Maintaining the health of your hair and nails is the key to maximizing their growth. A number of factors can affect their health and growth, such as nutrition, medications, stress and medical conditions. Harsh chemicals and frequent moisture exposure can affect nails, and harsh shampoos and styling appliances can damage hair. While nothing will cause long locks or nails to appear overnight, addressing issues that can affect their growth and condition can help ensure that hair and nails grow at their maximum natural rate.
Get a Checkup
Slow nail and hair growth can be caused by a variety of underlying health conditions. According to the Mayo Clinic, brittle nails and hair can be symptoms of hypothyroidism, a condition that can become quite serious if left untreated. Hormone imbalances can affect the growth rate and condition of hair and nails, and can even cause hair loss. According to the American Pregnancy Association, this is due to changing estrogen levels during and after pregnancy, and can also be caused by discontinuation of oral contraceptives. Hormonal changes during menopause can cause hair and nail issues, as can hormonal imbalances caused by rapid weight loss or extreme stress.
Eat Well
Providing the body with plenty of essential nutrients can give hair and nails a boost in growth and condition. On average, hair grows approximately 1/2 inch per month and nails typically grow about 1/8 inch per month. However, poor nutrition can reduce the growth rate of hair and nails. Including plenty of protein and iron-rich foods in the diet is helpful to hair and nail growth, as are foods rich in vitamins A, B, C, and E. Other nutrients important to hair and nail growth include omega-3 and omega-6 essential fatty acids, calcium, zinc, silica, selenium and magnesium.
Protect Against Damage
Protecting hair and nails from damage is important to growth and condition. While preventing dry and brittle hair and nails will not make them grow any faster, it can prevent losing length to breakage. To minimize hair damage, use gentle shampoos for washing hair and let it air-dry. Avoid harsh styling products, such as gels and hair sprays that contain alcohol. Permanent curling and straightening solutions can be very damaging, as can hair dyes. Protect nails from daily damage by using rubber gloves for household tasks that require the use of harsh detergents. Frequent manicures can be damaging, as can harsh nail products that contain formaldehyde and acetone.
Moisturize and Condition
Giving your hair and nails a bit of special care can help keep them healthy and strong. Moisturizing the nails and cuticles daily can give them a boost, preventing breakage. Use a good conditioner to moisturize hair several times a week. Weekly hot-oil treatments can help repair dry, damaged hair, and massaging the scalp during those treatments can stimulate circulation to promote hair growth.
Cautions
Hair and nail issues can be symptoms of underlying health issues, so be sure to rule these out with a visit to your doctor before treating these issues at home. Some vitamins and minerals can be toxic at high doses, so if you use supplements to increase your intake of these nutrients, be sure to adhere to recommended daily allowances.
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