8 Vitamins And Minerals That Promote Great Hair

Jan 14, 2019

3 min read

In our society, hair is big part of our personal brand. It helps to identify who we are. The people we know associate us with how our hair looks. When we pull up the image of a person in our mind's eye, one of the dominant features is that person's hair. They have long or short hair, straight or curly, blonde, brown, black, red - it's an important factor we use to identify them.

In fact, we recognize ourselves by our hair. It can come as a real shock to start losing the hair we are so attached to, no pun intended! How can we be "us" without our hair? We are more familiar with men losing their hair, but in truth, millions of women face the same situation for various reasons, including heredity, stress, medical issues, allergies and scalp conditions. Fortunately, there are ways we can intervene to protect our precious hair and one of the strategies is through the use of vitamins and minerals that promote great hair.

A visit to your local drug store might leave you confused. There are vitamins for just about every other health condition, but how often have you read a label that said, "This vitamin is just for your hair?" They do exist on the market, but by knowing the specifics, you can be confident in choosing the supplements that give the results you seek. You can also get vitamins and minerals through dietary sources. When you speak with one of our hair restoration specialists, we can help you determine the best course of action.

The Top Vitamins and Minerals to Promote Great Hair

Keeping in mind that overall good health, including balanced exercise and eating habits contributes to healthy hair, here are 8 vitamins and minerals that help:

Vitamin A. This is required by all cells to grow. Hair grows faster than any other tissue. It promotes the production of sebum, which is an oily substance that moisturizes the scalp. Naturally, vitamin A can be obtained from carrots, pumpkins, sweet potatoes, spinach, kale, milk, eggs and cod liver oil.
B-Vitamins. These vitamins, including biotin, help to create the red blood cells that carry nutrients and oxygen to the scalp and hair follicles. They are found in whole grains, meat, fish, seafood, dark, leafy greens and almonds.
Vitamin C. This is a powerful antioxidant that helps to protect your hair from aging and oxidative stress. We need it to create collagen and to absorb iron, both of which are important to our hair. You can get it naturally from citrus fruits, strawberries, guavas, peppers and cabbage.
Vitamin D. Research has shown that this vitamin may help the scalp to grow new follicles and low levels are associated with hair loss. Your body produces it by direct contact with sunlight, but taking it as a supplement helps if you spend a lot of time indoors.
Vitamin E. This is another antioxidant that prevents oxidative stress and aging. Studies have shown that people experience hair growth taking this vitamin. It is present in spinach, almonds, avocados and sunflower seeds.
Iron. This is an important mineral because it helps red blood carry oxygen to your cells. It prevents anemia, which is a cause of hair loss. Good sources are red meat, eggs, clams, oysters, spinach and lentils.
Zinc. This mineral plays a big role in hair tissue repair and growth. It keeps the oil glands around the hair follicles functioning. Zinc deficiencies commonly result in hair loss. Too much can have the same effect, so take care in using supplements. It is readily available naturally in beef, oysters, wheat germ, pumpkin seeds, spinach and lentils.
Protein. The entire body is a protein-building machine. Hair is almost 100% protein so it's important that you consume enough of it. It is present in all meat, poultry, seafood, fish, dairy products, grains and to a certain extent in vegetables and legumes.