How To Strengthen Hair and Nails
Many people focus on their skin and internal health when trying dietary supplements or making improvements to their overall health. Something that is often overlooked, and can be an indicator of your health, is your hair and nails.
Healthy hair and strong nails can be forgotten because sometimes we think if we have brittle nails we can just cover them with a manicure. Or, if we are having issues with our hair, we'll just put our hair up or get a blow out and call it a day. However, these are not solutions. The condition of your hair and nails can often indicate iron deficiency, insufficient amounts of protein in the body, and problems relating to hair loss. While it's easy to overlook these things, it's important to try not to.
There are many easy ways you can maintain your hair and nail health, or improve it if needed. There are specific foods, vitamins, and supplements that will help you achieve strong hair, healthy nails, and good health. It all begins with a good foundation of clean, healthy eating. Supplements and vitamins will then be able to enhance and improve any issues you may have with your hair, skin, and nails.
Whether you know it or not, a lot of external issues actually begin internally. This is why it's so important to consume foods that will protect your body and keep it healthy, because it will reflect on the outside. However, sometimes food alone is not enough when you have certain issues. This is where supplements and vitamins come into play. Read on to find out how to strengthen your hair and nails.
What gives you strong nails and hair?
There are a few simple things to start with. Regular haircuts and nail maintenance are important, and can solve many issues you may encounter. Split ends, dull and dead hair, and lack of shine can be addressed at the salon. Unfortunately for those who love getting their nails done, avoiding chemical polishes and gel manicures is one of the best ways to keep your nails healthy. Also, when you are using cleaning chemicals, wear gloves. The harsh chemicals can easily dry out your nails, cuticles, and skin.
Something you may not think about hurting your nails is your shampoo. If it contains any chemicals or drying agents (like for oily hair), it may have an effect on your nails. For your hair, try not to color it too often, or at all if you can. Using shampoos and conditioners that are gentle and free of aggressive ingredients will help maintain your hair health. Besides doing these things, supplements and your diet are essential for hair and nail strength. We discuss these things below.
What vitamins help nails and hair?
If you're not taking one already, a daily multivitamin is a great place to start. They contain a variety of vitamins that boost your overall health, and can help with hair and nail issues as well. See if you can find one that has a blend of vitamin E, vitamin A, vitamin D, and vitamin B. If not, you can take any of these vitamins on their own to boost your beauty and energy levels.
Another great option is biotin. This is a blend of Vitamin B 7, vitamin H, and coenzyme R. This helps with cell renewal and cell growth. It also helps with amino acids that are used for building protein in the body, which means it could help with brittle nails. If you prefer to get your vitamins through your food intake, biotin can be found in foods like sweet potato, salmon, and egg yolk, as well as other things.
A lack of B vitamins in the body can sometimes result in different pigmentations of the nails, in blue and black colorations, almost like bruising. Taking a B12 supplement will help with this issue.
If you notice your nails are especially brittle, you may have a deficiency in folate. Folate helps to form new cells, which is why your nails may be brittle if you aren't getting enough of it. There are a lot of foods that contain folate (otherwise known as vitamin B 9) which may help improve your intake. Try dark green vegetables, avocados, and citrus fruits.
What foods are good for hair and nails?
There are a lot of foods that are good for shiny hair and strong nails. You want to consume foods that contain essential nutrients that combat free radicals. These are a multitude of things (pollution, UV light, etc.) that cause damage to our bodies, especially our skin, hair, and nails.
Building a strong foundation from the inside out is essential in order to protect your body and give strength and health to your hair and nails. Foods high in omega-3 fatty acids, Vitamin C, Vitamin A, protein, and other healthy fats are perfect for your body's overall health, and specifically for hair and nails. These include foods like avocados, sweet potatoes, flaxseed, fish oil and fish, lean meats, leafy greens, cashews and almonds, coconut oil, and other such foods.
What supplements are good for hair and nails?
One of the best supplements for your hair and nails is collagen. Collagen is made up of essential amino acids, which act as building blocks for multiple things within our bodies. Boosting your collagen production could be the key to improving your hair and nails, along with other aspects of your health. When your body lacks sufficient collagen, you can see breakage in your hair as well as it being dull and dry. Your nails may break or crack easily. You may also see brittleness in both your nails and hair.
While we, unfortunately, can't stop the depletion of collagen in our body, we can try and remedy it through foods and supplements. If you regularly take collagen supplements, you may see hair growth and stronger nails. Collagen is the most abundant protein in our body, and taking it as a supplement can help ensure you get enough protein.
A great option to help you improve those issues and more are our Kalumi BEAUTYfood bars. They are packed with 8 grams of wild-caught marine collagen, which is the most bioavailable and beauty-boosting of all the collagen sources. This means it absorbs quickly and easily in your body and works to help your skin, hair, and nails. Pairing collagen with certain vitamins and foods can make it even more effective. Our bars contain vitamin A, as well as other superfoods that work to promote the production and/or retention of collagen.
What home remedies make your nails stronger?
For the best results, start by trying the suggestions for supplements, vitamins, and foods we suggested above. If these things don't work for you, or you want an additional boost, you can try a few things. Soaking your nails in coconut oil or vitamin E oil may help with strength and brittleness. Apple cider vinegar may help to heal nail infections. These things will work to solve more surface level issues, but may not help with internal issues like vitamin deficiencies.
Sources:
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/vitamins-for-nails
https://www.healthline.com/health/how-to-strengthen-nails
https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/adult-health/in-depth/nails/art-20044954
https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Biotin-HealthProfessional/
