How to Get Rid of Dandruff

Dandruff in considered to be the most common and complex skin problem which results in the flaking of the white and dry skin from the scalp. Some of the main causes of the dandruff are: a fat-eating yeast fungus called malassezia, excessive shampooing, stress, poor diet, overuse of styling products, oily skin, dry skin and any other combination of the mentioned problems. Since there are many causes of the dandruff, hence there are many treatments of the dandruff. The most trusted option for the treatment of the dandruff is considered to be the self-care options. It is considered to be the most effective method and hence most of the people are going for this option.

Knowing about dandruff control

The best way to get rid of the dandruff is to go for the use of commercial shampoos. A good anti-dandruff shampoo is known to contain elements like the coal tar, selenium sulfide, zinc and the salicylic acid. All these elements and minerals are very much useful in the treatment of the irritation of the skin cells. Some of the most effective brands of commercial shampoos are the Pantene Pro-V, Neutrogena and the Head and Shoulders. In case if you are having doubt regarding the usage of any kind of shampoo then you can always take the help of dermatologist or a hair stylist. If you have chosen the right shampoo and are able to get rid of the dandruff then make sure that you must use that shampoo on the regular basis. Take the small amount of that shampoo and rinse hair to avoid the further scalp irritation.

• Another way to get rid of the dandruff is to go for the styling of your regimen: some of the compounds like the dyes, waxes, creams and hair gels and also the use of irons and the hair dryers can lead to the irritation of the scalp. If you want to get rid of these scalp problems, then you have to reduce the usage of these products. Instead of these products you can go for the use of products which have natural ingredients. Some of the common methods are the towel-drying and the air-drying.
• Another way to get rid of the dandruff is to go for the use of lotions and moisturizing oils: in this case you can try oil with peppermint or a refreshing scalp scrub. Such types of products will help in healing the flaky and dry skin. Besides this, they will also help in the circulation which is considered to be the key factor. Some of the other ways to improve the circulation are the massaging or brushing the scalp before going for the use of shampoo, exercise in the presence of sunshine and the fresh air and rinse your hair with the cold and warm water in an alternate manner.
• If you are consuming a healthy diet then also you can get rid of the dandruff in easy manner. Diet containing vitamin A and B are very much helpful in fighting against the scalp.

My Visit to Oriental Hair Solutions

This morning I went to the Oriental Hair Solutions at the Ngee Ann City for the 5 in 1 Herbal Scalp and Hair Therapy.  I am happy with the therapy and treatment, the effects looks promising.  However, I can't say that I'm impressed by the consultant.

The trial starts with a health questionnaire that I had to fill in.  Then I had the consultant to tell me things that I already knew, and some I had provided the answers in the questionnaire.  She then proceed to show me the pictures of my scalp and there were plenty of dandruff and how oily and sensitive my scalp was.  After that, it was pretty much sales talk and how their treatment can help me.  Showing more pictures of other customer with their before and after treatment effects.  When I asked about whether my hair were thinning or is my hair line receding.  She asked me if I think my hair is thinning or dropping.  Huh?  I thought it would be good if she of check on me or do something more professional, instead of asking for my observations.  I'm asking because I wanted your professional views.  Not my observations.

The entire treatment lasted about 80 mins.  Starting with some high frequency machines breaking down all my dandruff.  Not sure if it is useful but the consultant recommended that I should do that before the treatment.  So this is something outside of the trial, and it costs an additional $40.  It lasted less than 5 minutes though.  I'm wondering if it's all worthwhile.

Then another lady took over the consultant to continue my treatment.  The consultant took flight as if she was busy.  But I happened to be the only customer there.  First, I had the Scalp peeling mask, followed by wrapping my head up and connect it with some machine again.  This time round, it was supposed to be providing my scalp with more oxygen.  Man, this thing is really hot!  It's steaming my hair.  After 20 minutes, I went for a herbal wash to remove the mask.  That felt really good.  Finally, it ended with applying some hair tonic with a good scalp massage.

