Healthy hair grows at a rate of approximately one-half inches each month, making it one of the fastest growing tissues in the human body. This is why any ongoing reduction in vitamins and minerals will cause a disruption of the hair growth cycle. Women recovering from difficult pregnancies should be particularly mindful of their nutrition, as they are even more susceptible to these risks. The anagen phase, or growing phase, of the hair follicle can be greatly disrupted in the case of mal-nutrition. This can, in turn, promote shedding of the hair and stunted re-growth—thus, hair loss in women.
Nutritional Deficiencies and Hair Loss in Women
Once hair loss becomes a noticeable problem, the solution is simple and cost effective. Here is a list of simple steps to take or nutritional things to be aware of for hair loss in women:
- Proper intake of vitamins will reverse hair loss in women. Specifically vitamins A, B12, C, D, and E. Each of these vitamins performs a different nutritional duty within the body.
- Minerals are critical for hair cell metabolism. Proper intake of minerals, like iron and zinc, will reverse hair loss in women.
- Normal protein ingestion, like the kind found in chicken, fish, and other poultry, is essential to hair nutrition. Hair loss in women may increase for extreme dieters and some vegetarians.
- Most commonly, hair loss in women occurs because of nutritional deficiencies created while dieting. If you are dieting, be sure to do so safely and to take a daily multivitamin.
Well rounded and healthy diet choices can help individuals gain the nutrition they need to help prevent and manage hair loss. But this may need to be part of a more comprehensive strategy