Healthy hair hacks

Expert tips to look after your locks naturally

Start from within

“Ensuring your hair is healthy starts from within, so you need to make sure you're getting all of the nutrition you need,” says Margo Marrone, founder of The Organic Pharmacy (www.theorganicpharmacy.com).

“Make sure your diet includes lots of fresh fruits and vegetables, and drink plenty of water. The main vitamins needed for strong and healthy hair growth include vitamin A, biotin, vitamin C, vitamin D, and zinc. You might struggle to get enough of these from your diet or environment so, if you think you need a boost of certain nutrients, supplements can really help.”

Eat enough protein

“Keratin is a natural protein which comprises approximately 88 per cent of your hair,” says Laura Krippner, a Certified Functional Health Coach (www.practicalhealthcoach.uk). “It’s important to eat enough protein. Typically an active woman eating 2,200 calories per day would be aiming for 83g protein per day. For a man it would be 3,000 calories per day and 113g protein. This means that you’re looking at 25g to 35g per meal for women and men respectively. Breakfast tends to be the trickiest meal to meet that. Some examples might be almond pancakes made with eggs and served with yogurt and a dollop of nut butter or a fruit and vegetable smoothie with protein powder. Fats are also essential to support cell renewal and ultimately healthy hair growth and renewal. Good examples of fats to include every day are extra virgin olive oil (not for cooking with), avocados, flaxseed oil, coconut oil and MCT oil.”

Check for nutrient deficiencies

“If you notice thinning hair it could be down to a number of issues and it is always advised to have a check up with a GP to rule out any heath conditions,” says Kieran Tudor, creative director with natural haircare brand Centred (wearecentred.com). “It is also a great opportunity to have a blood test to check for any nutrient deficiencies, so you know what to start adding to your diet and supplementing with. It is common that low iron and vitamin D levels result in thinning hair and hair loss.”

Support your gut

“The gut-skin axis is a complex relationship where studies have shown that the gut microbiome influences the skin microbiome,” says Laura Krippner. “If we extend this to hair there’s evidence that a specific strain of bacteria, Lactobillus reuteri, increased dermal thickness, enhanced folliculogenesis and increased sebocyte production to produce thicker, shinier fur in mice. This strain can be found in yogurt which has a longer fermentation period than is usual. It’s not available in commercially produced yogurts so you’d have to make it at home or take it as a supplement.”

Top up your vitamin C levels

“Taking a vitamin C supplement will help promote collagen formation, which strengthens the hair follicles, leaving our hair looking shinier and healthier,” says Mina Khan. “What's more, vitamin C has been proven to help prevent our cells from oxidative stress which is thought to be responsible for hair thinning, loss and even greying! So taking a natural vitamin C supplement once a day will be sure to do your hair the world of good.”

Switch to natural products

“I would strongly suggest switching to sulphate-free shampoo,” says Kieran Tudor. “The long-term benefits for the hair and scalp health far outweigh the potential experiential differences you may come across. Hair will be softer, more moisturised and manageable. Hair colour will last longer and be more radiant and shiny, and the scalp will be less irritated with normalised moisture levels and less prone to greasiness. Silicones have their purpose – now and again they can be useful for making hair look glossy – however, in the long term they can begin to coat the hair, weighing it down and causing it to suffer internally by starving it of nutrients. I would highly recommend avoiding daily conditioners with silicones as this will no doubt result in long-term build-up.”

Nourish your locks

“A bit of sesame oil is great for nourishing hair and restoring balance, leaving your hair looking and feeling much smoother,” says Mina Khan from Formulate Health (www.formulatehealth.com). “Simply massage a little oil from your scalp through the roots and to the tips and leave on for 15 to 20 minutes. Then rinse the oil out with warm water and a mild shampoo. Your hair should feel and look amazing even after just one use! Plus it's 100 per cent natural and won't damage your hair in the slightest. Doing this once a week will work wonders on your hair, making it look and feel salon fresh, and reducing the appearance of those pesky split ends!”

Top tip

Try this tip from Adele Clarke, owner of Spectrum Hair Company and OSMO IKON brand ambassador. “Do you have an old bottle of vitamin E capsules nearing their use by date? Snip them and use them in your body creams and conditioner for a little extra care. This natural ingredient makes an excellent skin and hair moisture booster.”

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