The consultant again took some pictures of my scalp after the treatment to show me the effects.  I am pleased, but not enough to entice me to sign on a package.  She continued to tell me that I would need at least another 10 session to get my scalp to be cleaned.  When I asked her if that would be all that's required, she told me that I had to 'do maintenance' and to keep on coming back.

Huh? It's not that cheap, and I don't think I would want to sign the package now.  Anyway, I paid $62+ for what is supposed to be a $18 trial.  Thanks for the trial, and I'm glad that I took leave to give it a try.  I would recommend others to give the $18 first trial a try, without the promotion, I thought it was just expensive.

Here is the link to the Herbal Scalp and Hair Therapy

Here are some of my thoughts on the therapy. 

Finally called the Oriental Hair Solutions

I finally got the time to call the Oriental Hair Solutions to make an appointment for the $18 first trial of the Herbal Scalp and Hair Therapy.  I took leave on the coming Monday, 7 Mar 2011, and will be going to the Ngee Ann City branch.

The lady whom picked up my call told me that it's going to be a 2 hours session.  I hope it's all worth it.  Follow my blog.  I will write more about the therapy again.

Here is the link to the Herbal Scalp and Hair Therapy

Here are some of my thoughts on the therapy.

Hair Damage Repair

"Whether it's heat, chemicals, dyes, or styling, it's all doing some degree of damage," Mirmirani says. "A good rule of thumb is, the less you do to your hair, the better."

The good news is today's products, including dyes, are much better suited to our hair than 20 years ago, with technology and research helping to make most styling products actually beneficial to our hair.

How can you undo some of the damage done through countless visits to the salon?

"There are two things you can do," Mirmirani says. "First, cut off the damaged ends and start fresh. And try reducing what you're doing. ... If you notice your hair looking dull and dry, cut back on your styling until you get your hair back."

Larry Baron, the owner and head stylist at Spa Christine in Boston, says the trick to keeping your hair healthy is to maintain its pH balance.

"In order to close the hair cuticle and bring it back to health, you need to keep its pH balance at 4.5 -- that's the level at which your hair will look its best," he tells WebMD. "When it starts to creep up, that's when it starts to look like straw."

Baron's recommendations for maximizing hair health:

• Always put product on your hair before you style with heat. "By putting the product on before you style, you're heating the product, not the hair," Baron tells WebMD. 
• Use extensions and cornrows wisely. "If extensions or cornrows are too tight, it can damage your roots by causing too much tension," Baron says. "There's a new technique where you can have extensions glued in and then removed using baby oil, but whatever way you choose, don't overdo it -- hair is strong, but it does have a breaking point."
• Cut your losses. "When your hair is really damaged and dry, amputate," Baron says. "Just cut it off and start over."

More information can be found here.

8 Ways You're Damaging Your Hair

So as we perm and color our way to the hair we want, when we want it, are we actually doing more harm than good to our locks? Here are eight ways our beauty habits cause hair damage:

1. Bleaching - "Bleaching your hair penetrates the cuticle with chemicals and removes your natural pigment," Mirmirani says. "You are changing the structure of your hair, making it more susceptible to damage."

Once you bleach, she explains, you've altered the strength of your hair, making it weaker. If you add blow drying and styling on top of bleaching, you can really damage your 'do, causing hair breakage, a dull look, and split ends.

2. Perms - "Perming refers to either a chemical straightening or a chemical curling," Mirmirani says. "It works by breaking the inner bonds of the hair and re-forming them back together in a different way."

Like bleaching, it weakens your hair, leaving it dull and damaged over time so that instead of luxurious curly locks or shiny straight tresses, your hair looks brittle and dry.

3. Highlights and coloring - Highlights and semi-permanent dyes aren't as damaging as bleach, but they aren't without consequences, Mirmirani says. They can also change the inner structure of the hair, causing a lackluster look and dryness, especially if you frequently color to hide roots or gray hair.

4. Flat iron and blow-drying - "Heat causes temporary changes to the hydrogen bonds that hold hair together," Mirmirani says, and that can make hair look dull.

