Naturopathic Doctor for The Hair & Skin Battle

Healthy Hair Tips

Five major contributors to hair loss & hair thinning:

1. High Stress

Cortisol, a hormone released in response to stress, signals hair follicles to prematurely shift from growth to rest where the hair can no longer grow. Over time stress can disrupt our hormones and even lead to poor nutrient deficiencies which further inhibit hair growth.

When it comes to “stress,” we can define it, not just as things that trigger negative emotions, but as anything that adds a challenge to our internal environment. This can include stress from everyday life such as work, relationships, finances, etc.

Here are some additional physical stressors that can contribute to hair loss and hair thinning:

Trauma (such as any injury, accident, or surgery)

Significant or rapid weight loss

High fever, acute colds and flus

Chronic systemic illness: such as lyme, babesia, EBV, mold, and any other infectious illness

Heavy metal exposure

Stress Management
When thinking about supporting optimal hair growth, stress management is an important thing to consider as high levels of stress have the ability to push our hair follicles right out of their growth phase, putting a hold on hair growth or setting the stage for hair shedding. Whether this is with exercise, mindfulness practices, or breathing techniques, ensuring you are supporting your stress response can be an important piece to optimal hair growth.

Taking the time for short, 5-10 minute meditations a few days a week has been shown to improve our biomarkers of stress. Some examples of meditation apps are:

Headspace Guide to Meditation

Calm App

Balance App

Simple Habit

2. Genetics & Hormone Imbalances

Genetics, lifestyle and age all increase the likelihood that hormones, particularly DHT, will affect your hair follicles and cause thinning hair. DHT (dihydrotestosterone) is an androgen hormone that is present in the scalp of both men and women. It causes the hair follicle to slowly shrink and eventually close entirely so that hair can no longer grow back. Hormonal changes from motherhood, menopause and stress can lead to DHT imbalance in women. In men, genetics and lifestyle factors play a major role. DHT sensitivity can also be caused by aging, smoking, certain medications, poor diet, hormonal changes and environmental toxins.

Natural ways to support the reduction of the DHT hormone are through foods, such as consuming 2 tbsp of pumpkin seeds daily, or adding in a cup of spearmint tea once a day.

Other metabolic hormones, such as our thyroid hormone, can significantly impact hair health. So if you are concerned about hair loss, consider talking to your Nourish doctor about evaluating your thyroid health, including thyroid antibodies.

3. Aging

Starting in our mid 20's the scalp loses collagen and elastin as we age. This structural breakdown prevents key components like blood vessels, lipids, melanocytes and nerve endings from protecting, hydrating and replenishing nutrients needed for hair growth. As a result, hair becomes shorter, weaker and less pigmented. Therefore it is important to support our collagen reserves through food, by focusing on protein intake, and potentially adding in a collagen supplement into your routine.

4. Lifestyle Impacts

Lifestyle refers to your surroundings, the products you use and the foods you eat, which can influence the health of the hair follicle. Some exposures that may negatively influence your hair include: heavy metals, air or water pollution, UV rays, extreme heat from styling and disruptive chemicals commonly in cosmetics and household cleaners. When the body becomes overwhelmed and cannot clear toxins quickly, antioxidant stores can be depleted allowing oxidative stress to damage the hair follicle leading to weak and thin hair.

Consider adding in a shower filter to your shower and making sure your air and water quality are well optimized.

5. Diet & Nutrient Deficiencies

Hair loss can be attributed to various factors, and nutrient deficiencies are among them. While several nutrients are essential for maintaining healthy hair, the following are some of the key ones that, when deficient, may contribute to hair loss:

Iron: Iron deficiency, known as anemia, can lead to hair loss. Iron is crucial for transporting oxygen to cells, including hair follicles.

Zinc: Zinc is involved in the hair growth and repair cycle. A deficiency in zinc may contribute to hair shedding.

Vitamin D: Vitamin D plays a role in hair follicle cycling. Insufficient levels of vitamin D may be associated with hair loss.

B Vitamins (Biotin, B12, Niacin): Biotin, in particular, is often associated with hair health. Deficiencies in B vitamins can be evaluated through lab work, so consider asking your Nourish doctor for further testing.

