Having good hair represents good health and vitality. Throughout the ages, hair has been said to symbolize physical strength and virility. Healthy looking hair is said to represent the virtues and properties of a person. Hair has also been seen as a symbol of instinct, and especially female seduction and physical attraction. Healthy hair makes you feel great, and the good news is there are plenty of things you can do to enhance the look and feel of your hair making it thicker and physically better looking.
Do you feel like your hair's a little on the thin side? Is it lacking thickness and vitality? In this post we are going to show you a number of different ways to enhance the thickness of your hair. From self-care routines to purchasing some vitamins to thicken hair to strengthen it from within, allow this to be your guide to long-term thicker hair.
Self-care for Thicker Hair
Have you looked in the mirror, ran your fingers through your hair and felt like it just isn’t what it used to be? Thinning hair can be caused by a number of different things such as;
- The natural aging process
- Genetics (the unfortunate one)
- Poor quality nutrition/lack of vitamins and minerals
- The use of poor quality/commercial hair products
- Intolerances to chemicals or substances
- Certain illnesses
Don't panic, for whatever reason you want your hair to be thicker we have a number of methods to help. Before we get to the vitamins part, we want you to really enhance your chances of saying goodbye to thinning hair so it’s important you partake in self-care for your hair routine first. This involves looking after your hair from the outside first, because we need to be ticking every box here.
Here’s how to take care of your hair from the outside...
Massage your scalp - According to certain studies, scalp massage can increase thickness of the har by stretching the cells of hair follicles. This action leads to the follicles producing thicker hair. It's also a possibility that a scalp massage can help dilate blood vessels beneath the skin, therefore encouraging hair growth.
Usage: When washing hair spend at least 3 minutes really massaging your scalp with your fingers until they ache then you know you’ve done enough.
Invest in sulphate & paraben free shampoos - Have you checked your shampoo to see if it contains parabens? They are guilty of causing a number of problems for your hair including drying out and irritating your scalp. They can fade your color, and even contribute to hair loss, they are generally unsafe. Sulfates are usually added to shampoos as they help to remove dirt and dead skin cells from your scalp, but they can also strip your hair of its natural oils, making it dry and brittle leading to thinner hair.
Usage: Ensure you use a good quality (natural is possible) sulphate and paraben free shampoo to achieve hair that is thicker and healthier.
Wash it less - Washing your hair can strip it of its natural oils leading to dry, brittle hair which is susceptible to breaking easily. Hair that breaks becomes thin. In order to get thicker, healthier looking hair wash your hair a lot less if you have been doing it almost every day. It might sound surprising but less really is more when it comes to hair washing.
Usage: Only wash your hair 2-3 times a week
Drying and brushing - After you have washed your hair it’s tempting to blow dry it so it dries faster. Try to allow your hair to dry naturally after a short and gentle towel dry. Blow drying can be harsh on the hair and strip it of moisture and natural oils. It can also cause a lot of hair breakage leading to thinner hair. For thicker hair
Usage: Gently brush your hair and avoid temptation to do it fast and rough. Only blow dry when absolutely necessary.
Olive oil - Olive oil is an age old remedy for the hair. Natural olive oil is a natural moisturiser that can add softness and strength to your hair by penetrating the hair shaft and preserving moisture. Moisturised hair means less chance of breakage and split ends leading to thicker, healthier looking hair.
Usage: Massage some warmed olive oil into your scalp once or twice a week and comb through hair. Leave in for 30 minutes and rinse out with a sulphate-free shampoo.
Aloe vera gel - Is one of nature's natural elixirs. The gel from the plant increase is known to enhance the volume and thickness of your hair, and can help with hair regrowth. Aloe gel contains proteolytic enzymes which repairs dead skin cells on the scalp leading to thicker, healthier hair.
Usage: Massage aloe vera gel into your scalp and hair. Leave on for around an hour and rinse out with sulphate-free shampoo.
