6 Ways to Get Healthy Hair

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Wellness Mama » Blog » Beauty » 6 Ways to Get Healthy Hair

I’ve been pregnant a time or six and had the wonderful thick hair that comes with it. Then comes the postpartum hair loss. For years I also dealt with hair loss from thyroid issues. These events prompted me to search for how to naturally promote hair growth and hair health.

Some post-pregnancy shedding is hormonal and inevitable, but there are natural ways to improve damaged hair and thinning hair. Here’s what I’ve discovered on my journey to healthy hair.

How to Get Healthy Hair

Our hair’s condition is a good indicator of what’s going on inside our body. It’s important to address the body as a whole to improve hair health in the long term. This includes eating a healthy diet and reducing stress.

Natural ways to help hair grow faster

I also wonder if these tips help baby’s hair growth in utero. My kids have all come with a LOT of hair, especially my daughter (her hair is in the picture above and she was three when taken!). Her hair has always been naturally thick, curly, and easy to work with. In fact, she was born with almost two inches.

These natural tips also benefit the body in other ways, so there isn’t much to lose!

1. Eat Enough Protein

Protein is essential for hair growth. Be sure to get enough protein (most of us aren’t!) to ensure the body has the necessary building blocks for hair. Complete protein sources like meats and fish are the most beneficial for hair growth. Many meats also contain iron, which is also essential for healthy hair.

Foods like meats, fish, eggs, and especially bone broths are excellent for hair growth. These foods also have necessary fatty acids to promote healthy hormones and scalp health.

2. Get The Vitamins

Some vitamins help promote hair growth, most notably vitamin C and biotin. The body needs vitamin C to produce collagen, which is necessary for healthy hair and skin. Vitamin C also helps with iron absorption, which promotes hair growth (plus it’s an immune booster!). Since the body can’t make vitamin C it’s one vitamin we have to get from food or supplements. Foods like citrus, broccoli, bell peppers, and spinach are good sources.

Biotin (and other B vitamins) can also promote faster and stronger hair growth. Plus it’s great for skin care too. Biotin is a water-soluble B vitamin our bodies use to digest fats and sugars. Eggs, nuts, berries, fish, and some vegetables all provide biotin in small amounts. Sometimes a supplement can be helpful to boost levels.

Other nutrients play a role in conditions like alopecia, hair damage, and prematurely greying hair. Zinc deficiency is thought to contribute to hair loss. A 2013 study found those early grey hairs may be caused by deficiencies in calcium, ferritin, and vitamin D3. Other factors include low selenium, B12, and folate.

Getting a variety of nutrient-dense foods and healthy sun exposure (without sunscreen!) are musts to make hair look its best.

3. Up the Gelatin

I’ve posted before about the many benefits of gelatin and why it’s great for healthy hair, skin, and nails. Gelatin is one thing I eat daily in some form, either in bone broth or gelatin powder (or both). From a previous post:

Gelatin is largely composed of the amino acids glycine and proline, which many people don’t consume in adequate amounts as they are found in the bones, fibrous tissues, and organs of animals, and as a population, we don’t consume these parts as much anymore. These amino acids are needed not only for proper skin, hair, and nail growth but for optimal immune function and weight regulation.”

Glycine, which makes up about 1/3 of the amino acids in gelatin powder is anti-inflammatory. Evidence shows glycine can even speed wound healing. Here are some of my favorite ways to incorporate gelatin.

4. Balance Hormones

Hormones and gut bacteria play a bigger role in health than people realize. Even if you have the best diet and supplements, hormone imbalance can derail health. Some studies even show how certain hormone reactions help heal brain trauma.

Hormones are often a major cause of hair loss or poor hair growth. Unfortunately, there can be many causes of hormone imbalance. This is also the reason for hair loss after pregnancy. We can take steps to improve hair while working to balance hormones (here are my top tips for naturally balancing hormones).

Stress and lack of sleep are two major contributors to hormone imbalance. These factors can also trigger dandruff. According to board-certified dermatologist Dr. Robinson, high stress levels can lead to high cortisol. When these stress hormones rise it triggers inflammation, oily hair, and scalp buildup. This oily buildup can then lead to dandruff.

5. Use the Right Products

Though the major causes of poor hair quality and growth are internal, external treatments can help improve existing hair and prevent breakage. From castor oil to gelatin I’ve tried many DIY hair treatments, most of which I really like! Here’s where I wrote about some of my favorites:

Things like bleaching hair and using conventional hair color at the local stylist aren’t great for hair and scalp health. Not to mention all of the toxins in conventional hair care products! However, natural hair products can cause problems too.

Conventional shampoos and products have problems of their own (like being linked to cancer), but natural ones often aren’t pH-balanced for the scalp and strip important natural oils. That’s one reason I decided to create my own line of healthy hair care products! They’re great for different hair types, like curly hair or dry hair

Another option is a natural clay-based shampoo like this one. I’ve tried it myself and had great results. They don’t lather like traditional shampoos but get my hair clean, nourish my scalp, and are pH-balanced.

