Just like the rest of our body, the nutrients that we get from either food or the vitamins we take can give us healthy hair and nails. Just like our skin, our hair and nails’ overall health and appearance depend on what we put our body through and what we eat. This is because a great diet is one of the indications for having stronger nails and absolutely beautiful hair. When you have a poor diet, your hair can easily lose its luster and even get brittle. In the same way, your nails can easily split. This is something we want to avoid at all times because vanity aside, the status of our hair and nails is a big indication of our internal health.
Here are 10 tips to achieve healthy hair and nails.
1. Increase your protein intake.
It may seem like an odd tip to follow, but there is actually a huge reason why increasing your protein intake can give you a lot of benefits. You have probably heard of keratin from the hair care products that you use. This is because keratin is actually a protein where your hair and nails are made of. In order to have strong and healthy hair, you need an adequate amount of it. This should be your foundation to achieve those beautiful and healthy locks. One of the best sources of protein for your hair and nails are chicken, turkey, eggs, fish, beans, chickpeas, tofu, nuts, and many more. If you can, make sure to increase your protein from plant sources.
2. Take Vitamin A to naturally moisturize your hair.
Your hair can easily get dry, itchy, and flaky if does not have enough vitamins. One of the vitamins that you should have is Vitamin A. It is a much-needed vitamin that is responsible in the formation of sebum which is an oily substance secreted by your sebaceous glands to ensure your scalp is moisturized. It’s considered as a natural moisturizer for your hair and scalp and makes a good conditioner to soften your hair. When your hair is deficient from Vitamin A, you will easily get brittle hair and you will notice your scalp becomes itchy and flaky. The best sources of Vitamin A are carrots, squash, sweet potatoes, and tropical fruits like papaya and mango.
3. Take hair supplements that contain biotin.
Vitamin B7 or biotin is one of the best of the B-vitamins especially when it comes to your hair and nails. It is a known fact that this vitamin is responsible for strengthening the hooves of animals like horses. In the same way, it is what is needed to strengthen our nails. One of the best ways to strengthen your brittle nails is by taking supplements that contain biotin. It will improve the hardness of your nails as well as its firmness. This will eventually reduce those annoying splitting.
4. Eat more foods that contain Omega-3 fats
Oils are definitely essential to maintain healthy hair. This is why Omega-3 fats make a good solution to make your hair and scalp so much better. Omega-3 fats are found in the cells lining up your scalp and they help secrete oils to keep it hydrated. This is also a natural anti-inflammatory agent that will soothe any scalp problems. If your hair is deficient with this, there are a lot of sources that you can get it from other than supplements. The number one source for this is oily fish like sardines, mackerel, salmon, herrings, and trout. But this is definitely also found in plant sources like chia seeds, pumpkin seeds, flaxseeds, and walnuts.
5. Exercise regularly to keep healthy hair and nails.
Exercising is not just good for your body and skin. It can help increase the circulation in your scalp and extremities including your fingers and toes so you will have sufficient supply of oxygen and nutrients. So the next time you are sweating out, you are not just making your body healthy but also, you are making your hair and nails a lot beautiful.
6. Don’t blow-dry your hair too much.
Blow-drying your hair is fine so long as you do not overdo it. Make sure that you avoid blow-drying your hair too much as it can weaken the strength of your hair. Dry your hair naturally as much as you can and avoid ironing your hair or putting too much hair products that contain harmful chemicals. While this may be unavoidable at times, just make sure that you set some days where you let your hair breathe for some time.
7. Avoid going for harsh nail treatments.
We definitely like to get nail treatments. After all, it’s nice to see our nails to get prettified once in a while. But some of these treatments can also bring about damage to our nails and will eventually make it break more. One of these treatments is going for acrylic nails. For this reason, avoid this nail treatment but instead, go for treatment that encourages to strengthen your nails. When removing nail polish, use an acetone-free nail polish remover.
8. Wash your hair every other day.
That may sound icky but washing your hair too often can actually strip off the natural oils from your hair. This results to dry hair especially if you use harsh products as shampoo and conditioner. Avoid using products that contain harsh chemicals to preserve your healthy hair.
9. Take hair and nails supplements.
Supplements make a huge addition to your daily routine as sometimes, we do not get enough vitamins and nutrients from the food that we eat. Vita Pro Collagen is a supplement for the hair and nails which improves your skin and collagen formation and strengthen hair and nails.
10. Avoid refined sugars.
Sugar can actually deplete your body of minerals and can even speed up the aging processes in the body. For this reason, avoid refined sugar as much as possible and replace your diet with a healthier one instead.
