There is no secret to having glowing skin and thick hair. Just like maintaining overall health, adopting good lifestyle habits can go a long way in ensuring healthy skin and hair. A proper diet, sleep and regular exercise play an important role. While people may follow beauty regimes involving the use of creams, shampoos, serums, conditioners, masks, etc., the importance of a nutritious diet cannot be ignored. Essential nutrients like proteins, fats, iron, and vitamins help in sustaining the health of your skin and hair.
FOODS FOR ACNE-PRONE SKIN
For many people, acne keeps recurring and gets worse even after puberty. This condition of recurring acne could be for several reasons, like stress, smoking, unhealthy eating habits and alcohol consumption. In many instances, hormonal imbalance can lead to several issues with the texture and health of your skin. Fixing your diet can help significantly in addressing this.
Niacinamide is a form of vitamin B3 (niacin) that prevents acne and helps in regulating oil production and preventing breakouts. Niacin-rich foods are mushrooms, dates, pumpkin seeds, sweet potatoes, almonds, spinach, tomatoes, carrots, avocados, and broccoli.
FOODS FOR GLOWING SKIN
In the age of virtual filters, having glowing skin is a blessing. For younger-looking skin, consume foods rich in collagen as it helps maintain the skin’s elasticity by preventing sagging. Natural food products like turmeric, spirulina, pomegranates, watermelon, fish, chicken, egg whites, citrus fruits, red and yellow peppers, beans, and avocados are commonly consumed collagen-rich food sources.
FOODS TO PREVENT HAIR LOSS
Along with nutritional deficiency, there are other reasons like hormonal imbalance and genetic factors that might be the cause of hair loss. Protein is essential for healthy hair. Always make sure to include enough protein in your daily intake. Include eggs in your daily nutrition plan and don’t avoid the yellow of the egg.
Out of the plethora of vitamins, we need daily, vitamin B6 helps with hair growth due to its essential role in protein metabolism. The vitamin ensures that cells can access amino acids needed to make hair proteins. Some common sources of vitamin B6 are meat, liver, fish, peanuts, soya, oats, and bananas. Omega-3 Fatty Acid foods like almonds, walnuts, and flax seeds, maintain the oil and pH levels of hair follicles, which promotes the thickening of hair.
FOODS TO PREVENT HAIR GREYING
Stress is one of the major causes of premature greying of hair. To bring down stress levels, vitamin B5 is very helpful as it retains water content in the scalp and locks in moisture. Vitamin B5 is sourced mainly from animal products like beef, salmon and meat. It is also available in vegetables like broccoli, sweet potatoes, and whole-grain cereals.
THINGS TO AVOID
1. Crash Diets– Low-carb diets like keto leads to quick, temporary weight loss. However, such diets cause severe deficiencies that may impact the skin and gut negatively. Your skin, hair and nails are the first things to get impacted by these diets. It happens because our body sends most of the essential nutrients to the heart, brain and liver to keep the body functioning. These nutrient deficiencies show up on your skin and hair way before you lose an inch of weight.
2. Junk Food– Fried, salty and preserved foods contain an unhealthy amount of Omega-6 Fatty Acid which leads to hair and skin problems. High in calories products like sweets and chocolates should be avoided. Also, dairy products should be taken in moderation.
3. Not drinking enough water– Adequate water intake helps the body function properly. At least 8-10 glasses of water are essential in a day.
4. Using wrong products– It is very important to understand the skin type before choosing the right products. It is better to consult a dermatologist before buying something that will not be suitable for your skin or hair.
It is said that the best skincare doesn’t always come in a jar. What you eat determines your food habits, which determine the health of your skin and hair. The dietary choices we make reflect on our skin and hair. When you consume healthy food, it improves the skin by rejuvenating it, which leaves a glowing effect on it.
The writer is from Dept Of Dermatology, CK Birla Hospital, Gurgaon.