Which Vitamins Can You Take to Help Thicken Your Hair?
You now have the tools to support your hair thickening and growth from the outside so it’s time to take care of it from the inside too. Look at it in the way your car needs healthy internal workings to function and a strong outer body to protect
Everything we put into our bodies is utilised so taking the right vitamins and nutrients is crucial in supporting your journey to thicker, healthier hair. Below we have devised a list of our most highly recommended vitamins to help you achieve full-bodied, thicker hair.
Shop our full range of vitamins for hair thickening here.
Biotin with coconut oil
If you want thicker hair then biotin with coconut oil needs to be part of your supplement regime.
Biotin is also referred to as Vitamin B₇ and its functions are to form fatty acids and glucose, convert food into energy, help manage blood sugar levels and promote healthy hair and nails.
Biotin is a hard-hitting vitamin when it comes to achieving thicker hair.
Since biotin deficiency has been shown to contribute to thinning of the hair, it has been shown that taking biotin supplements can thicken hair and stimulate hair and nail growth. In a study conducted on patients with poor hair growth, all cases where the person was receiving biotin supplementation showed evidence of clinical improvement after receiving biotin.
Coconut oil combined with biotin is a match made in hair heaven. Biotin supplements that are enhanced with coconut oil are more readily absorbed by the body. The vitamins and fatty acids present in coconut oil help to nourish the skin of the scalp and help to keep the cuticle of the hair healthy. Coconut oil is the highest natural source of lauric acid which can nourish your hair from within with vitamins, minerals and the medium-chain fatty acids. Coconut oil can help to give you faster growing and healthier hair.
ZINC - The essential trace element
Zinc is described as an ‘essential trace element’ and is not naturally produced by the human body. Supplementing with zinc tablets is a very easy way to get all the zinc you need.
Zinc deficiency is characterized by loss of appetite, hair loss and impared immune function. So what is zinc? Zinc is a nutrient found in cells throughout the human body. The human body needs a healthy amount of zinc for growth and to synthesise proteins and DNA; the genetic material in all cells. For these reasons zinc is an imperative nutrient when it comes to hair growth. Are you a vegetarian or vegan? With meat being a good source of zinc it is easy for vegetarians and vegans to be deficient. Also, the beans and grains typically consumed as an alternative contain compounds that keep zinc from being fully absorbed by the body.
Studies have been performed, looking at the effects on zinc in patients with hair loss. The findings showed that four of the six case-control studies found low zinc levels in patients with hair loss as compared to healthy control groups. The results of this study showed a strong correlation between zinc deficiency (< 70 µg/dL) and hair loss. This shows that low levels of zinc can be a contributory factor to thinning and hair loss.
Vitamin C - For tissue repairs
Vitamin C is an essential nutrient crucial to your wellbeing and because your body doesn't produce vitamin C, you need to get it from your diet. You typically obtain Vitamin C from citrus fruits and vegetables but you can also supplement.
Do you have those irritating, dry corkscrew shaped bits of hair? This is one of the telltale signs of Vitamin c deficiency. You might not have looked at your hair before to tell if you are lacking in Vitamin C but it’s about time you did.
Vitamin C is well known for being a powerful antioxidant that helps protect your body against the oxidative stress caused by free radicals. Many of us are guilty of not obtaining enough Vitamin C from our diets. A convenient way to get all the Vitamin C you need is by taking a quality supplement.
In addition, your body needs Vitamin C to create a protein known as collagen. Collagen is an important part of your hairs structure. Your body can utilize the amino acids found in collagen to build hair proteins and strengthen the skin that contains your hair roots. These factors help to make your hair thicker and stronger and less susceptible to breakage. Vitamin C also helps your body absorb iron, a mineral necessary for hair growth.
Magnesium citrate
Magnesium citrate is a form of magnesium that's bound with citric acid. It is a naturally occurring mineral that plays an important role for many systems in the body. A sign of magnesium deficiency can be fatigue so if you have been feeling drained and tired for a while it might be a contributory factor.
