You may already have tried a sea of products: shampoos, conditioners, masks, oils. Care from the outside matters, but the hair you can see is produced at the root, and the root sits in a body that needs feeding. It is worth knowing what nutrition can honestly be said to do, and what it cannot.
Nutrition and hair: what is actually authorised
In the EU and the EEA, the claims a food supplement may make are set out in law, and the wording is fixed. For hair, only three nutrients qualify:
- Biotin contributes to the maintenance of normal hair.
- Zinc contributes to the maintenance of normal hair, skin and nails.
- Selenium contributes to the maintenance of normal hair and nails.
Other nutrients that often appear on hair supplement labels carry authorised claims of a different kind. Vitamin C contributes to normal collagen formation for the normal function of skin. Vitamin A contributes to the maintenance of normal skin. Vitamin E contributes to the protection of cells from oxidative stress. Iron and several B vitamins contribute to the reduction of tiredness and fatigue. Those are useful things, but none of them is a hair claim, and nobody should sell them to you as one.
Why hair changes over the years
Hair goes through cycles of growing, resting and shedding, and quite a lot can shift that rhythm. Ageing changes the diameter of the strand. Genetics set much of the pattern, for women and men alike. Hormonal events such as pregnancy, the menopause and thyroid conditions have a well documented effect. So do periods of illness, surgery, rapid weight loss, prolonged stress and a diet that is short on protein or iron.
None of that is something a supplement treats. If your hair loss is sudden, patchy, or carries on for months, speak to your doctor or pharmacist. A blood test can pick up things like iron deficiency or a thyroid problem, and those are worth finding out about rather than guessing at.
What hairdressers see day to day
Ask a hairdresser what damages hair and you will hear the same short list. Repeated bleaching and colouring, which alters the structure of the strand. Straighteners and dryers used hot and used daily. Tight ponytails and braids worn constantly. Brushing wet hair hard from the roots down. Hair that is already fragile from any of these will break, and breakage looks a great deal like thinning.
The fixes are unglamorous and they work. Turn the heat down and use a heat protectant. Space out bleaching appointments. Detangle from the ends upwards with a wide tooth comb. Wash as often as your scalp actually needs rather than to a rule, using a mild shampoo, and concentrate conditioner on the lengths. Dry gently with a towel rather than rubbing. Trim regularly so split ends do not travel up the strand.
The plate matters too
Hair is largely protein, so a diet with enough of it is the foundation: eggs, fish, dairy, meat, pulses, tofu. Add iron rich foods such as lentils, leafy greens and red meat, oily fish for omega 3, nuts and seeds for zinc and selenium, and plenty of fruit and vegetables. Crash dieting is one of the more reliable ways to upset the hair cycle, so eat enough, and drink enough water.
Care and supplements together
If you would like to pair a supplement with your care routine, choose Hair Luxious Volumizing Shampoo and Conditioner for fine hair, or Hair Luxious Repair & Moisture for damaged hair and a dry scalp. Our hair vitamins contain biotin, zinc and selenium: biotin contributes to the maintenance of normal hair, zinc contributes to the maintenance of normal hair, skin and nails, and selenium contributes to the maintenance of normal hair and nails.
Hair Luxious is a bestseller online and in Norwegian pharmacies, and is stocked and recommended by hairdressers across the country.
Food supplements are not a substitute for a varied and balanced diet and a healthy lifestyle.
