When you notice your hair lacks shine, or breaks off easily, it can be hard to pinpoint the root cause. As one of the skin's accessory organs, hair benefits from the same nutrients as the skin, which can reflect the health of your entire body. Improper diet, illness or medications can leave your body short on nutrients that make your hair and skin glow. Work with your health care provider or a registered dietitian to eliminate the guesswork as you create a supplement regimen to improve your hair health.
Hair Structure
Hair grows out of bulbs in the scalp. Hair bulbs include papilla, which are connected to a network of blood capillaries, and sebaceous glands that secrete sebum, the scalp's natural hair moisturizer. While dull, brittle hair can be the result of external or internal causes, nutritional supplements can stimulate healthy sebum production to moisturize your hair from within.
Vitamins
Unhealthy hair can mean your diet is short on foods that contain vitamins A, B, C and E. The B complex vitamins help your body convert proteins and oils into nutrients. Vitamin A helps your follicles produce healthy sebum. Antioxidants in vitamins A, C and E protect your scalp and hair from free-radical damage that prevents your hair from retaining the moisture it needs. The recommended daily allowance for each vitamin can depend on your age, and whether you are pregnant or breastfeeding. The Office of Dietary Supplements Fact Sheets can help you determine the right dosage for each supplement you take.
Minerals
Minerals such as calcium, magnesium, potassium and zinc work together to help the body function correctly. Calcium and potassium help the heart pump blood and nutrients to body organs, including skin cells. Magnesium regulates levels of other minerals such as calcium and potassium. Zinc has antioxidant properties that protect the skin and scalp from free-radical damage. If your body is short on one mineral, it can impact your hair health. You can reverse deficiencies by taking a multivitamin supplement that includes the minerals your body needs.
Oils
Many hair products include oils to help moisturize your tresses, but you need omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids in your diet to produce sufficient quantities of the sebum you need to keep your hair healthy and lustrous. Omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids come from olive, soybean, flaxseed and fish oils. Without enough fatty acids in your diet, your scalp will become dry and flaky, resulting in dull, brittle hair. You can take essential fatty acid oil supplements in liquid or capsule form if you don't get enough of them in your everyday diet.
References
- University of Maryland Medical Center: Hair Follicle Anatomy
- Omega-3 Learning for Health and Medicine: Omega-3 Fatty Acid Basics
- "Fitness Magazine"; "The Top 10 Superfoods for Gorgeous Skin and Hair"; Marianne Magno
- University of Maryland Medical Center: Hair Disorders
- National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary Supplements: Dietary Supplement Fact Sheets
Member Comments