A quick Google search for DIY hair treatments
reveals endless YouTube videos of beauty vloggers putting pretty much
anything you can find in your fridge or pantry on their hair. While
watching someone dump a honey and cayenne mixture on their strands as
they calmly talk through the step-by-step process is fun and all, will
following their lead actually give your hair a better look? Or should we
just take all those ingredients and eat 'em the old fashioned way if we
want shiny, healthy hair?
We decided to check in with the experts on what we
should eat and what we should actually put on our hair for it to be its
healthiest. Their answers probably include a few of your diet staples,
and maybe a few surprises.
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All About the Eggs
Every dietitian we spoke to was enthusiastic about including eggs in your diet for a healthy head of hair.
“When it comes to shiny hair, eggs are your
friend. Eggs contain sulfur, which helps produce collagen and keratin,
two important proteins for creating and maintaining healthy, shiny
hair,” Los Angeles–based nutritionist Shira Lenchewski explained.
“Eggs, in particular, contain biotin which can
improve hair growth and strengthen nails,” said Melissa Rifkin, a New
York City-based registered dietician.
Get It With Omegas
“Omega-rich oils via salmon, nuts, and seeds are also important for keeping your scalp nourished,” explains Lenchewski.
Rifkin adds, “Almond butter contains vitamin E,
which has been shown to promote long, lustrous locks...I think a
balanced diet is essential in order to keep hair thick, shiny and avoid
brittle hairs breaking.”
Alternatively, a supplement with the right balance
of vitamins can help you achieve a nourished scalp, which can
contribute to hair (plus nail!) growth. "One study showed that taking a
vitamin E supplement daily improved hair growth by 42 percent,” says
Rifkin.
Look for a formula made for hair, skin, and nails with ingredients like biotin, vitamins C, and E, iron, and omega-3.
HeikeRau/Getty ImagesEat, Don’t Mask?
Cosmetic chemist Kelly Dobos cautions against
creating a food mask, explaining “Natural fats and oils found in eggs
and avocado can coat the hair shaft making it feel softer and adding
shine. You could certainly use these as a hair mask. But why waste your
expensive avocados on your hair or having your hair smell like raw eggs
when science has developed great conditioning agents that are truly more
effective?”
However, if you still want to go the natural route
(or you have too many avocados on hand), Rifkin has a few suggestions
for masks. “Mashing avocado and applying it to your hair can lead to
shiny, lustrous locks as well as nourishing the ends of your hair with
coconut oils to prevent split ends, strengthen your hair, and add
shine,” she told us.
Just Drink That Beer
We’re pretty sure washing your hair with beer was a
hair hack most of us heard from an older sister while in middle school,
and it felt a little dangerous because...beer. Does it work? Not so
much, according to Dobos.
“Some claim that the alcohol in beer aids in
cleansing or that its low pH helps tighten the cuticle to give hair
shine,” she says, which sounds reasonable.
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