5 Things Your Hair Can Tell You About Your Health

Hair is viewed as a cosmetic feature to some, and a key component of one’s culture to others. However, your hair health can be often used as an indicator of one’s overall wellness.

Hair is made out of a protein known as keratin, which is produced within a hair follicle and then grows once the live cell tissue dies. The quality of one’s hair can give a behind the scenes peek of what’s happening in the body. Here are five things your hair can tell you about your health.

   Hair by Iles founder Wendy Iles using Iles Formula Signature Collection

 
Premature Graying

It’s natural for one’s hair to go gray as they age, some before others. While there’s a genetic component to consider, premature graying can also be indicative of something deeper. Chronic stress and a lack of sleep can all impact the point at which hair starts to turn.

Hair gets its color from pigment cells (melanin) in the follicle. As the body ages, it stops producing melanin, and color seemingly fades from the hair. There is some evidence that chronic stress and lack of sleep can impact melanin production due to a hormonal response.

If you start seeing gray hairs sprout up in your twenties and thirties, look into natural stress reduction methods and sleep aids. Take some time to read about the benefits of using CBD oil and prioritize self-care rituals.

Dull Hair

Dull, lifeless looking hair can be restored from the inside out. When your hair loses its sheen, it’s often a sign of a vitamin or mineral deficiency. And that’s why you should really do your hair care well.

Before you splurge on the next great shine spray, take a look at your current diet. Having a diet with a variety of fruits and vegetables, as well as healthy oils and fats, can change your hair from dull to sleek and shiny.

Dandruff

Dandruff is another seemingly harmless issue that’s more of an inconvenience than anything else. It could be caused by the overuse of hair products, or it could be a sign of health problems, even if there are no obvious symptoms.

If you start developing dandruff without making changes to your routine, consider stopping using your current products to determine if there’s a connection. If not, take a self-assessment of your digestive system to identify if anything seems wrong. Dandruff can be connected to digestive issues and could be corrected with an increase in water and probiotics.

Hair Loss

If your hair starts to fall out more than the natural 100 or so strands per day, there could be something going on with your endocrine system.  You can expect to see increased hair loss if you’re pregnant or recently gave birth as a result of the hormonal fluctuations within the body. If you’re experiencing excess loss and not pregnant, there are other hormones at work.

Try a simple strand test. Run your fingers through your hair from the roots to the tips. You should only have around five strands of hair between your fingers when you’re done. Any less and you’re doing great. Any more, and it’s time to get tested and have your hair repair treatments.

Hair Breakage

Hair breakage can be an indicator that you’ve used too much bleach and heat over time or that something is wrong within the body. It is often related to insufficient protein intake, as hair is made of protein. Track your daily intake and try to hit the target range for your body every day. This improves both your body and hair wellness.

Home Care is Key

By giving your body the nutrients, rest and restoration it needs, you can keep your hair looking shiny and healthy, indicating health and wellness within, but it does not stop there.

Hair needs actual nurture from well selected home care. Use  a shampoo that is sulfate free, silicon free and paraben free. Silicons  received a bad name because most mass market shampoos over dosed on silicon to create a slip in the hair, hence the hair over time gets weighed down and can even look greasy, sulfates strip the hair of natural oils.

Conditioners are key for most heads of hair, especially when hair has length, is colored or has extensions as the hair cuticle will be opened or roughened to some degree creating dryness, dullness and sometimes breakage. Our favorite by far is the Iles Formula conditioner as it does not coat the hair shaft like most conditioners do,  it actually closes down the hair cuticle, not over time but INSTANTLY. Hair is renewed from the very first use.

Iles Formula Finishing Serum is your guarantee against heated tools and  UV damage. Apply as small amount daily to dry hair, it will also calm instantly any unwanted frizz and give your perfect heat protection without weighing the hair down.

Iles Formula Signature Collection Shampoo + Conditioner + Finishing serum

We hope this will help guide you to maintain beautiful healthy hair. You can simply have your hair treatment at home. We believe there is  not a person on planet Earth that does not admire healthy hair!

Guest author: Ashley Lipman