Foods For Healthy Hair: 10 Foods For Strong Hair

Healthy Hair Foods

The Huffington Post Canada   First Posted: 03/ 1/2012 10:23 pm Updated: 03/29/2012 6:50 pm

Forget your growling stomach -- experts say healthy foods can benefit your hair too.

In honour of Nutrition Month, we're finding the best food secrets for our bodies and thinking a little differently about what's on our plates. Today, it's all about hair from the inside out.

"You need to have good protein intake to grow hair these days," says hair expert Dr. Alan Bauman of Bauman Medical Group in Florida.

Even though there are many different types of hair, depending on the person, our bodies' ability to produce sebum is one thing we have in common. Sebum is an oily or waxy substance that is created by our hair's sebaceous glands. But just because your locks may look moisturized and healthy, it doesn't mean they are.

"You need to have healthy hair and scalp -- you can't have one without the other. If your scalp is dry, your hair won't be well conditioned," Dr. Bauman says.

Age is also a factor. Dr. Bauman and his team have seen patterns with women of different ages who have experienced hair loss. In the younger generation, you are more at risk for hair loss if you go on a crash diet. On the flip side, women who are in their 50s may experience hair loss because of hormones. "You have to build good hair from the beginning," he says.

And just because you fry up some salmon for dinner tonight, it doesn't mean you'll see results right away, Dr. Bauman says. It can take up to six weeks for food and your hair to finally tie the knot.

Check out the top 10 superfoods that can patch up any split-end or dry hair problems you may have -- your healthy locks will thank you later:

Salmon
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When it comes to foods that have 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.

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Forget your growling stomach -- experts say healthy foods can benefit your hair too. In honour of Nutrition Month, we're finding the best food secrets for our bodies and thinking a little different...
Forget your growling stomach -- experts say healthy foods can benefit your hair too. In honour of Nutrition Month, we're finding the best food secrets for our bodies and thinking a little different...
 
 
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02:45 PM on 03/09/2012
This is great! I've been trying to let my hair grow out for the past year... Thanks for the recommendations! ill be sure to add them to my Beauty Tricks for 2012 :
http://www.skinnyscoop.com/list/betty_sand/5-best-beauty-tricks-for-2012
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
Dubagee
03:18 PM on 03/05/2012
Salmon and Spinach are on my menu every single day! YES! My hair should LOVE ME! :)
http://gigieatscelebrities.com
09:45 AM on 03/05/2012
Good article...fatty fish has done wonders for my overall health, including skin tone and texture. Many of these foods are also high in sulfur and silica, minerals that are crucial for healthy hair and skin.
08:41 AM on 03/04/2012
I haven't combed my hair for 2 weeks, what should I do?!?!
10:59 AM on 03/05/2012
Don't do anything! I love that behead look it's sexy!
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04:57 PM on 03/03/2012
Surprised tofu did not make the list. I know some girls that swear they can almost see their hair grow when they eat lot's of tofu.
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Sunflo
Leave a mark, not a stain.
02:46 AM on 03/06/2012
Nothing can make me eat that stuff.
11:17 PM on 03/02/2012
If you want your hair (and nails) to grow faster, eating jello helps too. (No joke, it works.)
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07:56 AM on 03/05/2012
Gelatin
11:46 AM on 03/05/2012
Yeah, gelatin. Plenty of that to be found in Jello. I should have mentioned that, though this works, it is made out of the boiled bones of animals! So, obviously, it's to be avoided if you are vegetarian or vegan.

Another edible item said to help out with hair and skin quality is those dried seaweed snacks. They are veggie, fat-free, and come in lots of flavors.
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11:16 AM on 03/02/2012
Thanks for posting this article - I was looking for an article on how to make my hair thicker.
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probo
fear is a waste of my time
08:33 AM on 03/02/2012
Makes sense, those foods are for overall health also....been eating them my whole life and, yes, I have beautiful long healthy hair.