Over time, the temporary changes can lead to more permanent damage if you tend to blow dry or iron on a daily basis.

5. Ponytails and braids - "Ponytails and braids can cause hair to break, especially if your style is pulled tightly," Mirmirani says. "If you wear it that way every day, permanent hair damage can occur."
Braiding or putting your hair in a ponytail when it's wet can cause damage sooner because wet hair is more fragile.

6. Over-brushing - Think 100 strokes a day will make your hair shiny and full? Think again.
"Over-brushing your hair can cause split ends and breakage, with the over-brushing causing just too much consistent friction for hair to handle," Mirmirani says.

Cheap brushes don't help either, causing snags and tangles that are hard to get out and resulting in broken hair and split ends.

7. Over-shampooing - "The goal of shampooing is to cleanse the scalp and remove oil buildup on your hair," Mirmirani says.

But over-washing can wash away your hair's natural moisture that helps your hair look healthy, making your hair dry. Although a significant amount of research has gone into making shampoos beneficial for your hair, you can still get too much of a good thing.

"The less vigorous you are in washing your hair, the less damage you'll do to the cuticle," Mirmirani tells WebMD. "And find a frequency to washing your hair that works for you ... whether it's a few times a week or every day."

How do you know when you are overdoing it?
"I have African-American patients who wash their hair once a week to avoid drying it out," Mirmirani says. "You can tell when it's too much if it starts to get dull, which means it's time to scale back on the shampooing."

8. Extensions and weaves - Extensions and weaves are a lot like ponytails and braids. Over time, they can leave hair broken and brittle. The difference is the damage is at the roots where it is harder to cut out.

"If you have a discomfort or ache in the scalp, that indicates that what you've done to your hair is causing too much pressure at the roots," Mirmirani says.

Worse, traction alopecia is a serious hair loss condition caused by wearing tight hairstyles like extensions for too long a time period. So either keep it loose, or try growing your hair instead of going for instant length.


More information can be found here.

何首乌功效及作用

何首乌功效及作用：
 
1.与功效主治相关的药理作用 　　

(1)促进造血功能 　　
小鼠皮下注射首乌液0.2g，每日2次，连续给药3日，可使粒系祖细胞的产率明显高于生理盐水对照组。小鼠腹腔注射何首乌提取液50mg/kg连续给药3日，可使骨髓造血干细胞明显增加，还可显著提高小鼠粒一单系祖细胞产生率，并使骨髓红系祖细胞值明显升高。 　　

(2)增强免疫功能 　　
何首乌对强的松龙和环磷酰胺引起的老年小鼠脾、胸腺抑制性改变有明显对抗作用，使脾巨噬细胞的吞噬率和吞噬指数明显提高。饲喂首乌乙醇浸膏能明显提高老年大鼠外周淋巴细胞 DNA的损伤修复能力。小鼠灌服制首乌 6g/kg，连续给药 7日，能明显提高腹腔巨噬细胞的吞噬能力，对强的松龙引起的吞噬指数下降，有明显的对抗作用。 　　

(3)降血脂与抗动脉粥样硬化 　　
高脂血症大鼠每日灌胃何首乌 4g/kg，连续 10日，能较显著地降低大鼠血清总胆固醇（TC）及血清甘油三酯（TG）的含量。对于高脂血症鹌鹑， 连续灌胃首乌4周，可明显降低血清TC含量和提高 HDL/TC比值。另有实验证明，高脂血症及动脉粥样硬化模型家兔，何首乌灌胃7日，不仅能降低TC含量，还能减轻动脉粥样硬化斑块形成。何首乌水提液 32g/kg喂养小鼠1个月，能明显提高 HDL- C水平。何首乌掺入到饲料中喂养大鼠，90日后，也可明显升高HDL-C，而TG和TC无明显变化，对β脂蛋白有明显抑制作用。何首乌醇提取液给快速动脉 粥样硬化鹌鹑灌胃，连续6周，血浆HDL-C/TC比值显著升高，大剂量组作用更为显著。各给药组均有延缓动脉粥样硬化的作用。何首乌降血脂与抗胆固醇作 用的有效成分包括蒽醌类、二苯烯化合物以及卵磷脂等。 　　

