If you want to grow thicker hair, there's no magic formula that will instantly give you lush locks, so forget the expensive products and spectacular claims. Leading a healthy lifestyle and eating a balanced diet with hair-boosting nutrients can help you maximize your hair's potential from the inside out, giving you fuller, healthy-looking hair.
Features
Hair grows from small tubes in the skin called follicles, the KidsHealth website explains. Small blood vessels deliver nutrients to the growing hair in the follicles. Once the hair pushes out through the skin, it is no longer alive, but new hair continues to grow in the follicles, increasing your visible hair's length. Hair grows about 1/4 to 1/2 inch per month, Chicago dietitian Dawn Jackson Blatner tells "Cosmopolitan" magazine.
Protein
Hair is composed mainly of protein, so getting adequate amounts of protein in your diet gives your follicles fodder for hair growth. The United States Department of Agriculture's MyPyramid food guide offers serving suggestions and amounts that can be tailored to suit your individual needs. Protein-rich foods for a hair-healthy diet include lean meats, fish, beans, poultry, nuts, eggs, tofu, lentils and some dairy products.
Vitamins
A variety of vitamins nourish hair growing in your follicles, helping you achieve stronger and thicker hair, the Holistic Online website reports. Helpful vitamins include B vitamins such as folate, biotin and inositol; vitamin A; and vitamin C. Foods that are rich in B vitamins include beans, peas, carrots, cauliflower, soy beans, lentils, oats, soybeans, nutritional yeast, bran, nuts and eggs. For vitamin A, choose orange-colored foods such as carrots, sweet potatoes and mangoes, as well as spinach, greens and red bell peppers. Many foods contain vitamin C, including oranges, berries, cauliflower, broccoli, lemons and spinach. Consult your doctor before taking any vitamin or other supplements.
Supplements
Some people take supplements specifically to encourage hair growth. Supplements designed specifically for hair usually include the B vitamins folate, biotin and inositol; nutrients such as vitamin A; zinc; and vitamin E. Vitamin E, an antioxidant, helps blood circulation, which can stimulate hair growth in the scalp. Antioxidants such as vitamins C and E also help protect against damaging effects of the environment such as the sun and pollution, which can dry out and fray hair. You can find hair vitamin supplements at most beauty-supply stores; consult your doctor before beginning any supplementation regimen.
Fat
Certain fats can stimulate hair growth and help keep hair healthy and shiny. Omega-3 fatty acids are especially helpful for hair health, as they support scalp health, Andrea Giancoli, a Los Angeles dietitian and spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association, tells "Cosmopolitan." Foods that are rich in omega-3 fatty acids include salmon, walnuts, sardines and flax seeds.
Member Comments