If you’ve noticed a change in your hair, it may be a clue that there is a health issue you might want to address. Changes to notice include an increase in the amount of hair loss, change in texture or brittleness, or the amount of oil or dandruff on the scalp. The body is an amazing machine, and wellness is our normal state of being. It will communicate to you, and most often in multiple ways, when things are out of balance. A change in your scalp or a hair problem is just one way your body can express imbalance.
Hair Loss
There are many possible reasons for hair loss. And the severity of the hair loss varies widely based on the extent of the imbalance. Continued levels of high stress, thyroid imbalance, autoimmune disease, low biotin levels, iron deficiency, and hormone levels, to name a few. And as research is showing, all of these issues could be associated with the health of your gut microbiome.
If hair loss is your hair problem, start with the basics, which will improve your overall wellness, and possibly solve the problem. First look at your stress levels. If this is an issue for you, try to resolve this first. Walks in nature, meditation, slow deep breathing, soaking in water, getting good sleep – your body will benefit from all of these. Next, get your gut healthy. Avoid processed foods and eat fresh organic foods high in anti-oxidants. Add in prebiotics and probiotics along with fermented foods. Be on the look-out for the most common allergens which are severely disrupting – wheat, corn, dairy, soy, eggs, and nuts.
If your stress levels are manageable and your guy is healthy, but you are still experiencing hair loss, you may want to consider consulting with functional medicine doctor. They will help you get at the root cause.
Weak or Brittle Hair
Your hair is made of the protein keratin. So if you are not getting enough protein and amino acids, or are not absorbing it well, you may notice your hair becomes brittle and breaks easily. If it is breaking primarily at the top of your head, look to any heat and/or chemicals that you may be using.
If weak or brittle hair is a concern, consider adding a variety of healthy proteins to your diet. If you are a meat eater, this may include things like 100% grass fed and organic beef, open range and organic chicken and/or their eggs, and wild caught salmon. If you’re on the go, a multi-source protein powder, collagen, or bone broth could do the trick.
If you are vegan and have this hair problem, you may want to consider a single cell algae like spirulina and/or chlorella. And if you’re a vegan and on the go, look for a protein powder containing plant based ingredients like pea or hemp protein. Goat whey protein or egg albumin may work for some people as well.
Unexpected Graying
While we expect to see gray hairs as we age, there are some overall wellness strategies that may reduce or slow down the amount of graying. These include managing stress and cortisol levels and maintaining stable blood sugar levels. And of course eating a diet full of organic and anti-oxidant rich fruits and vegetables can be a valuable strategy as well. A healthy diets reduces inflammation and stress in the body.
In general, 50% of people will have a significant amount of gray hairs on their heads by the time they reach 50 years of age. Showing signs of losing hair pigmentation and going gray can generally be associated with your age, skin color, and genetics. Yes, as the research into genetics has continued, a gene that was previously associated with blonde hair in Europeans, is now also associated with about 30% of the gray hair among the studies participants.
Too Dry or Too Oily Hair
Hormones are the mostly like source of this hair problem. A sudden change from oily to dry, or dry to oily, is common in pregnant women. And women going through menopause will almost always see a change in the thickness and other hair qualities. If you’re not pregnant or going through menopause, then look for things in your life that could affect your hormone balance. These would include things like stress, diet, and quality of sleep. See if you can trace the change in your scalp to a sudden change in one of these areas in your life.
Dull Hair
A couple causes of dull hair are a vitamin C deficiency and lack of healthy fats. If your not eating lots of fruits and vegetables, you may want to consider supplementing with a high quality vitamin C. Labdoor has tested the top selling vitamins and assigned points based on it’s findings. There are other brands by smaller reputable companies, but here are the largest sellers ranked. https://labdoor.com/rankings/vitamin-c
Healthy fat sources are extremely important for producing proper hormones and are critical for healthy hair and skin. They enforce moisture protection in the skin and hair to maintain shine and youth. Key fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E and K are also better absorbed with dietary fat consumption. A deficiency in fat and/or fat soluble nutrients can cause splitting hair problems as well as a dry and flaky scalp. You can get good fats from things like organic coconut oil, avocados, olive oil, eggs, and fish oil. Labdoor has both fish oils and vegan Omega-3 oils ranked. The fats to avoid are the highly processed industrial oils like canola, soybean, sunflower, safflower, cottonseed, and peanut.
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