(4)保肝 　　
何首乌所含的二苯烯化合物对过氧化玉米油所致大鼠脂肪肝和肝功能损 害，肝脏过氧化脂质升高、血清谷丙转氨酶及谷草转氨酶升高等均有明显对抗作用，并使血清游离脂肪酸及肝脏过氧化脂质含量下降。在体外能抑制由ADP、 NADPH引起的大鼠肝微粒体脂质过氧化。何首乌还有增加肝糖原作用。生首乌、黑豆汁制首乌和清蒸首乌水煎液对醋酸强的松所致肝脂蓄积有对抗作用，可降低 CCl4引起的肝肿大，使肝重系数降低。 　　

(5)延缓衰老，现代调查有维生素E制止皱纹再生。 　　
何首乌水煎液喂服老年小鼠或青年小鼠，能使脑和肝中蛋白质含量明显增加，提高老年机体DNA修复能力。何首乌的醇提物及水提物能不同程度地增加老年大鼠胸腺胞浆蛋白和核酸含量。 　　何首乌延缓衰老作用与抗氧化作用有关。老年小鼠灌服何首乌水煎浓缩液，能明显增强血中SOD活 性。炮制对首乌抗氧化作用有一定影响，新法炮制品及老法炮制品均有明显提高小鼠全血及脑组织SOD活性作用，并能降低小鼠心、肝、脑组织中及血中LPO含 量，生品对SOD和LPO无明显影响。首乌醇提液或水提提液均能不同程度地提高老年大鼠心、肝、脑的组织SOD含量和降低LPO含量。 　　

(6)对内分泌的影响 　　
何首乌水煎浓缩液长期给小鼠灌胃，可使小鼠肾上腺重量明显增加。何首乌还有类似肾上腺皮质功能 的作用，对摘除双侧肾上腺的小鼠，可使其应激能力明显提高，减少冷冻引起的小鼠死亡率。制首乌对去甲肾上腺素饥饿小鼠肝糖原积累，有促进作用，使肝糖原明 显增加。何首乌对血糖的影响有一定的时效关系，给家兔口服首乌煎剂后30、60分钟内血糖升高达峰值，之后逐渐下降，6小时后血糖比正常低。大鼠肝胰岛素 受体具有高亲和力低容量，及低亲和力高容量两种受体，老年小鼠结合容量显著降低，但亲和力无变化。何首乌对容量和亲和力两个参数均无明显影响。 　　

(7)润肠通便 　　
何首乌生用，润肠通便作用强，其有效成分大黄酚可促进动物肠管运动。部分高脂血症病人服用后，出现大便次数增加和腹泻现象。 　　

2.其他药理作用 　　

曾有报道，何首乌各种炮制品（生首乌、酒蒸首乌、黑豆汁蒸首乌、清蒸首乌）水煎液体外对金黄色葡萄球菌、白色葡萄球菌、福氏痢疾杆菌、宋内氏痢疾杆菌、伤寒杆菌901、 副伤寒杆菌从白喉杆菌、乙型溶血性链球菌等均有不同程度的.抑制作用，其中生首乌煎剂抗金黄色葡萄球菌作用比其他炮制品强，制首乌水煎剂对白色葡萄球菌， 酒蒸首乌水煎剂和地黄汁蒸首乌水煎剂对白喉杆菌的抑制作用比其他首乌强。何首乌对流感病毒有一定抑制作用。此外，何首乌还有减慢心率、扩张冠脉、抗心肌缺 血等作用。 　　综上所述，与何首乌补肝肾，益精血，乌须发，强筋骨功效相关的药理作用是促进造血功能，提高机体免疫功能，降血脂，抗动脉粥样硬化，保肝，延缓衰老，影响内分泌功能，润肠通便等作用。何首乌功效作用的物质基础主要为磷脂、蒽醌类、葡萄糖苷类等成分。

