How L-Cysteine Promotes Hair Growth

L-cysteine is an amino acid that is present in your body. Its function to make disulfide bonds, which aid in enhancing hair growth while maintaining its luster and strength. For these reasons, it’s considered one of the many natural ways you can make use of to boost your hair’s health. It adds strength, moisture and shine to your hair. It can be found in shampoos as well as in dietary supplements, but there are certain things to keep in mind when you want to make use of l-cysteine for your hair.

What is L-cysteine?

It’s common knowledge that amino acids are an integral part of proteins. Amino acids are classified into 3 different types, essential, semi-essential and non-essential. The essential amino acids cannot be manufactured inside our bodies, so we consume them through food or supplements. Non-essential amino acids are aptly titled as, since they are present inside our bodies, so there is no need to consume them otherwise. Though it is made inside our bodies and exists as an amino acid, l-cysteine can also be found in certain foods, making it a condition or semi-essential amino acid. It is made in small dosages by our body, which is why we also seek it through supplements.

When there is no problem or disorder in metabolism, l-cysteine is made inside your body. All humans have the capability of producing it. For people that have metabolic disorders, especially infants and seniors, the need for supplements is necessary.

Hair Growth with L-Cysteine

The building block of your hair strands, keratin, a long fibrous protein that is made inside your skin, nails and hair. L-cysteine is required for your body to be able to produce keratin and therefore is essential for your hair.

There are three components to your hair – the outermost layer called the cuticle, which surround the cortex, which surround the most central part of the shaft, the medulla. The medulla is what gives your hair the thickness it has.

The cortex the most important layer of your hair, taking up anywhere from 80 to 90 percent of a single strand of hair. It’s made up of keratin, which is what provides strength to your hair. The protein that is bundled up together, giving hair its fibrous structure, consists mostly of l-cysteine.

How to Improve the Growth and Texture of Hair

External factors such as your hair’s exposure to the sun, chlorine and heat can have a negative effect on the health of your hair, regardless of how good your genetics are. Depending on your lifestyle and hair care routine, some of these may be avoided whereas others are a necessary evil. To optimize the health of your hair, making sure you consume the right amount of amino acids and l-cysteine can help. Just like any other animals, the look and feel of hair in human is determined by their diet. Certain foods can alleviate hair conditions such as dry hair.

How to Take L-Cysteine for Hair

While it’s suggested that l-cysteine is important for taking care of your hair, it’s not the only set and sure way to optimize your hair’s health. As mentioned above, your hair is part of your body, so taking care of your hair is contingent on how well you take care of your body. This includes following a healthy diet and lifestyle.

1,400 mg is the minimum dietary requirement of l-cysteine daily. Protein rich food including meats such as pork, chicken and salmon, and eggs, are a good source of amino acids. If you’re a vegetarian, a suitable replacement could be found in sunflower seeds, soybeans and walnuts. When it comes to using l-cysteine supplements, it’s recommended to purchase the ones which offer better bioavailability. The dosages range from 200 to 500 mg, but you should talk to your physician to know what dosage you should take. It’s always better to take supplements in the instance that you aren’t getting the required nutrition from your food – not the other way around.

The use of l-cysteine is an effective way to make sure that you are getting the necessary amino acids that you need to make your hair strong and healthy. Protecting your hair from damage is somewhat unrealistic, it’s inevitable that your hair will be exposed to all sorts of things, but you can make it more durable by building its strength through the right nutrition. Simply shampooing your hair doesn’t take care of it, you need to keep in mind how you are taking care of your body by thinking what to eat and what supplements to take to keep your hair looking its best.