by Lynne Conte

Created on: September 08, 2008

Studies show that hair on your head carries approximately 100,000 hair follicles or roots grow many hairs over your lifetime. Hair loss remains a mystery on how your body controls the cycle of hair follicles. As you get older, the hair on your head get weaker and thinner and some people experience hair loss. Nevertheless, aging is not the cause of hair loss.

General health and nutritional factors is the key to healthy hair growth. Alcoholism can lead to poor hair growth and loss of hair due to malnutrition. In addition, if you lack zinc in your diet, this could lead to fine, sparse hair and hair loss. Steroids are another enemy to healthy hair growth, but taken steroids through inhaled treatment for asthma do not affect hair growth. Stress also causes thinning hair, traumatizing hair follicles, forcing hair to fall out.

Some minerals are an important factor for healthy hair growth along with vitamin B. Vitamin B, known as panthenol improves elasticity, strength and gloss that are physical properties of your hair shaft. Various hormone levels in your blood influence your hair cycle for each individual hair, whereas, thyroid hormone speeds up growth in resting hair follicles. Good nutrition is important for lifetime pigmentation, healthy hair growth, shine and beautiful hair.

Shampoos will not stop hair growth. The principle of surfactants in our shampoos will make the removal of dirt easier by eliminating greasy matter in our hair. Shampoos contain up to four surfactants giving different types of cleansing according to your hair type. Ammonium lauryl sulphate is the most known ingredient on shampoo labels along with laureth sulphate. A good shampoo will remove oils and grease from your hair, but will not remove the natural oils and grease from your skin.

Taking dietary supplements in the morning and at night after a meal will help strengthen hair growth. Vitamins B3, D, E and Biotin along with herbal remedies, such as, saw palmetto and nettle will improve your overall health of hair and scalp. Your blood stream needs nutrition to nourish healthy hair. Iron, protein and vitamin A. Multivitamins is an excellent source to obtain all necessary vitamins to maintain good health and hair growth.

Eating the right foods is the best method to nourish your body with vitamins to promote good health and hair growth. Many foods are rich with vitamins. Vegetable with dark green leaves, vegetable oils and raw nuts have vitamin E, which is an antioxidant improving circulation to your scalp stimulating faster hair growth. Healthy food sources to obtain vitamin C are citrus and juicy fruits that include oranges, lemons, berries and especially strawberries are antioxidant to maintain the overall health of your hair. Vitamin B5 and B6 are found in cereal, eggs and beans, whereas, vitamin B3, known as niacin, similar to vitamin E helps blood circulation to your scalp and is found in fish, white meat in chicken and turkey. Carrots, peaches and apricots are all sources of vitamin A that will assist in the production of natural oils keeping the scalp from drying. Vitamin B5 helps prevent premature graying where B6 has a substance of melanin giving your hair its vibrant color.

Lifestyle changes, proper food intake and supplements are all factors in maintaining hair growth. Other supplements recommended are Vitamin B-complex with folate and inositol, beta-carotene, silica or horsetail and flaxseed oil.

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