HERE'S THE CONNECTION BETWEEN HAIR LOSS AND POOR DIET

 

BUILDING BETTER HABITS

A worried woman wondering why she is losing her hair/ Photo Credit/Element5 Digital

What is the connection?

Hair loss also referred to as, alopecia is a common phenomenon among black women. The underlying causes of hair loss among black women is as a result of many factors among them traction alopecia. A common hair loss among black women is due to repeated pulling of the hair. Women who wear tight hairstyles, dreadlocks, weaves, braids, and extensions suffer from traction alopecia. Other causes of hair loss include coiled hair. Black hair is mostly in coiled shape and this makes it difficult for oils to reach the tips of the scalp, thus, leading to dry hair. Heat especially, excessive heat from hot combs and hot iron cause hair damage. Chemical treatments such as, relaxing and hair straightening changes the structure of the hair shaft leading to higher chances of hair breakage.

You might be wondering how poor diet is connected to hair loss. According to verified research studies and medical doctors who identify as dermatologists, poor diet is strongly connected to hair loss among black women. Nutrition has everything to do with how healthy your hair grows and functions. Therefore, as a black woman, you need to be careful with your diet. Eating unhealthy foods would result in loss of hair. Poor diet impacts your hair structure and growth. This is precisely why unregulated nutrition supplement industry preys on black women with unverified information about certain supplements. You need to be very careful about information advising you to take certain supplements. To either help with your hair growth or prevent hair loss. There are many causes of hair loss. Poor diet is only one of them. Therefore, unless you have consulted a qualified dermatologist, do not be quick to take supplements.

As a black woman, you need to be careful when it comes to your health. And eating poor diet might impact not only your overall health but also the quality of your hair. Your hair follicles are mainly made of protein and when you run low on protein. You can easily lose your hair. This fact gives you a reason to care about what you eat and maintain your hair. Hair plays a fundamental role to a woman. Hair is not only her other means of expression but also the essence of beauty. We all love beautiful things. And hair is a treasured feature among women. News of loss of hair  is both shocking and devastating because it introduces panic. The panic comes from people not knowing why they are losing hair. To avoid such panics. Always ensure that you eat a balanced diet.

How is protein Deficiency associated with hair loss?

Don’t incur hair loss when you can control it. Your diet is a controllable factor. It is not easy to eat a balanced diet all the time. However, working with the right knowledge might help you to make informed choices about the types of food you eat every day. Protein deficiency can affect your hair negatively because the hair follicles themselves are made of proteins. As a result, your hair follicles require protein to function and grow properly. When you suffer from protein deficiency, your hair follicles are forced to rest as a means to conserve protein. Forceful resting of the hair follicle result in hair shedding. When your hair follicles do not get enough protein in two to three months, you will start losing your hair. Note that any form of low protein diet would result in hair loss. Your hair requires amino acids, which are the building blocks of protein to grow well. 

A happy woman that has learned about the right diet for her hair/Photo Courtesy/Roman Biernacki

Your hair has something called hair bulb cells. The cells in your hair that create hair bulb cells experience high turnover rate. Thus, necessitating the need for constant supply of proteins and calories in your body to help with the growth and function of hair bulb cells. Without proteins, your hair might lose its hair bulb cells. Thereby, contributing to further hair loss. A lack of proteins, vitamin D, iron, biotin, and zinc all lead to loss of hair among black women. All these nutrients play a critical role in your hair growth. For example, biotin helps to produce healthy hair and nails, while iron carries oxygen to the scalp to help with hair growth. Eating too much unhealthy foods such as, foods rich in sugar, saturated fats, and carbohydrates reduce healthy nutrients necessary for effective hair growth.

Further, unhealthy foods can increase inflammation in your body, which also leads to hair loss. Excessive consumption of alcohol is bad for your hair growth. Drinking too much alcohol damages your hair follicle, which in turn cause thinning and hair loss. If, you are also a lover of carbonated soft drinks, you might be at risk of losing your hair. Diets drinks contain a compound known as aspartame. Aspartame is an artificial sweetener, which causes hair loss. In addition, carbonated drinks might cause an increase in insulin. A high insulin level causes high blood sugar as it interacts with insulin in the body.  In your quest to protect your hair, also avoid eating foods rich in glycemic index as they increase levels of insulin in your body. Too much insulin causes inflammation in the scalp, thus, leading to hair loss.    

What Foods to Eat and What Foods to Avoid

Now that you know how poor diet causes hair loss. It is important to understand the types of food to eat and which ones to avoid. Nutrients and protein deficiency carry significant impacts on your hair. To ensure that you keep your hair, these are some of the foods you should consider increasing their intake to boost the level of protein in your body to prevent hair loss. Some of protein-rich foods that support your hair growth include the following. Eggs are protein rich foods that support hair growth. Eggs contain biotin or vitamin B7, which helps to produce keratin in the body. Keratin supports healthy hair growth. Sun flower seeds is another food you should increase its intake. Sun flower seeds contain vitamin E, which increases blood circulation to the scalp. The seeds also have vitamin B6 and omega 6 fatty acids, which help to prevent hair loss. 

A woman wonders if she could be losing hair/Photo/Moose Photos

Avocados have vitamin B and E, which contain healthy fats and antioxidants. These healthy fats not only nourish the scalp but also help to strengthen hair shafts. Beans is a plant-based source of protein and zinc, which helps with hair growth and repair. Spinach has both magnesium and iron important minerals that help your hair to produce sebum. Sebum is a natural oily ingredient produced by the skin’s sebaceous glands and it helps with moisturizing and protecting the skin. Sweet potatoes are yet another protein-rich food you should eat often. Sweet potatoes contain beta-carotene that the body converts into vitamin A, which helps to speed up hair growth. Oysters comprise of copper. The body requires copper to create melanin, a substance that regulates the color of your hair. Yogurt has both protein and probiotic bacteria necessary for nourishing effective growth of thick hair. In addition to these high nutritional value foods, also eat fish, dairy products, nuts, legumes, and lean meats to help with your hair growth.  

Foods to Avoid

Avoid foods, which contain high sugar as they negatively affect your hair growth. Sugar causes the pancreas to produce high insulin. More insulin causes inflammation in the scalp. Inflammation not only causes damage in hair follicle but also breaks and dry hair. Sugar also causes poor circulation of blood in the body, thereby, preventing nutrients from accessing the hair follicle. The following foods contribute to hair loss. Refined grains such as, bread, pasta, and white rice cause hair loss. Also avoid foods rich in high glycemic index, a method for classifying foods that speed up blood sugar formation. Foods that can result in your blood sugar raising quickly include grain (White bread, white rice, corn flakes, short-grain rice, popcorn, brown rice, whole wheat bread, rice cakes, and couscous).

Boiled potatoes also have high levels of glycemic index. Fruit juice, cakes, instant noodles, croissants, doughnuts, and almost all packaged breakfast cereals are all rich in glycemic index. As you reflect on how your current diet is impacting your hair growth or loss. It is important to understand the connection between poor diet and hair loss as a black woman. Protecting your hair is not just about keeping it clean and feeding it the right substances. Protecting your hair is all about eating a healthy diet. The types of food you eat every day determine whether you lose or keep your hair. The subject of hair and nutrition is a little complicated. To ensure that you end with the correct information. Consider talking to a dermatologist who specializes in skin care to guide you further on the best ways to care for your hair.