Like everyone on a mission to grow healthy hair, I'm constantly on the prowl for the latest miracle worker to make my hair look like the epitome of health.
Treatments, serums, vitamins, you name it.
Yet before any hair growth product, it's important to take note of one crucial step to achieving healthy hair.
Your diet.
The right diet for healthy hair is essential to anyone's hair growth journey.
You could be spending hundreds of dollars on salon treatments, hair and nail vitamins, and high-end hair care products.
But the bottom line is:
If your diet isn't up to scratch, you're not getting the full benefit from all the effort and money you're spending.
So what makes or breaks a diet for healthy hair?
Read below to discover what you should be consuming and cutting out to make your hair grow healthy and strong.
The ultimate diet for healthy hair
Defining what you should be eating to grow healthy hair can be simplified down to two key elements.
- Cutting toxins from your diet that can interfere with healthy hair growth.
- Including the right proteins and vitamins to achieve your hair goals.
One thing to note:
The perfect diet for healthy hair is going to be personal to you.
It really depends on what your hair needs.
If you want longer, stronger hair, there are specific proteins you'll want to include in your diet.
Whereas if your goal is softer, shinier hair, certain fruits, vegetables, and fats can help with this.
It's also important to consider what your body may be lacking.
If you've all of a sudden noticed a drastic change in the quality of your hair, it's worth considering getting a nutritional blood test.
Deficiencies in vitamins A, B, C, D, E, zinc, and iron can all compromise the quality of hair growth.
Regardless of your hair goals, it's also vital to cut down on certain foods and beverages that may be compromising your hair growth.
Read next: The Most Nourishing Foods For Healthy Hair & Skin
Foods to avoid for healthy hair
The good news is most of the foods you should avoid in your diet for healthy hair, you are most likely already avoiding if you have a generally healthy diet.
Not only are these foods bad for hair growth, but eating the following foods excessively is going to take a toll on your general health too.
- Sugar - Sugar slows down the absorption of protein in the body. Our hair is made of protein, so sugar is not helping your hair grow any quicker or thicker!
- Diet Soda - Any drink that is substituting sugar is using artificial sweeteners instead, specifically one called Aspartame which can cause hair loss and thinning if consumed excessively.
- Junk food/fast food - If you've ever been through a stage of eating a lot of takeout/junk food, you'll be all too familiar with the breakouts and greasy skin that come with it. What you may not know is all that oily, fried food is producing extra grease on your scalp too and clogging up your hair follicles.
- Alcohol - Any toxins are going to be harmful to your hair and alcohol is no exception. If you drink alcohol regularly and then go on a detox, you will no doubt see results in your hair from cutting out alcohol.
- High Mercury Fish - Mercury is a toxin, and any big fish, including Swordfish, Shark, King mackerel, Tuna, and Marlin have the highest quantity of mercury. Our hair is easily susceptible to toxins which can take a toll on our hair, so try to avoid mercury consumption where possible.
Read next: 7 Foods That Are Killing Your Hair Growth
Now I'm not saying you have to eat an immaculate diet 100% of the time. Let's be real, it's fun to indulge sometimes.
I'm not about to give up the occasional bowl of fries or gelato, but it's just about moderation.
If at least 80% of the time you're sticking to a great diet for healthy hair and indulging 20% of the time, you're going to see improvement in your hair over time.
You might also love: Hairtox Smoothie Recipe To Boost Hair Growth
Foods you should include in your diet for healthy hair
There's a lot of vitamins and minerals that contribute to healthy, luscious hair.
As I mentioned earlier, vitamins A, B, C, D, E, zinc, and iron all play a role in hair growth.
Yet there's only so much we can eat in a day.
So your best best is including foods in your diet that have some of the most powerful hair growth vitamins and minerals.
Silica.
It's one of the biggest components in collagen and is crucial for bone growth and the development of the body.
Hair included!
Silica is the reason why as children, our hair is at it's most shiny and thick, and our skin is soft and smooth.
We naturally lose the amount of silica our bodies produce with age, so consuming more Silica will help revive our hair.
The best way to get more silica in your diet is by consuming at least 1 or more of these foods daily:
- Bone broth
- Citrus fruits
- A handful of berries
- Egg whites (1 cooked egg)
- 100g of leafy greens
- 1/2 cup of beans
- 1 cup raw bell peppers
Biotin.
Biotin is a B vitamin that helps metabolize the protein your hair needs to grow and remain strong.
Our hair is made up of a protein called keratin, and biotin improves your body's keratin infrastructure.
A lack of biotin has been proven to result in hair loss and weak nails, so make sure you're getting enough biotin in your diet for healthy hair.
The best way to consume enough biotin daily is:
- 1 egg yolk (1 cooked egg)
- 1/4 cup of almonds, peanuts, walnuts, pecans
- 1 fillet of salmon
- A whole avocado
- 1/2 cooked sweet potato
- 1 cup raw cauliflower
Iron.
Not getting enough Iron can also result in hair loss, so maintaining your iron levels is important for healthy hair.
To get enough iron, make sure you're consuming some of the below foods regularly:
- 100g spinach/dark leafy greens
- 1/2 cup of beans
- 1/3 cup of quinoa
- 1 cup of broccoli
- 80g of sardines
- 1 fillet salmon
Eating for healthy hair can be overwhelming, I know!
The simple fact is, if you're eating a healthy diet, getting enough protein and nutrients from fruits and vegetables and staying hydrated, your body is going to be healthy and so is your hair.
If you're eating a healthy diet and still feel like your hair isn't as healthy as it should be, you can take additional biotin, iron, silica or zinc supplements, however, consult with a professional so you can identify why your hair may not be growing first.
In the meantime, if you just want thick, healthy-looking hair now, you can achieve your hair goals with our Sitting Pretty Halo.
Got any questions about the right foods for your hair health? Comment below!
Read next: Does Coconut Oil Really Work In Your Hair?
