The health of our hair can be affected by various factors such as age, stress or hormonal changes. Now, during the fall, many people may be worried about their hair falling out more. However, if there are no other associated problems, this is normal. Although, more than loss, we should talk about renewal. According to data from the Spanish Academy of Dermatology and Venereology (AEDV), of every 100 hairs we have, there are 12-15% in the replacement phase, which means that it takes us about four years to completely renew our hair.
As dermatologist Jesús Hernández-Gil explains to elDiario.es, “there are usually two times of the year in which a phase of hair turnover occurs – the effluvia, we usually say –, and one of the most important is the one that occurs between the months of August, September and October.”
We are talking, as the expert recognizes, about a “reversible process because the follicle is not lost, although the hair is replaced more.” Under normal conditions, this process usually lasts a couple of months or three. But if it persists over time, “we will have to investigate whether there is any associated problem that causes this replacement to not self-regulate,” says Hernández-Gil.
There are usually two times of the year when a hair replacement phase occurs, and one of the most important is the one that occurs between the months of August, September and October.
Jesus Hernandez-Gil
— dermatologist
And, although diet is not usually the first thing that comes to mind when we notice changes in the health of not only our hair, but also our skin and nails, it is actually important.
How to help maintain healthy and strong hair
One option is to adopt healthy lifestyle habits, such as choosing foods that promote hair growth. What nutrients have been shown to promote healthy hair?
Nutrients for hair care
Before listing the foods that can help us, it is important to highlight, as nutritionist Fernando Carrasco points out in conversation with this medium, that diet is not the only factor that determines the degree of hair health: “Yes, we can affirm that diet It has a direct correlation: a person who covers their nutritional requirements will have a better chance of having strong and healthy hair compared to someone who does not cover them,” says the expert, who clarifies that there are other external factors in this equation, such as genetics, stress or hormonal changes.
As in everything, there is no single food that works miracles, but “there are studies that indicate certain nutrients such as iron, protein, biotin, selenium, zinc or vitamins A, B12, C, D and E as crucial to enjoying good hair health,” says Carrasco.
This is corroborated by Hernández-Gil, according to whom the recommendation for interesting elements that make us have healthy hair are “foods rich in biotin, cysteine and iron, essential for hair growth.” Nutrients that we can find in most foods and, therefore, “if there is not a very restrictive diet or a specific complication, we should not have a problem with iron or biotin deficiency,” the dermatologist clarifies.
Biotin, which we can find in foods such as eggs, meat, fish or nuts, stimulates the production of keratin – which is responsible for the strength and durability of hair – to increase the growth of follicles. Vitamin A, for its part, acts as the perfect fuel for growth since, when absorbed, the body produces sebum, a substance that hydrates the scalp and keeps it healthy, as well as the hair follicles. Therefore, it is important that we include foods rich in beta-carotene, such as pumpkin, carrots, spinach and kale.
Iron also plays an important role in our hair as it stimulates the production of hemoglobin, a protein in red blood cells that distributes oxygen to cells throughout the body, helping them repair and grow. We can find iron in lean meats, spinach, lentils and fortified cereals.
A person who covers their nutritional requirements will have a better chance of having strong and healthy hair compared to someone who does not cover them.
Fernando Carrasco
— nutritionist
If we have the requirements of these nutrients well covered, we will have more help to “avoid hair loss as well as to avoid very aggressive caloric deficits or very low weights; A BMI below 16 is associated with greater hair loss,” warns Carrasco.
Although it is important to keep in mind that “there are more than 100 different alopecia and some may be related to external processes such as certain more restrictive diets, or intestinal absorption problems,” says the dermatologist, who does warn of the importance of “being aware of the episodes in which the fall does not resolve over time, if in certain areas it begins to fall more or those seasonal effluvia do not recover, we will always have to consult in case there is an associated problem or there is something that we are not doing well.” , warns Hernández-Gil.
Are there foods harmful to hair health?
On the contrary, are there foods that negatively affect our hair health? “There is no food that is harmful to hair as such,” admits Hernández-Gil, although “it is true that there may be a problem with a deficiency of some nutrient like the ones we have mentioned.”
In this sense, Carrasco does warn that “recurrent consumption of processed foods, alcohol, hydrogenated fats or oils of low nutritional quality could affect.” We must keep in mind that these are foods low in nutrient density that can displace the consumption of other foods “rich in the beneficial components that we have mentioned before,” says the nutritionist.
Although, with a balanced and healthy diet, and if we cover all the nutritional requirements, “there is no need to supplement with food supplements, it would be advisable to evaluate each case in a personalized way,” says Carrasco, always taking into account that there is no associated problem. .
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