It’s everywhere—on your living room floor, your pillow, the bathroom—and it’s never where it needs to be. If you can guess what it is, you probably face what every woman has faced, or is facing, at some point in her life: hair fall.
What makes it even more frustrating is that it doesn’t matter if you’re using the right products; those strands still seem to stray.
More often than not, one tends to ignore the fact that what you eat has a lot to do with your hair’s health. We got a nutritionist and a dermatologist to give their perspective on hair fall, and how to stop it by eating the right foods. This is their solution:
Why does it fall?
According to nutritionist Prachi Sanghavi, co-founder Mydietist fitness app, the main reason for hair loss is the lack of iron and protein in your diet, apart from stress, hormonal imbalance, pregnancy, improper handling of hair and chemical treatments like colouring.
Prevention
Dr Jaishree Sharad, founder of Skinfiniti Aesthetic Skin & Laser Clinic, Mumbai, suggests eating a healthy high-protein diet and keeping your vitamin B12, D3 and iron levels in check. “Take supplements if they are low, and get tested for hormonal imbalances,” she suggests.
What to eat
Hair is made of the protein keratin, and amino acids. Biotin, iron, selenium, vitamin B also comprise the hair shaft. Dr Sharad recommends consuming foods rich in all of them. Her picks: chicken, fish, pak choy, spinach, carrots, sprouts, walnuts, almonds and eggs.
Sanghavi recommends buttermilk and curd for strength and dairy products for biotin, antioxidants like green tea for production of sebum, and flaxseeds for their high omega 3 content.
What not to eat
Sugar and carbohydrates: “They can spike the insulin and androgen level, which binds to hair follicles, causing them to fall off very easily,” explains Sanghavi.
Once you fix your diet, other precautions like reducing frequent use of heat tools and oiling the hair regularly will help improve your scalp and hair health. While visible change might take a while (a few weeks to months), it will be more concrete than with cosmetic products. Plus, the same nutrients are also good for your skin and nail—a triple whammy.
While you bring your hair back to health, watch this video to learn about natural oils that are great for your skin:
The post Finally, the truth behind hair fall, and how to stop it appeared first on VOGUE India.