Ah, all of us are constantly fretting about our hair, aren’t we? I mean, is it our fault, though? Our hair’s riddled by breakage, roughness, and thinning. And why? Are we indulging in self-sabotaging habits or does it all come down to our genes?
Here’s a straightforward fact: even though a lot of our hair-related concerns can be traced to genetics, there are a few remedies that address the root of our issues and solve our hair problems without much of an effort. Here’s how to restore your lacklustre tresses to their former glory.
- 1. Tweak your shower routine
- 2. Add zinc to your diet to reduce deficiency-related hair loss
- 3. Don’t forget about proteins
- 4. Say no to heat-styling products
- 5. Introduce vitamin A to your diet
1. Tweak your shower routine
Let’s just scrap the scalding hot showers you have planned for today (and for forever). Hot showers strip the hair of moisture, and this loss of moisture spirals into dryness, frizziness, and breakage. It leads to dryness in the scalp too and you’re riddled with dandruff, irritation, and itchiness. Lukewarm showers are ideal — and derma-approved.
Secondly, don’t wash your hair too much, and try swapping out your perfumed, sulfate-ridden shampoos for fragrance-free clean beauty products.
2. Add zinc to your diet to reduce deficiency-related hair loss
A lack of zinc in our diet does no good for our hair; instead, it just intensifies our hair loss issues. Zinc is known to repair and strengthen our hair, enhance the growth of our hair tissue, and enable the oil follicles around the hair to function seamlessly. So ensure you’re consuming recommended portions of chickpeas, nuts, baked beans, cashews, almonds, and pecans every day.
3. Don’t forget about proteins
Since your hair is made up of protein, you must ensure that you’re including protein-based foods in your diet as well. If your hair isn’t receiving a steady supply of protein, it’s a given that your strands will turn dry, brittle, and weak. It’s simple — just work protein-laden foods like oats, almonds, milk, quinoa, and lentils into your diet for healthier tresses.
4. Say no to heat-styling products
Applying heat to your hair regularly is a big no-no, especially if your hair is frizzy and dry. And you’re overestimating the effectiveness of that heat-resistant product you drown your tresses in. Just steer clear of straighteners, curlers, and blow-dryers. Oh, think of it as a detox — just for your hair.
5. Introduce vitamin A to your diet
Vitamin A is associated with the growth and repair of cells. Apart from fighting free radicals that weigh your hair down, it triggers the production of sebum (natural oil on the scalp), which helps maintain the moisture of your locks. Try incorporating spinach, papaya, carrots, pumpkins, milk, and yoghurt into your diet. Don’t go overboard with vitamin A though — too much of it can amplify hair loss issues.
Written by Urvi Shah on Nov 22, 2021
A professional writer by day, and a poet by night, I'm a journalism graduate with experience in the news, travel, and food sectors. A frantic compiler of excerpts from books I've read, you can count on me to incorporate quotes and phrases into everyday conversations without a warning. On days I'm not working, I station myself in front of my laptop, and try to work my way through month-old drafts of my writings.