Effects of He Shou Wu 何首乌

I did some search on the effects and usage of He Shou Wu 何首乌, and it seems like it has much other effects and usage of it than turning gray hair back to its original colors.  Read its other usage below:

 

中药功效

解毒，消痈，润肠通便。用于瘰疠疮痈，风疹瘙痒，肠燥便秘；高血脂。 　　

1、骨软风疾（腰膝疼痛，遍身瘙痒，行步困难）。用何首乌（以有花纹者为最好）、牛膝各一斤，同在好酒中泡七夜，取出晒干，捣烂，加枣肉和成丸子，如梧子大。每服三十至五十丸。空心服，酒送下。 　　

2、皮里作痛（不知痛在何处）。用何首乌末，姜汁调成膏涂搽，搽后用布包住，以火烘鞋底熨按。 　　

3、自汗不止。用何首乌末，调唾液，封脐上。 　　

4、肠风下血。用何道乌二两，研为末。每服二钱，饭前服，米汤送下。 　　

5、破伤血出。用何首乌末敷上即止。有特效。 　　

6、瘰疬结核（或破或不破，下至胸前者皆可治），用何首乌根洗净，每日生嚼，并取叶捣烂涂患处。 　　

7、痈疽毒疮。用何首乌不限量，在文武火上熬煎，加酒等量，再煎开几次后，存酒，随时饮用；取药渣焙干，研为末，以酒煮面调成丸子，如梧子大。每服三十丸，空心服，温酒送下。病愈后，药可常服。 　　

8、大风疠疾。用何首乌（以大而有花纹者为好）一斤，泡淘米水中七天，反复蒸、晒数次，加胡麻四两，再蒸再晒，研为末，每服二钱，酒送下，一天服二次。 　　

9、疥癣。用何首乌、区叶等分，水煎浓汤洗 浴，可以解痛、生肌肉。用何首乌茎、叶煎汤洗浴，也有效。　

Herbal Scalp and Hair Therapy

This looks good.  My wife had gone for the treatment before and find that it was good. They are still having the promotion.  I'm going to make an appointment to give it a try.

Just wonder should I sign up their package.  It's so expensive in the long run.

Details of the promotions are here.

Ps. Btw, anyone with any experience to share on this Herbal Scalp/Hair Therapy?  Please feel free to leave your comments below.  Thanks.  

Read more on the therapy here:

http://iwantmyhealth.blogspot.com/2011/03/finally-called-oriental-hair-solutions.html

Here are some of my thoughts on the therapy.  

Scalp Care Tips for Men

1. Wash Daily
Keeping your scalp clean is key to minimizing clogged pores and other scalp problems. Use a gentle shampoo and wash once each day, working the shampoo into the hair and scalp for about two minutes. Don't bother with the "rinse and repeat" part. One good wash should be sufficient.

2. Exfoliate Weekly
Once or twice per week, remove dead skin cells and dirt from the scalp with an exfoliating scrub such as Menscience Microfine Face Scrub. A scrub made for the face is gentle enough to be used on the scalp.

3. Massage
Scalp massage is beneficial because it helps promote good blood flow to the scalp, helps to keep the scalp flexible, soothes nerves and relaxes muscles. Scalp massage also promotes hair growth and luster. It feels great, too. One each week, massage the scalp with the fingertips using a firm pressure in a circular motion. Place the fingers under the hair to avoid pulling. Perform this exercise for three or four minutes.

4. Avoid Drying Problems
One of the main causes of dry scalp is shampooing with water that is too hot. This can strip essentials oils from the skin and cause dryness. Wash hair in lukewarm water to help retain those essential oils. Excessive blow drying of the hair can also promote a dry scalp. If you notice excessive drying, a good leave-in conditioner can help replenish moisture to the scalp.

Maintaining a great looking head of hair starts with a healthy scalp. Follow the tips above to help ensure yours stays in great shape.

More information can be found here.

