Most shampoos and conditioners promise shiny hair with regular use, but you can turn up the natural shine in your hair from within by eating healthy foods that nourish the hair follicles in your scalp. Your hair follicles secrete sebum, your body's natural moisturizer that adds healthy shine to your hair. If you don't always get the nutrients you need from your everyday diet, you can make up for the shortfall by taking a multivitamin supplement or by taking vitamins separately to keep your hair in good condition.
B Vitamins
The B-complex group of vitamins play a key role in hair health, because they help your body metabolize carbohydrates and proteins into nutrients that make your hair shiny and lustrous. Biotin, or vitamin H, a member of the B-complex family, is often recommended to restore hair and nail health. Your body can produce some biotin on its own, but you may need a supplement if you take take antibiotics or if you are recovering from an illness. Foods rich in vitamin B include dairy, eggs, fish, legumes and meats. You can get biotin from nuts, whole grains, cauliflower and bananas.
Antioxidants
If your hair looks dull and you've ruled out external causes, the dull hair might be a sign that your scalp is unhealthy. Antioxidant nutrients, including vitamins A, C and E and the mineral selenium, prevent free radical damage and help to restore your scalp health, allowing you to grow healthy, shiny hair. Vitamin A, found in orange and leafy green vegetables, helps your scalp produce healthy sebum. Your body needs vitamin C, found in citrus fruits and green vegetables, to produce collagen, a protein fiber that helps keep skin healthy. Vitamin E, found in unsaturated oils, seeds and nuts, works with selenium to protect skin and hair.
Omega Oils
Oil-based conditioners and hot-oil treatments work to temporarily restore shine to dry hair. But if the results of your conditioning treatments don't last for long, you may not have enough good fats in your diet. Omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids found in fish and unsaturated plant oils are classified as "essential" because your body can't produce them from other foods. You can get the essential fatty acids your body needs to moisturize your scalp internally by eating fish regularly and adding a tablespoon of olive or canola oil as a dressing on your food.
Considerations
Vitamin supplements are a convenient way to make sure you're getting all the nutrients you need for healthy hair, but it's important to consider possible contraindications before you take them. Some vitamins can have an effect on prescription medications. If you are pregnant or nursing, too much vitamin A in supplement form can be unsafe for your baby. Ask your health care provider to perform a complete blood count test to find out whether you have any nutritional deficiencies, so that you know which foods or supplements you need to add to your diet.
References
- University of Maryland Medical Center: Hair Disorders
- "Fitness Magazine"; The Top 10 Superfoods for Gorgeous Skin and Hair; Marianne Magno
- University of Maryland Medical Center: Vitamin H (Biotin)
- Omega-3 Learning Institute for Health & Medicine: Omega-3 Fatty Acids -- the Basics
- National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary Supplements: Dietary Supplement Fact Sheets
- MedlinePlus: CBC (Complete Blood Count)
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