Men and women alike suffer from thinning hair and hair loss. We all want shiny locks and often get fearful and frustrated when we lose a few strands.
Remember that hair is PROTEIN.
This means you need to have adequate amounts of good protein in your diet in order to even create hair, skin and nails. The right balance of nutrients plays an important role in the softness, texture and shine of your hair. But all of this depends on how well your body is able to digest and absorb your food.
Thinning hair is linked to many lifestyle factors, hormone imbalances and environmental influences. All of these things change the way our hair follicles grow and can revert back when the stressor is gone. For example, if you know someone who has quit smoking, their skin will look brighter and their hair noticeably softer within a few months.
We know nutrition forms the ground work of everything we see in the body. But these changes take time and hair is often one of the last places we will see this change. What can we do to support our hair growth today?
Top 3 Natural Hair Masks
Here are 3 of my favourite natural hair masks. I try to do at least one per week all year round, whether you use heat-styling tools or not. Each one has different benefits depending on your goals, so read below and let me know what you think!
Olive Oil
Source of omega 9 fatty acids
- Massage your hair and scalp with 1 teaspoon of warm olive oil and leave it on for at least 30 to 45 minutes. Rinse it out thoroughly and wash your hair using a mild shampoo.
- You can also leave the oil on your hair overnight and then shampoo your hair the next morning.
- Another option is to mix olive oil with some honey and apply the mixture on your hair. Leave it on for at least 30 minutes and then wash your hair.
Avocado
High Vitamin E content and adds moisture
- Take 1 medium size avocado and mash it.
- Make a mixture of one mashed avocado, one mashed banana and one tablespoon of olive oil.
- Massage it on your scalp and leave the mixture on your hair for about 30 minutes so that the nutrients are absorbed by the scalp. Finally, rinse it out and clean your hair with shampoo.
Castor Oil
High Vitamin E content and fatty acid
- Heat a mixture of equal parts of castor oil and coconut oil. Simply using castor oil will also work but it will be thick and smelly.
- Apply it on your head and scalp and massage in circular motions.
- Comb your hair to distribute the oil throughout your hair and remove tangles.
- Cover your hair with a towel moistened with warm water.
- Leave it on for at least one hour and then shampoo your hair as usual.
- For additional benefits (softness and shine!), leave castor oil on scalp overnight. You can keep it wrapped in a towel, or cover your pillowcase with a towel.
- **Note: Castor oil stains fabric, so use old towels/pillowcases/clothing.
- Follow this remedy once a week to enjoy thicker hair in a matter of weeks.
Please note: These treatments are merely for thickening the hair follicles and creating a fuller look. For a solution that treats the cause of the thinning hair, lab work indicating vitamin or nutritional deficiencies will provide a better outcome.