Hair Growth Promoting Agents: Amino Acids, Biotin, and B Complex

On average, a person has 300,000 strands of hair on their scalp, each growing out of single hair follicles. Most people’s hair is actively growing at any time, while a small portion of it, perhaps 10 percent, remains in a phase of resting in the growth cycle. Only about half an inch of hair growth takes place every month, leading to a total growth of roughly a foot per year. On average, 150 strands of hair fall daily. There’s a lot of hair loss that takes place naturally, and to lessen it, hair growth is enhanced through nutrition specific to hair, such as biotin, B vitamins, and amino acids can be consumed.

However, it’s always important to consult with a doctor before following any kind of treatment.

Hair Growth

Under the top most part of the scalp, the dermal layers, lie your hair follicles which is where strands of hair grow. The average hair follicle is bulb-shaped and produced a single strand of hair. Unlike its place of origin, hair shafts consist of dead protein.

Hair growth happens in three stages: anagen, which is the active growth stage, followed by categen, also known as the intermediate stage and lastly, the telogen phrase where hair growth stops, also known as the resting stage. The natural cycle of hair growth includes both growth and loss of hair.

Amino Acids

Amino acids are considered to be an integral, building blocks of protein. Hair is made up of keratin through the grouping together of various fibrous proteins. These include the amino acids known as cysteine, which is produced by your own body making it a non-essential amino acid, and methionine which is consumed through your food and diet, making it an essential amino acid. Meat, fish along with dairy is a good source for obtaining methionine. Both of these amino acids play a crucial role in hair development as it lays the foundation in forming the hair shaft. You may take supplements of methionine under your physician’s advice.

Biotin

Part of the B vitamin family, biotin is manufactured inside your body in your intestine. Not having enough in your system will lead to the loss of hair. A study showed that eggs are a good source of biotin, but it’s important to remove the egg whites. The experiment that determined this occurred when an young boy consumed raw eggs resulted in hair loss. Upon having him consume only the yolks, his hair growth returned to normal. Upon further inspection, they discovered that avidin was present in egg whites, restricts biotin from working properly.

B-Complex Vitamins

Folic acid, pantothenic acid, niacin, biotin, riboflavin, thiamine, inositol, B12 and B6 all fall under the B vitamin family. These complex vitamins are essential for maintaining metabolism when it comes to protein, fats, and carbs.

They’re also vital for the body to produce energy. As far as your hair goes, B vitamins make proteins inside your body, so they helps in making new cells and tissues, including hair. Other kinds of B vitamins, such as inositol, riboflavin, niacin, and biotin are integral to the health of your hair and enhance growth.

What You Need To Know About Folic Acid And Hair

Folic acid, which is also referred to as folate, is a product of a B vitamin. Because it plays a vital role in the development of the fetus, it’s considered an important aspect of female nutrition. It’s specifically recommended to help prevent spinal and neurological problems during the development of fetuses. However, another less widely known benefit of folic acid is in its ability to foster an increased growth rate for hair. As with any supplements, it’s recommended that you consult a physician prior to taking any.

Function

Folic acid, which is a synthetic version of folate, works on your tissues and cells, affecting your skin, hair, nails and internal organs. According to research, it fosters growth, thereby preventing birth defects such as anencephaly and spinal bifida. Because folic acid works with vitamins C and B-12 to break down into proteins, it’s also useful in preventing anemia. The production of red blood cells along with DNA is made possible with folate. These qualities have resulted in folic acid being a method of alleviating problems regarding menstrual issues and leg ulcers.

Folic Acid and Hair

When your diet includes a sufficient amount of folic acid, it helps your hair grow faster. This is because, as studies indicate, folic acid can be used to treat alopecia, hair loss, in a Charolais calf. The case study cited a three week old male calf suffering from chronic hair loss, which was similarly compared to the symptoms experienced by a man with a deficiency in folic acid. The calf’s hair was growing in brown patches and had a crusty texture. Therapy consisting of folic acid supplements was given to the calf in a daily dose of 1 mg/kg/day. Within a fortnight, a gradual lessening of patchy crusty hair is observed. After two months, a substantial amount of natural, soft and consistently grown hair was observed.

Folic Acid Deficiency

The development of a folic acid deficiency occurs when you are not including enough food items that contain folic acid in your regular diet. It can also occur if you suffer from medical conditions such as chronic diarrhea or malabsorption, which inhibits your system from absorbing the necessary nutrients in your food.

The appearance of grey hair, mouth ulcers, peptic ulcers, a swollen tongue and poor growth are some of the symptoms experienced as a result of insufficient folic acid. Furthermore, studies indicate that it can lead to certain types of anemia.

Sources

There are a variety of foods that contain folic acid, which you can eat to make sure you are getting enough of it without depending on supplements. Citrus fruits and juices, dried beans and dark leafy vegetables are good sources of folic acid.

Other food that have had folic acid added to them include pastas, rice, cereals, breads, flours and other grains. If none of these appeal to you or are available to you, you may consult a physician about taking supplements in order to meet the dietary requirements to prevent a folic acid deficiency.

