quality of my hair. Luckily, good quality supplements that have been well researched will do double, triple or even quadruple duty, with improved hair being just one of the many benefits. It is SO important to talk to someone about your supplements to ensure they are not interacting with any medications, each other AND to make sure that what you are taking is in direct relation with what is causing your hair issues (got that?). There's way more to it than what you read on the internet (so take all of this with a grain of salt).
From left: Vitamin D, B complex, Probiotics, Cordyceps mushroom, Apha Lipoic Acid, Digestive Enzymes, Biotin
I'm going to start off by ranting about you- the customer, client, attendee, inquirer:
I work in the wellness dept of a lovely grocery store here in Niagara Falls. I'm lucky, because the store caters to everyone, not just the health - minded. This means that I get to chat with a much wider array of folks than one might see in a smaller, more specialized health food store. People pop over to chat about all kinds of issues and one of the main topics is hair. Specifically hair loss in women - and not just older women. While it's true that more men than women experience total hair loss, women definitely have a much harder time with it. It takes a much greater emotional toll on us. We all know why that is, so I won't start ranting further.
The greatest frustration for me, a nutritionist in the supplement corner, is that a lot of people have specific supplement requirements:
- It must be a one-a-day
- The capsule must be very small
- It must take effect within 2 weeks
- It must contain 500 capsules for under $20
- And I usually have about 5 minutes to convince them what to take, why take it & how to use it and I like to squeeze in as many dietary recommendations as I can - those ones usually get a sideways, confused stare "NO BREAD?"
Fish or Algal oil and a good silicon supplement - BioSil
The thing is this: our bodies don't care too much about hair, at least not the hair on our heads. We would all survive without a glitch if we suddenly became bald - we see it all the time with all those handsome bald guys walking around, being totally functional and happy. All the nutrients required for a healthy head of hair are also required for far more important functions in the body like building collagen to protect our joints, creating antibodies and regenerating immune cells, controlling inflammation & making all kinds of hormones and enzymes, building bones & muscle, liver cell regeneration, adrenal health & maintaining brain health. And so much more, obviously. For example, B's are super important for neurotransmitter production. A serious deficiency can lead to fatigue, weight gain, depression, and even psychological disorders. Niacin (B3) is amazing for hair growth, and supplementing a little extra on top of your B complex is a great idea, however, it's also been heavily researched in its role in the prevention and treatment of schizophrenia. And which do you think is more important? The body knows. We can't pop that B vitamin and tell our body to use it strictly for the hair. We must ensure we are consuming and absorbing the nutrients we need in the right amounts before we can expect our supplements to work to their full potential.
Vitamin C is great for immune health, but did you know it's also great for collagen production? That means improved hair, skin & nails!
So we've determined you can't just rub your head and pop a pill and make your hair thicker, longer, stronger shiner, straighter, curlier, etc, etc, etc...
We all need to take a good hard look at ourselves. Here are a few things to keep in mind:
What are your genetics?
Don't bother with unrealistic expectations. I am never going to have long, thick luscious hair. If I want that, I will have to buy a good wig. It has taken me a long time to come to terms with this, but "I am who I am" has become my new daily affirmation. It works way better than "I am good and I am worthy". "I am who I am". SAY IT!
Check your diet
This is where I HIGHLY recommend seeing an expert. I see a lot of folks who say "I eat just fine" but they don't. And food is highly individual. If you don't eat meat, you have to make sure you're getting adequate protein (that means enough ABSORBABLE AND USABLE protein) as well as all the vitamins & minerals that are typically found in the super food that is meat (and eggs and lard). If you do eat meat, you must be eating the right kind and in the right amounts - and both sides must be getting enough veggies & fat & fibre (and the fibre should come from veggies, not whole wheat bread). Bread is a hair killer, people. The food you're eating must not be causing too much inflammation in the body and it certainly must not be causing fluctuations in blood sugar - the flow of insulin is best kept low & steady.
Coconut oil is one of my favourite fats. It is very versatile and stable when heated (vegetable oils are far more fragile and oxidize easily. Oxidation=inflammation and inflammation=weak hair). It's a great source of antioxidants and great for digestive health, as it contains caprylic acid - a yeast buster and intestinal soother.
How's your digestive system?