Protein: Hair is primarily composed of protein, and a deficiency in protein can lead to hair thinning or loss. Adequate protein intake is essential for hair structure and growth.

Selenium and iodine are important cofactors when it comes to our thyroid health. If they are deficient, it can lead to a sluggish thyroid, which can also contribute to changes in our hair texture and density.

Food & Nutrient Tips

Protein Intake

Ensuring adequate protein intake can play an important role in healthy hair growth. A good guideline is to aim for halving your body weight, and trying to eat that amount in grams daily. For example: if you weigh 120 pounds, aim for 60 g of protein per day, but this may vary or increase based on your activity level.

For a list of the protein content of different foods check out this resource, it contains both animal and plant based sources:
https://www.todaysdietitian.com/pdf/webinars/ProteinContentofFoods.pdf

Nutrient-Rich Foods for Healthy Hair

Iron Rich Foods

Your body may benefit from an increase in iron from your diet. High iron foods to consider include beef, shellfish such as oysters, dried apricots, white beans, spinach, quinoa, white button mushrooms, squash and pumpkin seeds. You can increase the amount of iron you absorb from leafy greens by adding Vitamin C, so try a bit of squeezed lemon juice on your greens!

Zinc Rich Foods

High zinc foods include oysters, beef, chicken leg, firm tofu, pork chops, hemp seeds, lentils, oatmeal, and shiitake mushrooms. You may also consider supplementing with an additional 15-20 mg of zinc picolinate.

Magnesium Rich Foods

Magnesium is a commonly used nutrient in our body, especially in processes of energy production and detoxification. Consider increasing the magnesium in your diet, which can be found in spinach, squash and pumpkin seeds, lima beans, brown rice, almonds, avocados, peanut butter, dark chocolate, and bananas.

Selenium Rich Foods

Selenium is an important mineral that plays a big role in supporting thyroid health. Selenium-rich foods include brazil nuts (2-4 each day), fish, oysters, pork chops, beef, chicken breast, tofu, shrimp, and shiitake mushrooms.

Personal Care Products & Filters:

Shower Filter

The mineral content in our water can sometimes be behind hair texture changes and new breakage. As water softening systems or hard minerals in our water tend to strip the hair and make it weak, we typically recommend trying a water filter shower head (a quick search will bring up tons of options) and a nutritive shampoo - something with botanicals, B vitamins, and keratin.

Jolie and Aquabliss are shower filters that have been shown to reduce the heavy metals and harsh minerals in our water.

Drinking Water Filters

Unfortunately, some tap water contains contaminants such as heavy metals and toxins that exceed the latest health guidelines. These chemicals can contribute to hair damage and loss, in addition to a myriad of other health issues. Check out these resources and water filter brands:

Check out the EWG Step-by-Step Guide to Selecting a Home Tap Water Filter to get a free assessment of the quality of your water and what filter would be best for your home
Berkey Water Filter Systems (countertop): https://www.berkeyfilters.com
Hydroviv (undersink): https://www.hydroviv.com/

Hair Dye and Styling Resources

As you're concerned about hair dye and its impact on your hair health, options to consider are:
http://www.greenpages.org is a resource that can be used to find green and non-toxic businesses and salons in your area https://www.ecocolors.net and www.myhairprint.com for home hair dye

Hair Washing Tips:

It is suggested to avoid unnecessary hair washing and just washing your hair when it is dirty. When this happens is different for everyone and may require experimenting with different hair washing schedules (daily for some, a few times a week for others). While excess oils along with debris can build up on your scalp and become problematic for hair growth and scalp health, some amounts of natural oils are beneficial for your hair health. To support this, we recommend using a shampoo that does not have harsh ingredients like parabens or sulfates which tend to strip your scalp's beneficial oils. If your hair tends to become oily quickly and daily washing is needed, using a gentle non stripping shampoo is best. Overuse of dry shampoo can also lead to unwanted product buildup.

Hair Product Tips:

For hair product recommendations, as a baseline, we recommend looking for products that are SLS (Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, a foaming agent that can potentially cause skin irritation) and paraben-free.

The EWG Skin Deep database for personal care products can be found here and used to determine if current or new products meet your standards for clean ingredients or if there is any concerning ingredient in a product.
https://www.ewg.org/skindeep/

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