We’re not trying to influence you to buy a Stanley Cup, but we have some exclusive beauty info: you can drink water to grow hair. Even if hair is just feeling brittle or weak, or maybe it’s prone to breakage, you can drink water for hair health overall too!

Hair growth isn’t an easy feat for follicles: it’s a complex process that is influenced by a range of factors, including genetics, age, hormones, diet, and lifestyle. While there is no magic potion that can guarantee instant hair growth, there are a few integral things you can do to support increased hair growth and reduce the risk of hair loss. Spoiler: it’s making sure your cells are hydrated!

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How to Drink Water to Grow Hair

The how comes to figuring out your body’s ideal amount of water in order to sustain hair health and promote growth. They say 8-11 cups of water a day is ideal, but others suggest up to 14 cups which all works out to anywhere between 1.5 to 3 litres.

But, what’s “ideal” in order to drink water to grow hair can vary depending on factors such as age, weight, and activity level. Like, if you’re hitting a 12-3-30 treadmill workout or sauna-ing or just sweating through your meetings, you may need more to replace what you lose.

We suggest 1.5 litres minimum to perform regular bodily functions like concentration and digestion. But in order to drink water to thicken hair and prevent hair loss, you’ll need more like 2.5L to 3L to really assist in bettering the cellular function that promotes hair growth.

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What Happens When You Don’t Drink Enough Water?

Aside from not getting glowing skin, thicker and conditioned hair, not drinking enough water is a big no no. On the surface, you’ll likely get headaches, dizziness, loss of concentration and cognitive function, feelings of stress and slower digestion.

Prolonged lack of hydration is even more serious, especially for women! Water detoxifies your tissues and organs (it’s partly what we pee out), but when this function isn’t routinely met, dehydration can lead to glandular dysfunction and hormonal imbalance. Kidneys are equally affected here which can cause kidney stones, bladder, and urinary tract issues. Trust me, if you want to avoid a UTI, get your liters in!

Seriously, drink water; not just for growing beautiful hair or getting better skin, but to help your body just get up and do what it’s gotta do.

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How Does Drinking Water Help Hair Grow?

Does drinking water help thicken hair? Really? Well, our hair is made up of about 25% water. When we don't drink enough water, our hair can become dehydrated, leading to dryness, brittleness, and breakage. Drinking water helps to keep our hair hydrated and nourished from the inside out, which can help to promote hair growth and improve the overall health of our hair.

In addition, drinking water can help to flush out toxins and waste products from our body, which affect your scalp and follicles too! By getting ample water every day, you can promote a healthy scalp environment (help fight sebum overproduction, ease causes of dandruff like bacteria, and hydrate dry scalp skin) which are all essential for healthy hair growth.

Research has shown that dehydration can also cause hair thinning and hair loss. When the body is dehydrated, it redirects water to other vital organs such as the heart, kidneys, and liver. This leaves the hair and scalp to fend for themselves, and the result can be thinning, dry and brittle hair. Which is reason #1 why you should drink water for hair loss too.

Read Next: How to Hydrate Hair After Bleaching

Tips and Tricks to Help Up Your Water Intake And Help Hair

If you're struggling to drink enough water, here are some tips and tricks to help up your water intake:
  • As soon as you wake up, drink a cup or two or three. This will help make it a habit to start drinking throughout the day. Plus, you’re already a few cups down!

  • Carry a reusable water bottle with you throughout the day, so you always have water on hand. Stanley Tumbler anyone???

  • If your water bottle is clear, draw lines on the side to help track how much you should be drinking per hour.

  • Even if you’re really bad with remembering to drink water for hair health, set reminders on your phone or computer to remind you to drink water every hour.

  • Flavour your water with fruits or herbs to make it more appealing.

  • Drink water with every meal and snack; downing a cup right before a meal is also helpful for not eating too fast as you’ll feel less hungry when you start.

  • Try drinking herbal teas or infused water for added hydration; but remember that diuretics like coffee and black teas INCREASE sodium and water output from the body so these are not hydrating you.

  • Eat foods with high water content, such as cucumbers, melons, and celery, which can contribute to your daily water intake.

  • Avoid sugary drinks like soda and juice, and balance out diuretics like caffeinated teas and coffee, which can dehydrate you.

  • Track your water intake using a water-tracking app or journal to stay accountable.

Drinking water not only helps hair grow and stay healthy, but as we’ve seen it has a significant impact on the body overall! By following a few of these tricks, you’ll quickly realize it can be easy to get your cups in; especially when you start seeing glowing skin, less hair fall, and better conditioned hair too.


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