Often times digestive conditions like IBS, Crohn's & Colitis take a toll on the hair and that's because many important nutrient are just not being absorbed. We all have individual requirements when it comes to the amount of nutrients we need to thrive (forget RDA's), even a slightly inflamed gut or a minor food sensitivity can throw you off - and your hair may be suffering. This is why I include probiotics & digestive enzymes into my routine. Fermented foods are probably even better - Sauerkraut, fermented pickles, kimchi, kefir, kombucha, etc, etc.. these foods not only provide probiotics, but a tremendous dose of bioavailable nutrients, including anti-oxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds. Increasing quality fibre (think prebiotic) will improve the environment for those bugs to live. Certainly fruits & veggies should be your first go-to, but chia seeds, hemp hearts, cocoa powder, nuts & seeds are great choices too (providing you do not have any serious intestinal conditions).
Sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, chia seeds, hemp hearts and raw cacao powder. Cacao powder is an excellent pre-biotic fibre. Who knew! These guys all provide good fats, some protein and lots of minerals for hair health.
How stressed are you?
As many of us know, stress is a major contributing factor to hair loss. Part of this has to do with the hormones released when we're stressed. The ongoing release of cortisol can contribute to the slew of underlying issues related to thinning hair. It slows cell regeneration, stalls the immune system, causes muscle degeneration (which then causes the body to use all the protein you're eating to save them!) and hinders digestion - just to name a few. Plus, the adrenals require many of the same important nutrients that we need to grow healthy hair. Again, what's more important - adrenal health or good hair? The body knows. This where I tend to recommend a quality B complex (see below) as well as a good C vitamin (the adrenals us a ton of vitamin C when they're being over worked - that means not enough collagen production for your glowing skin & hair!) and an adaptogenic herb or mushroom (see even more below).
I love AOR's Advanced B complex. The first step I often recommend is a B. If the B isn't a good one, making the switch and following the correct dosage can often make a difference within a week (stress & fatigue-wise). These B's are Active. Here's a description
Cordyceps mushroom is a new one for me and I am absolutely loving it. This guy is well known to athletes and active folks for it's ability to help improve energy levels and performance. For someone feeling exhausted and overwhelmed (like me and any other parent I know!) cordyceps helps to regenerate the adrenals and provide support. The term 'adaptogen' mean that it helps the body to adjust to the physical demands that stress puts on us - and decreases the symptoms, such as poor sleep, moodiness, morning fatigue and, of course, hair loss. It's also a great immune support, a fantastic anti-inflammatory and keeps our blood sugar levels under control.
How inflamed are you?
Excessive inflammation will bring on that dreaded cortisol stream. Cortisol is released by the adrenals to tame inflammation. If your diet is high in grains, sugar, poorly raised meats & animal fats (note POORLY RAISED, I am a big fan of good quality meat and saturated fat - more on that in a later post) and if you're consuming foods that you may have a sensitivity to - you're creating an inflamed body and decreased nutrient absorption. Inflammation is a hair killer. Here's a short list of anti-inflammatory food options:
Grass fed or naturally raised meats & their fats (yes!! Lard!!)
Eggs (if you can tolerate them)
Green leafy veggies
Veggies of all sorts
Wild caught fish
Avocados
Coconut (oil, butter, milk & flesh)
Bone broth
Garlic & onions (if tolerated)
Fermented foods (specifically anything containing cabbage)
If you're like me, and tend to lean a bit on the paleo side, it's so very important to eat your greens. According to Sarah Ballantyne, in her fantastic book The Paleo Approach, the chlorophyl contained in leafy green veggies prevents the metabolism of heme (which appears in higher concentrations in red meat) into toxic products in the gut.
How much time do you have?
I've heard that hair health - whether good or bad- is a result of whatever was going on about 3-4 months ago. I hope this is true because it absolutely makes sense. Our hair follicles are not wimps. We don't lose our hair after one or two days of bad eating or stress. And it doesn't grow in beautifully the day after we've made all our lifestyle changes and started taking our BioSil. It takes time for our hair to change and that time is specific to each of us. I like to recommend 6 months of total compliance before the expectation of any change. For me, took about a full year before my hair started to get back to how I like it. Remember - the amount of time it takes really does rely on our individual circumstances. I lost my hair due to that post-pregnancy hormone shift, a severe nutrient deficiency, adrenal fatigue and genetics. The cause was massive and lengthy, so the recovery will be the same.
So if you are finding extra hair in the shower, do a shelf check:
I've not tackled hormones here, as that's a whole post on it's own...and then some. If you think your hair loss is hormone related (and that was certainly a part of mine), getting individualized help to re-balance the endocrine system is absolutely necessary. If you do seek help with hormone related symptoms, improving digestion, managing stress and toning down inflammation with diet and supplementation will absolutely aid in your treatment and speed things up a bit.
