Hair is probably the first thing when a person sees another. It might also be the first thing that you pay attention on when you are looking yourself at the mirror. Many people spend a huge amount of money on hair every just to have a shiny and good looking hair. Have you ever thought that you can actually spend with less a dollar, by just changing the behavior you treat your hair, and you can have a healthy and better hair?
You are what you EAT
What you are eating every day will actually affect how your skin and hair looks. Different nutrients in foods provide you a healthy and beautiful appearance, here we are suggesting some foods that are good for your hair and can be easily found, have you ever missed them?
Eggs
What you are having for breakfast every day is actually doing good for your hair. Protein is the nutrient that is essential for building and maintaining body tissues, including hair. Egg whites are nearly a hundred percent of protein which can give your body what is needed to produce healthier hair. It is because the protein can build a stronger cortex, the middle layer of the hair shaft that supports with hair strength, color, and texture, which makes the hair less likely to have split ends, meanwhile, having a strengthened, smoother cuticle, and a shiner hair.
Nuts/ seeds
Besides protein, vitamin E is also very important as an antioxidant that may help neutralizing free radicals and combat oxidative stress and damage, and more important, promote hair growth. The nuts or seeds we usually have with movies are good sources of Vitamin E. For example, an ounce of almonds provides 37% of daily vitamin E needs. Moreover, nuts and seeds provide a wide variety of vitamin B, minerals like zinc and fatty acids. These nutrients are also good for the health of the heart.
There are many more food that we always have is good for hair, for instance, avocado for its vitamins, fatty fishes for their omega-three, etc. However, the most important thing, just as what people always say, is to have a balanced diet.
Exercise is more than building body shape
We all know that exercise can help maintaining a healthy lifestyle, or simply a good body shape. Do you know that it is also promoting a stronger and healthier hair life cycle?
Exercise can increase the blood circulation, so as to the blood flow to the scalp. It helps enhancing metabolism and the increase in blood flow which can stimulate growth in hair follicles. Sweating during exercise may also help to flush out the toxins. We recommend a gentle cardio exercise such as jogging three to four times a week, with around an hour each time is good enough. Excessive exercise will cause chronic stress, which may cause faster shedding and do more harm than good to hair. Exercise can also cause a decrease in cortisone, a hormone that cause the thinning and loss of hair.
Besides the exercises that need your full-body movement, scalp massage only by your fingers is also a good exercise for hair growth. The theory behind is actually similar – increase blood flow to the scalp, circulates nutrients to hair follicles, and hence, encourage hair growth. What can be better with a five-minute hair massage that is relaxing and effective, at the same time, give you strong and healthy-looking hair?
Stress Matters! Relax
There are stages for hair follicle in its life cycle, anagen (growth phase), catagen (transition phase), telogen (resting phase) and eventually falls out. And stress shortens the time in growth stage and shift to the resting stage earlier. It is because stress will produce cortisone which will cause hair loss.
So it is important to keep yourself relax. Fifteen minutes of meditation per day might be considered. Exercise is also a good way to reduce stress, which can generate hormones like endorphins and serotonin and it can induce relaxation. The less stressed out we are, the healthier our hair becomes.
Know Hair Drying well
We might all know that heat cause a direct harm to hair, so people usually put extra care after hot tools styling, like hair straightener or curler. Sleeping with wet hair also impacts the hair can do damage when tossing at sleep. It is inevitable to use a hairdryer if you have a habit of washing hair before sleep especially for those who work hard and do not have time for air drying time. So it is important to balance the damage of heat from hairdryer and the necessity of hair blow-drying.
Before using the equipment, use the towel to remove moistures by pressing gently. Rubbing hair will break and tangle the hair easily. Hold the dryer few inches away from scalp and start in a higher speed and temperature, generally reduce the heat when the hair begins to dry. Keep on applying in high temperature when it has already dried will cause damage, brittleness, dryness and dullness due to over-drying.
Regular treatments are important
Your hair is always under attack even you have done nothing! UV rays from the sunlight, air pollution, poor living behavior will make your hair become less healthy. In order to cover the damages created, we need to have treatment sometimes. We are not going the mention about hundreds or thousands of dollars spent on treatment in the hair salon, it is about using only an egg for a DIY hair treatment
It is mentioned that eggs contain different nutrients and amino acids which is essential for tissue growth. Besides eating them directly, egg is also a good source for making hair healthier. For the egg white, some people may use it as a mask which cleanses the scalp of excess oil emission or even fight for dandruff. For the egg yolk, some people might mix it with olive oil for a deep moisturizing treatment. Just simply stir the mixture well, then apply on the scalp till the ends of hair. Let it sit for thirty minutes and rinse out with cold water. Be aware if you are allergic to eggs, never touch it even to your hair. Choose other alternatives like banana or avocado, which are also rich in vitamins and other necessary nutrients for hair.
Say NO to these behaviors
Some of the daily behaviors are damaging your hair, even you have never noticed about them. Here are some of the examples, and please try to avoid them, just for a healthier hair.
People usually touch their hair unconsciously or even tie the hair into a tight ponytail. It is actually creating traction and constantly traumatizing the hair. In longer time, it will cause a receding hairline and a brittle hair.
It feels really great to take a hot shower after a day of work or an intensive workout, but is it not a good idea for using hot water for your hair. In fact, hot water dries out hair more easily and washes out the hair colour faster than cold water. So try to use cooler water for shower, just to make sure it is in an acceptable temperature for washing away the dirt and sweat, and more importantly, not to catch a cold.
Lastly, do not skip your hat if there is a strong sun. The sunlight oxidizes the hair and dry the scalp quickly. A hat can protect your hair and face from the sun and prevent them from burning and dehydrating. A heatproof product might be an alternative as a protection layer.
There is still a huge room for discussion of the many ways in protecting your hair, no matter it costs a lot or not even a cent. The most important thing is we need to maintain the good behaviors and keep away from the bad ones. Some points mentioned above, like regular exercise and balanced diet, are not only good for your hair but also to your health.