Home Remedy Tips for Hair Loss

Here are some home remedy tips for treating hair loss:

1. Massage the scalp with 2-3 drops of essential oil or a good vegetable oil. Massage well into the scalp so that the oil gets into deep roots of hair. Wrap the hair in plastic wrap and place a warm towel around it. Leave it for 2 to three hours or overnight. Shampoo the hair with a mild shampoo. Practicing this at regular basis would help your hair pores get rejuvenated.
2. Eat a handful of white sesame seeds every morning. One handful of these small seeds contains about 1,200 mg. of calcium and magnesium to ignite the required nourishments of your scalp not to loose hair.
3. Take some yogurt everyday (unless you are allergic to milk).
4. Rinse hair with a mix of apple cider vinegar tea to help hair grow.
5. Mix little warmer castor and almond oil and massage over scalp at least once a week.
6. Grind lime seeds and black pepper in equal number in some water and apply on the scalp at regular intervals.
7. Scrub the bald portion with onions till it becomes red. Then applying honey, scrub the scalp once a day.
8. Massage almond oil on scalp 2 to 3 times a day. Further hair loss will stop by doing this practice.
9. Massage coconut milk or Aloe Vera gel into the scalp and hair. Leave it for ½ hour, and then rinse with warm water. Repeat 3 times a week.
10. Massage honey with egg yolk into the scalp and hair. Leave for a 1/2 hour, then rinse to prevent hair loss.

More information can be found here.


I wonder if it works.  Well, gotta give it a try to know...

Thinning of the hair

If you think your hair is thinning, although you do not have any real baldness, it is important to check that this is actually the case. Try the tug test, and remember that it is normal to lose 50–100 hairs a day. Sometimes, thinning of the hair can be entirely in the mind, as a symptom of depression.

Thinning of hair all over the scalp (rather than patchy baldness) can be due to various causes. In the case of mental or physical stress, it often occurs 2–3 months after the event. This is because at the time of the stress many follicles enter telogen (the resting phase) prematurely, and are then shed together at the end of telogen a few months later. In this situation, the hair loss usually recovers completely.
 

If you believe your hair is thinning, do not assume it is due to stress. See your family doctor, who will be able to rule out the common causes (such as thyroid deficiency and iron deficiency). Many drugs – not just those listed below – can cause hair loss, and the doctor will be able to check if this is a possibility. There may be several months? delay between starting the medication and the hair loss being noticeable.

Some skin disorders, such as eczema or psoriasis of the scalp, can cause thinning of the hair. Usually the hair grows again once the skin problem is treated.

Often no cause can be found. In some of these cases the hair will recover in time, but in others it remains thin.

It is important to keep thinning hair as healthy as possible (see looking after your hair for general recommendations). If there is no curable cause and the thinning is distressing, it may be worth trying Regaine. Bear in mind that Regaine will take several months to show any effect, and works in only a proportion of cases.

Some drugs that may cause hair thinning

• Lipid-lowering drugs (statins, clofibrate, bezafibrate)
• Anticancer drugs
• ACE inhibitors for blood pressure or heart failure (ramipril, captopril, enalapril, lisinopril)
• Calcium antagonists for blood pressure (amlodipine)
• Blood-thinning drugs (warfarin)
• Drugs for gout (allopurinol)
• Antimalarials (chloroquine)
• Drugs for epilepsy (valproate sodium, vigabatrin)
• Drugs for Parkinson’s disease (for example, pramipexole, bromocriptine)
• Anti-thyroid drugs (carbimazole, propylthiouracil)
• Anti-acne drugs (isotretinoin)
• Mood-stabilizing drugs (lithium, valproic acid)

Here are more information from the webpage.


 

Top 10 Foods for Healthy Hair

I had recently realized that I seem to be getting a hair thinning problem.  *sigh*   This is the reason why I started this blog. I hope that it doesn't get worst and it's still not too late for me to improve the situation.  Hopefully, by eating healthy hair food I could still sustain or improve hair growth.

Here is the list of Top 10 Foods for Healthy Hair.