6. Avoid Styling Damage

Eating all the right foods and using healthy shampoo will only get you so far if you have an unhealthy hair care routine. Things like tight hairstyles damage hair follicles and can lead to hair loss. Blow drying wet hair on high heat and using heat styling tools can cause hair damage and split ends.

Overusing heat tools can cause dryness and hair breakage. A simple way to avoid this is to use a lower heat setting and avoid overusing curlers, flat irons, and hair dryers. Heatless curls are a popular and less damaging way to get volume without the heat.

Do you find yourself reaching for products like leave-in conditioners to help detangle your locks? A silk pillowcase or hair bonnet can help avoid frizz and tangles while you sleep.

Experiment and see what works for you!

How do you keep your hair healthy? Share your tips below!

These tips help improve hair quality and hair growth using natural ingredients, vitamins, and nutrients that support hair growth from the inside out.

Sources
  1. Carrington, J. (2024, October). Dr. Mark Gordon: Hormones to Heal Traumatic Brain Injuries. Life Extension.
  2. Robin, M. (2023, October 26). Why You’re Suddenly Getting Dandruff for the First Time. Allure.
  3. Almohanna, H. M., Ahmed, A. A., Tsatalis, J. P., & Tosti, A. (2019). The Role of Vitamins and Minerals in Hair Loss: A Review. Dermatology and therapy, 9(1), 51–70.

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Katie Wells Avatar

About Katie Wells

Katie Wells, CTNC, MCHC, Founder of Wellness Mama and Co-founder of Wellnesse, has a background in research, journalism, and nutrition. As a mom of six, she turned to research and took health into her own hands to find answers to her health problems. WellnessMama.com is the culmination of her thousands of hours of research and all posts are medically reviewed and verified by the Wellness Mama research team. Katie is also the author of the bestselling books The Wellness Mama Cookbook and The Wellness Mama 5-Step Lifestyle Detox.

Comments

127 responses to “6 Ways to Get Healthy Hair”

  1. Joyce Avatar

    I am in my mid 70’s and have been coloring or highlighting my hair for probably 50+ years. Hair spray, styling, back combing, heat styling, and cutting. I started noticing thinning and all of this was taking its toll on my hair health. Last year I decided to make drastic changes and I stopped cutting, coloring and basically gave it a much needed rest. I can say that the improvement in about 8 months has been remarkable. You don’t realize how all of those things are affecting your hair. My hair has grown so much and I’m now sporting long hair in my 70’s with some natural silver highlights. My advice to you younger women is to start taking better care of yourselves and your hair while you can.

  2. Doris Avatar

    Sodium laureth/laurel sulfates are skin irritating emulsifiers. Ammonium laureth/laurel sulfates do not irritate the skin. Dishwashing detergents do not list there ingredients. You must call their 800 numbers to find the ones that are gentle to skin. Most skin products lists are on the container. Love,

  3. Clair Avatar

    I like using Maple Holistics in my hair, I find it does a good job.

  4. Brittany Avatar
    Brittany

    What is your thoughts on the Monat hair care line? I partnered with this company for a vegan, naturally based, non-toxic product to use for me and my kids. I want to educate myself before talking about it. I would love your thoughts, opinions?

  5. Nancy H. Avatar
    Nancy H.

    Please help. My hair has always been my pride and joy. I figured since it is pretty damn healthy, it could deal with some bleach damage. And I figured the master stylist who did all the color-corrections would know how much would be too much. I was wrong, and now I want to burst into tears every time I look at my hair or touch it. I just don’t know what to do. My hair has also NEVER been shorter than this and it breaks and falls out. What should I do to regrow hair?

  6. Kenny Avatar

    This would probably work but I’ve just been using Biotin Shampoo. Really this stuff has worked very well. I had really thick hair but during the summer it goes frail. This shampoo did wonders for that because of the formula they use and the vitamins inside it. I highly recommend checking it out.

    I also read that folks also had great results for using it on their face, for growing out even beards. 🙂

  7. Jennie Avatar

    I have struggled with my hair for a long time now. I am quickly approaching my 40s and I have bad hair quality. Recently, I have also noticed that my hair has stopped growing as it used to. A few years ago I went to the salon on a monthly basis. Now, it takes me almost two months before I even need to cut my hair! I am desperate and I really need help right now. Hair is one of the most important parts of a woman and I don’t want to give up on this one. I went to the doctors but they didn’t found anything wrong with me. The exams I took showed that I am healthy and there’s no reason for this to even happen to me. Please, I really need hair advice urgently!!!!!!!!!!!!

    1. Kelly Ann Kingston Avatar
      Kelly Ann Kingston

      Did you ever figure this out? I hope so. But, if not, I, too, have this and always have. What I found about six years ago was that I have one copy of the MTHFR C677T mutation. Which my Naturopath simplistically told me, “It means your body doesn’t metabolize B vitamins very well.”

      It’s much more than that, however, I took B shots for a while, and then switched to taking high doses of B complex. I responded fairly well to this. Not as much as I’d like, but I have decent hair. Not fantastic hair, decent hair, LOL. Have your Naturopath do bloodwork. Don’t assume anything. 😉

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