JOIN USHair is our crowning glory. “Deficiency in your diet makes hair dry and thin which gradually falls and in some cases hair greying” says Dr Rohit Batra, dermatologist at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital and expert at Derma World Skin Care. “Health is not merely absence of disease; it is a state of physical, mental and emotional well being. If the body is under stress it
reflects instantly on the skin and hair,” says nutritionist Lovneet Batra.
Increasing pollution and environmental disturbances make it imperative that we follow a balanced diet and a healthy schedule. “Increasing stress, erratic sleeping schedules, busy lifestyles, pollution -– everything adds to the regular wear and tear of body. Hair being a vital component of our body requires equal attention and dietary needs,” says Sanket Shah, CEO and managing director, Advanced Hair Studio, India.
“Hair growth is highly dependent on our diet as it requires nutrients which can be procured only from food,” says beauty expert Simmi Ghai, Xpressions Salon, Delhi. “Food can be the best medicine for healing the body from inside. Whatever you eat not only plays a major role in preventing diseases but also affects our skin and hair,” says Batra.
In recent times, people have become extremely conscious about their calory intake and weight control. “People go on fad diets, losing the actual minerals, vitamins and enzymes. Some indulge their cravings for fast foods that clog the digestive systems and block the supplements from reaching all parts of the body,” says Ghai.
Experts stress on the importance of a proper diet that includes healthy portions of carbohydrates, proteins along with other supplements. This is required for healthy hair.
“Hair has keratin proteins which are the most important requirements for hair building,” says Dr Batra. “Good proteins in the diet would be fish, meat, soya, lentils,” he suggests.
Carbohydrates are another important supplement in our body. “We should not ignore them because proteins require equal amount of carbohydrates to work in body and also essential to burn the body fats,” he adds.
As is common knowledge green vegetables like spinach are rich in iron and vitamin content. “Iron is required for proper anchoring of hair shaft which is done by ferritin-intracellular protein which stores iron,” says Dr Batra. Important sources of iron are lotus stem, black chana and honey.
Important supplements for hair include vitamin B, E and C, found in generous quantities in melon and mango, both rich in vitamin B; whereas cashew nuts and almonds contain high amounts of vitamin E, essential for lustrous hair.
If you have or are losing hair you can go for enhancement or hair rejuvenation treatment. “People who have brittle hair can use banana paste, aloe-vera gel and coconut oil,” suggests Ghai.