 

Healthy Hair Food No. 1: Salmon

When it comes to foods that pack a beauty punch, it's hard to beat salmon. Loaded with omega-3 fatty acids, this high-quality protein source is also filled with vitamin B-12 and iron.
"Essential omega-3 fatty acids are needed to support scalp health," says Andrea Giancoli, MPH, RD, a dietitian in Los Angeles and a spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association. "A deficiency can result in a dry scalp and thus hair, giving it a dull look."
Vegetarian? Include one or two tablespoons of ground flaxseed in your daily diet for some plant-based omega-3 fats.

 

Healthy Hair Food No. 2: Dark Green Vegetables

Popeye the Sailor Man didn't eat all that spinach for healthy hair, but he could have. Spinach, like broccoli and Swiss chard, is an excellent source of vitamins A and C, which your body needs to produce sebum. The oily substance, secreted by your hair follicles, is the body's natural hair conditioner.
Dark green vegetables also provide iron and calcium.

 

Healthy Hair Food No. 3: Beans

Beans, beans, they're good for your ... hair?
Yes, it's true. Legumes like kidney beans and lentils should be an important part of your hair-care diet. Not only do they provide plentiful protein to promote hair growth, but ample iron, zinc, and biotin. While rare, biotin deficiencies can result in brittle hair.
Blatner, who is also a spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association, recommends three or more cups of lentils or beans each week.

 

Healthy Hair Food No. 4: Nuts

Do you go nuts for thick, shiny hair? You should.
Brazil nuts are one of nature's best sources of selenium, an important mineral for the health of your scalp.
Walnuts contain alpha-linolenic acid, an omega-3 fatty acid that may help condition your hair. They are also a terrific source of zinc, as are cashews, pecans, and almonds. A zinc deficiency can lead to hair shedding, so make sure nuts are a regular on your healthy hair menu.

Healthy Hair Food No. 5: Poultry

Chickens and turkeys may have feathers, but the high-quality protein they provide will help give you the healthy hair you crave.
"Without adequate protein or with low-quality protein, one can experience weak brittle hair, while a profound protein deficiency can result in loss of hair color," Giancoli tells WebMD.
Poultry also provides iron with a high degree of bioavailability, meaning your body can easily reap its benefits. 

Healthy Hair Food No. 6: Eggs

When it comes to healthy hair, it doesn't matter whether you like your eggs scrambled, fried, or over easy. However they're served up, eggs are one of the best protein sources you can find.
They also contain biotin and vitamin B-12, which are important beauty nutrients.

 

Healthy Hair Food No. 7: Whole Grains

Sink your teeth into hearty whole grains, including whole-wheat bread and fortified whole-grain breakfast cereals, for a hair-healthy dose of zinc, iron, and B vitamins.
A whole-grain snack can also be a great go-to food when your energy is zapped halfway through the afternoon, and you've still got hours to go before dinner.

 

Healthy Hair Food No. 8: Oysters

Oysters may be better known for their reputation as an aphrodisiac, but they can also lead to healthy hair -- and who doesn't love that?
The key to their love and hair-boosting abilities is zinc -- a powerful antioxidant.
If oysters don't make a regular appearance on your dinner plate, don't despair. In addition to getting it from whole grains and nuts, you can also get zinc from beef and lamb.

Healthy Hair Food No. 9: Low-Fat Dairy Products

Low-fat dairy products like skim milk and yogurt are great sources of calcium, an important mineral for hair growth. They also contain whey and casein, two high-quality protein sources.
For some healthy hair foods "to-go," try throwing a yogurt or cottage cheese cup in your bag when you head out in the morning to snack on later in the day. You can even boost their hair benefits by stirring in a couple of tablespoons of ground flaxseeds or walnuts for omega-3 fatty acids and zinc. 

Healthy Hair Food No. 10: Carrots

Carrots are an excellent source of vitamin A, which promotes a healthy scalp along with good vision.
Since a healthy scalp is essential for a shiny, well-conditioned head of hair, you'd be wise to include carrots in your diet as snacks or toppings on your salad.


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