Hair and Nutrition

We at Architeqt Salon take hair health seriously. “Hair should be soft, voluminous and lustrious” says Alexey Kats, owner at one of the newest, hippest hair salons in Philadelphia. “I always see women come in and ask for the tiniest of trims because they want their hair as long as possible, but what’s the beauty in length if the last 6 inches of your hair are dull, frizzy and dead?”  Alexey adds.

Many factors, external and internal contribute to a healthy mane. One of the key factors is nutrition. Healthy foods can feed the hair the same way they do the body, except your vital organs get all the good stuff first, so make sure to get a plentiful amount of nutrients in your diet.

Try this healthy hair diet provided by Self magazine—you’ll be able to see the results in about 3 months(or about 2 inches of growth later).

 

Touchable softness

 

Eat blackberries, blueberries, cherries, pomegranate

Free radicals from the sun, air pollution and even your blow-dryer attack hair, drying it out. Your best defense against the assault are antioxidants—particularly the potent type called polyphenols found in deeply colored fruit, Dr. Whitney Bowe, a dermatologist in New York City, said. There’s no set dietary mandate for maximum radical-fighting power, so mix our picks generously into your five daily servings of fruit and veggies to keep hair silky.

Quick-fix: Bandage damage and give strands a satin finish by using a weekly treatment with natural oils, vitamin E or proteins such as hydrolyzed elastin and keratin. We like the L’Oreal Pro-keratin line of shampoos, masks and treatments.

Bonus: The Vitamin A in sweet potatoes and carrots can help soften, too.


Grow, hair, grow! 

Eat red pepper, strawberries, oranges and grapefruit.

Hair grows slooowly. We’re talking about a 5/8 of an inch per month. And if your vitamin C levels are below the RDA of 75 milligrams, it could take even more time.

The body uses vitamin C to build collagen, which is essential for producing new hair cells so hitting that 75 mark is simple with these: 1/2 cup red bell pepper (95 mg), 1 cup strawberries (89 mg), a medium orange (70 mg) or 1/2 grapefruit (39 mg).

 

Quick-fix: Scalp buildup and poor circulation can also inhibit growth. Viviscal volumizing shampoo will clear your scalp build up while adding nutrients to improve circulation.

 

Less breakage

 

Eat eggs, avocado, salmon

Keeping your biotin (vitamin B7) intake up could toughen fragile hair. There’s no definitive research, but clinicians have observed that the hair of biotin-lacking patients breaks more easily—reason to get the suggested 30 micrograms per day. Biotin-rich foods include an egg (13–25 mcg), an avocado (2–6 mcg), and 3 ounces salmon (4–5 mcg).

 

Quick-fix: Use Terax’s Crema conditioner that contains proteins such as wheat or soy, also spray Colorproof’s Pure Release leave-in  onto damp strands before styling to reinforce weakened hair shafts.

 

Thicker strands

 

Eat lean red meat, dark-meat turkey, kidney beans, oysters

Hair growth happens in three phases—growth, transition and rest. The more strands you have in the growth phase, the fuller your head of hair looks. Keeping hair “active” requires protein, which makes up 97 percent of hair; iron, to help blood ferry oxygen to follicles; and zinc, which helps enzymes build and repair hair. Aim for 46 grams protein, 18 mg iron and 8 mg zinc daily; the above contain all three, so grab at least two servings.

 

Quick-fix: Try L’Oreal’s True Grip texturizing powder to add weight and fullness to your locks. Also, Viviscal supplements containing the patented Aminomar complex help hair grow faster and thicker. Viviscal also contains 100 micrograms of biotin per pill.

Serious shine

 

Eat salmon, sardines, flaxseed oil, walnuts

God love omega-3s. The fatty acids that help keep your heart healthy may also make hair shiny. The American Heart Association recommends having a 3.5-oz serving of omega-3-rich fish at least twice per week (flaxseed oil and walnuts are good veg alternatives). Eating up can help regulate oil production, telling follicles to produce just-right levels so hair gleams.

 

Quick-fix: L’Oreal’s perfect shimmer spray will give you shine instantly.

For more tips and tricks keep reading our blog bi-weekly.

 

-Architeqt Salon and Gallery