Clumps of broken hairs in your hairbrush, on your pillow or clogging your shower drain could signify a number of problems. Hair breakage can happen when your stress levels rise, when you abuse your hair with heat and chemicals, and when you don't get enough nutrients. Keep your hair in tiptop shape by making sure you get the right amounts of vitamins that can strengthen hair. It's best to get vitamins from food sources, especially whole foods, but supplements can also benefit you if paired with a healthy diet.
Vitamin B-Complex
A diet rich in vitamin B may prevent hair loss and breakage. Lisa Shea, editor at BellaOnline.com, says to make sure you're getting the B vitamins thiamine (B1), riboflavin (B2), niacin (B3) and folic acid (B9). All are found in vitamin B-complex supplements and a wide range of foods. Dosage amounts of B-complex vary per manufacturer, so make sure you read the label to determine the proper dosage. In food sources, you can get B vitamins like thiamine in whole grains or in legumes. Riboflavin can be found in green vegetables, mushrooms and grains like millet. Get your niacin in meat and peanuts, or take a supplement of 50mg, three times a day. Folic acid comes from leafy green vegetables such as spinach. Two vitamins that are not found in B-complex are vitamin B5 (Pantothenic acid, found in fresh meats and vegetables) and vitamin B6 (pyridoxine, in grains and milk). They are key to preventing hair breakage, according to the alternative medicine site HolisticOnline.com, which suggests taking 100mg of vitamin B5 and 50mg of vitamin B6 three times a day.
Vitamin E
Foods like salmon, shrimp, nuts and vegetable oils are packed with vitamin E, an antioxidant that is vital for hair health. StopHairBreakage.org notes that vitamin E "aids effective circulation in the scalp due to increased oxygen uptake in blood, therefore it plays an important role in promoting hair growth and preventing hair loss." If you take supplements, go for 400 IU a day, then gradually increase to 800 to 1,000 IU.
Vitamin C
Vitamin C aids in the absorption of iron, a mineral your body usees to oxygenate red blood cells and stave off hair loss and breakage. Citrus fruit, berries, broccoli and real fruit juices are great sources of vitamin C, as are supplements, which you can take at doses of 3,000mg up to 10,000mg a day to help repair your hair, according to HolisticOnline.com. (Though the recommended daily allowance for vitamin C is set at 60mg, many health experts recommend more.)
Vitamin A
Vitamin A has a love/hate relationship with hair, it seems. The vitamin helps keep your hair follicles lubricated and keeps them from getting clogged with dead skin cells, actions which keep hair growing long and strong. Yet at the same time, too much vitamin A can cause hair loss. Stick to the recommended daily value of 5,000 IU to be safe, or eat cantaloupe, dairy products and root vegetables like squash, carrots and pumpkins for vitamin A.
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