Minerals And Nutrition To Make Your Hair Strong

Hair is composed of a protein called Keratin. This fibrous protein is non-living, so hair is essentially dead. However, it grows as a result of nourishment that reaches your hair follicles through your bloodstream. For the average person, the growth of hair is very slow – about half an inch every month – whereas up to 100 strands of hair are shed daily. This may fluctuate amongst different individuals due to a variety of reasons ranging from stress to malnutrition or hormonal problems. In order to maximize the health of your hair – or rather hair follicles – it is important to eat a balanced diet with the right kind minerals and vitamins so that your hair remains strong, healthy and thick.

Zinc

Hair loss and even baldness has been linked to a deficiency in zinc, a mineral that is crucially important for hair growth. Both meat and dairy products are an excellent source of zinc. However, they both also contain saturated fats which can promote hair loss.

Depending on your palette, you can find zinc in various kinds of food. Chocoholics can indulge in anything that has cocoa powder, whereas those who are inclined towards health food may make use of sunflower seeds, cashews, wheat powder and oysters in their diet.

Biotin

In order to have a healthy head of hair, biotin plays an important role. Part of the B complex vitamins, biotin is important to have in your diet to avoid hair loss and dry, dull hair. Biotin can be found in liver, egg yolks, cauliflower and oatmeal. In order to optimize the benefits of these essential vitamins, food items containing thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic and folic acid are recommended.

Iron

Apart from hair loss, lack of sufficient iron in your body can also lead to fatigue and depression. Iron is important for producing red-blood cells, which in turn is important for transporting oxygen to different parts of your body. An iron deficiency means that an insufficient amount of blood and oxygen is flowing towards your scalp, which affects your hair’s health as hair follicles become weak. Apricots, black-eyed peas, soybean, liver, clams, oysters, berries, dried fruits, figs, pine nuts and whole grains are the kinds of food you should eat in order to increase the amount of iron in your system.

Vitamin C

According to research, in order to effectively absorb the iron we’ve eaten, vitamin C is necessary. Having citrus fruits, such as oranges or grapefruits, are recommended after having a meal that was rich in iron. Vitamin C can be found in many vegetables such as those dark green leafy ones such as spinach, asparagus, potatoes, broccoli, green peppers and brussel sprouts, as well as fruits such as oranges and tomatoes. These are important to include in your diet in order to absorb the iron you have consumed effectively.

Vitamin E

Not having enough vitamin E can result in hair loss, along with weakened nails that break often. A good source of vitamin E includes nuts and seeds such as pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, almonds, pine nuts. These are also likely to have essential fatty acids as found in walnuts, flax seeds and fish, which play a significant role in maintaining healthy hair. Other sources of vitamin E include avocados, as well as olive oil.

Natural Steps To Grow Out Your Hair

It’s difficult to pinpoint the main cause of hair loss, or even a slow growth rate, as various factors can determine the growth of your hair. In most cases, hair loss stems from damage to the hair. This can happen when hair has been treated with chemicals which can damage the skin on the scalp. Even hot oil treatment, if not applied carefully, can result in damage as it can burn the skin on your scalp.

Certain links between hair loss and not having the right amount of nutrition have also been cited. There are three stages that take place in the cycle of hair growth: growing, resting and shedding. Hair loss occurs when shedding, which is a natural process, does not return to the growing stage. People who choose to grow out their hair – whether in scenario’s where they were disappointed in a haircut, or when they want fresh hair strands to replace damaged ones – can make use of natural methods.

Massaging To Stimulate Growth

Rosemary oil is very nutritious for hair as it helps to keep your scalp clean and moisturized, preventing dandruff and a flaky scalp. For these reasons, rosemary oil can be used to massage into your scalp. It’s recommended that you do so every night before going to bed, as it helps to stimulate hair follicles and boosts hair growth.

Snip To Be Healthy

Although this may not make much sense if you are trying to grow out your hair, it’s important to get a trim to maintain your hair’s health. It’s recommended to trim of the ends of your hair at least every two months, so that split ends and dead hair is removed. If you don’t, chances are the hair will either break or, in the case of split ends, split further up the strand, leading to more damage.

Keep Your Hair Clean

Washing your hair with clarifying shampoo, at the very least, once a month, is integral to maintaining a healthy hair care routine. It’s important to know what kind of hair you have in order to use a clarifying shampoo efficiently. People who have hair that tends to be oily should use it once a week, whereas people with dry hair should use it once a month. Clarifying shampoo is used to remove excess building from your scalp. It removes oil, dead skin cell and leftover buildup from the styling products you may have used. Having a clean scalp enhances your hair follicles so that your hair is shinier and has more volume.

Deep Conditioning – Naturally!

Moisturizing your hair places an important part of hair care. In order to maximize the effect, deep conditioning is recommended. This can be done by using home products such as mayonnaise or coconut oil. Apply a small amount to dry hair and let it sit for 20 to 30 minutes. Using mayonnaise or coconut oil will help to nourish your hair. After you’ve put it on for the required time period, thoroughly rinse your hair and shampoo as required.

Keep Your Hair Safe

In order to protect your hair from the harmful rays of the sun, you can apply sunscreen prior to going out. This can be done by combing any protective sunscreen or serum through dry hair, making sure it covers your hair strands. This will protect your hair from getting damaged from exposure to UV rays.

Minimize The Necessary Evils

While using styling products and appliances have their perks, they should be minimized as they can damage the hair. Most especially damaging is when your hair experiences prolonged exposure to heat, as the hair cuticle is damaged in the process.