Did you know that magnesium is another contender when it comes to obtaining thicker hair? It plays a vital role in promoting follicle (anchors each hair into the skin) hair growth, due to its role in protein synthesis which results in healthy, thicker hair. Magnesium is responsible for well over 700 metabolic functions in the human body, so it’s no surprise that plenty of these can affect your hair growth cycle and how effective your follicles are at producing growing hair.
What's more impressive about magnesium is that it actively helps prevent a calcium buildup on your scalp. Calcium buildup on your scalp can lead to clogged hair follicles, causing your scalp to become dry and flaky, resulting in the loss of hair. As well as premature greying, a magnesium deficiency allows calcium to build up on your scalp causing thinning and hair loss.
Vitamin B complex
Vitamin B complex contains an abundance of the Vitamins B1 (Thiamin), B2 (Riboflavin), B3 (Niacin), B5 (Pantothenic Acid), B6 (Pyridoxine Hydrochloride), B7 (Biotin), B9 (Folic Acid), and Vitamin B12 (Methylcobalamin).
B vitamins are the building blocks of a healthy body, and are crucial for healthy energy levels and brain function. B vitamins play important roles in the cell metabolism and synthesis of red blood cells. Of course, B vitamins also play a vital role in the health of your hair. B vitamins are one of the best known vitamins for hair growth and if they aren’t part of your current supplement regime, it’s time you added them in! B vitamins can make a big difference to healthy and thicker hair growth for the key reason that they assist in the production of red blood cells, which transport oxygen to the scalp. A rich oxygen supply helps the hair follicles generate new hair..
Human hair requires a good mixture of both vitamins and minerals to grow nice and thick, and vitamin B12 is one of these essential vitamins.
Vitamin B12 deficiency is actually very common, but it has quite a few drawbacks including hair loss and fatigue. Women experiencing the menopause can also experience low levels of Vitamin B12 due to body and hormonal changes which makes hair thinning common in menopausal women, so supplementing with a vitamin B complex is important for this group.
Turmeric
Turmeric has been used for hundreds of years as a natural supplement due to its abundance of incredible health benefits.
Turmeric is a very popular supplement for a number of reasons. It is most commonly known for its anti-inflammatory properties and its ability to ease swelling, sore joints and arthritis pain. Did you know that turmeric is also a great choice to enhance hair growth?
Turmeric is a spice that comes from the turmeric plant and it’s bright yellow colour gives it its distinctive look.
Turmeric contains a bioactive compound called curcumin with powerful medicinal properties. Curcumin boasts powerful anti-inflammatory effects and can help to combat dry scalp and dandruff which can lead to thinning, dry and brittle hair. The bioactive compounds in turmeric also help to combat the ageing effects of a process called oxidation in the body which can lead to chronic inflammation.
Turmeric has been seen as effective at helping to treat anxiety, depression, and more possibly due to it boosting serotonin and dopamine levels. Mood disorders such as these have also been linked to hair thinning due to the body being under a high amount of stress. As an added bonus to this incredible supplement, research studies have also suggested that turmeric may actually be just as effective as Prozac with far fewer side effects.
Get Thicker, Healthier Hair with Vitamins
Thinning hair, or hair that lacks volume can be frustrating, it can damage your confidence but it can also be a sign of a number of health issues that we have discussed in this article. Thin hair can be a sign of a poor hair-care routine and a poor diet too.
If you want thicker, healthier hair then you need to take care of it from the outside and the inside. Treating your hair well and getting rid of those harsh chemicals you may have been laying on is a good start.
In this day and age, it can be hard to hit all of your nutritional requirements. EVO Nutrition has worked hard to be able to supplement you with excellent quality vitamins and minerals which can be a super alternative to getting everything you need. From Turmeric to Vitamin B complex, there is everything you need to stay healthy.
You can find our excellent range of vitamins to support thicker hair growth here.
