A few weeks ago, as I was preparing to leave the hairdressers, I politely asked the stylist if she could stop my hair from sticking up, static-style, from the top of my scalp. For some reason, lots of short stray hairs were standing upright – and yes, it did rather ruin the look! But when she explained that the offending hair was new growth – lots of new growth – I almost fell on her with excitement.
It’s taken almost a year (read my original ‘sad hair’ post) of a hair-nutrient-rich diet, replete with supplements, to achieve this re-growth. And although I still don’t have the thick hair of my dreams, it is thicker and fuller than a year ago. So how have I done this? Firstly, I’ve stuck rigorously to what we like to call (ahem) the Kale & Cocoa diet (lots of oily fish, leafy and rainbow veg, wholegrains, pro and prebiotic-rich foods, healthy fats and so on). Here’s a list of the top foods for hair, and if you’re a regular reader, you’ll notice how often they crop up in our recipes: salmon, almonds and walnuts, sweet potato and carrots, eggs, spinach and leafy greens, lentils, sunflower seeds, sprouts, Greek yogurt, blueberries, oats, bananas, poultry, beef and oysters (the latter haven’t featured much, I admit, but watch this space). Between them, these ingredients contain a mix of the most important nutrients for hair: iron, biotin, zinc, Vitamin C, Vitamin D, the B vitamins, silica (a trace mineral essential for hair, plentiful in oats) and protein. An amino acid called Lysine is also thought to be important, and can be found in meat, cheese, some fish, nuts, eggs and soybeans.
In addition to the Kale & Cocoa diet, I’ve been taking a supplement – Viviscal, voted Best Hair Supplement by Harper’s Bazaar in 2013. I’ve continued to reverse-condition my hair (condition first, shampoo afterwards), and I’ve also changed my hair care products to L’Oreal’s Elvive hair thickening range – The Guardian’s 2014 Best Hair Product (http://www.loreal-paris.co.uk/hair-care/fibrology#to.)
But hair is a slow responder. While poor diet and stress can show up in skin within days or weeks, it can take months for your hair to respond – either by coming out in handfuls or by becoming brittle and weak. And the reverse is true too. So you need to be patient.
But it’s not just diet. Medical conditions like male-pattern baldness or androgenic alopecia, menopause, polycystic ovarian syndrome, lupus or psoriasis can all result in hair loss. Hormonal change can also wreak havoc with your locks and medications like the pill, anti-depressants, anti-ulcer drugs and beta blockers have also been known to cause hair loss.
How we treat our hair can also have an effect. My hairdresser friend told me to stop wearing my hair in a pony-tail. Combing hair when wet, over blow-drying or going mad with chemical-ridden styling products can hinder healthy re-growth too. So dry your hair without a hairdryer whenever you can and try switching to a sulfate-free product, as sulfates can damage the hair cuticles. The L’Oreal Elvive product mentioned above contains sulfates, so I rotate between that and Viviscal’s sulfate-free shampoo. You can read more about sulfates here http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/05/23/sulfate-free-shampoo_n_1534277.html. And speaking of products, I’m also rather partial to John Frieda’s Luxurious 7 Day Volume range – try the In-Shower Treatment which adds heaps of volume and lasts for a week.
We don’t eat a huge amount of meat chez nous but I’m very partial to chicken livers (particularly when my hair feels thin!). They’re immensely rich in protein, iron, folate and the B vitamins. When combined with green leaves, as in this salad, you also get Vitamin C. It’s quick, easy and (I think) delicious….
WARM CHICKEN LIVER SALAD – serves 2
- 200g organic chicken livers (don’t save money here … chicken livers are cheap so splash out on the organic ones)
- 1 tbsp pink peppercorns in brine
- Juice of half a lemon
- Bowl of mixed salad leaves of your choice
- Dressing made of olive oil, lemon juice, mustard and garlic (or your usual – both balsamic vinegar and pomegranate molasses go well with chicken livers)
Pan fry the chicken livers in a tbsp. olive oil for 4-5 minutes until crisp and brown on the outside but still pink and soft on the inside (this is important – you don’t want them tough). Throw in the pink peppercorns, a good squirt of lemon juice and season well.
Mix and dress your leaves. Pile the livers, peppercorns and pan juices on top. Happy hair day!
Annabel
hi I am a vegetarian so can you recommend some thing other then chicken livers ? Thanks
Hi Susan – you could try some cubes of tofu and sprinkle over some cashews or almonds? They all contain iron – which is the purpose of the chicken livers and a boon for thin straggly hair. They won’t pack the some punch as the chicken livers so perhaps add some extra green leaves. I was a vegan for a few years when i was younger and remember the effort required to get sufficient iron. Let us know if you find any other good substitutes!
Annabel
For iron rich meal, you can also try wheatgrass juice/powder or drumstick (moringa) leaf juice/powder
Good idea!
I’ve suffered with thinning hair for the past 10 years, although it’s not noticeable, I’m aware of more than the usual amount of hair lost when washing my hair and combing it. I recently discovered Saw Palmetto, which is recommended for men with prostate problems, but also women who are losing hair on their heads and gaining it on their faces!! I’ve only been using it for a week but already notice a huge improvement in hair loss – now just the odd one or two when hair washing instead of the usual 20 or more.
Great tip – thanks! I will try it myself as my hair still comes out every day and i have a permanent hair (or two!) on my shoulders… Thanks for leaving a comment, it’s so good to share tips….
I have also noticed my hair falling out more than usual and it feels thinner. So I started taking iron tablets and Vitamin C. I love pate especially those based on chicken livers and have tried to follow up with a strawberry spinach salad that I love. I think my hair is better.
My Mother used to cook liver once a week. She would pound it flat and fry it in breadcrumbs until we thought we were getting schnitzel. With her delicious gravy it was yummy and that may be the reason she still has lovely thick hair at 87 years old.
It is good to remember though, that for our bodies to absorb iron we need to take in Vitamin C at the same time or the iron we think we are getting may not be well absorbed.
I also have trouble absorbing iron because I suffer from Coeliac disease. Good reasons to eat berries and citrus every day.
You are absolutely right about the benefit of Vitamin C when consuming iron. I always squirt lemon over liver, spinach and other leafy green veg. Your mother is certainly very lucky with her hair and if she wanted to share her liver recipe that would be great. And would you consider sharing your spinach and strawberry recipe? It sounds delicious!
Annabel,
I am happy to share. My mother said that the liver recipe is just like schnitzel and sorry I forgot to mention that it is lamb’s liver or called lamb’s fry where I come from. Yes I have some German heritage. This is not chicken liver, but equally healthy I’m sure. My mother shallow fries the liver, and uses olive oil. We also use gluten free breadcrumbs, which brown to a beautiful golden colour and are crunchy and delicious. For those who prefer not to eat fried food, this may not be something they want to try. **gluten free bread makes the best croutons and breadcrumbs. It is expensive, but have no choice since I am celiac.
Spinach Strawberry Salad
2 to 21/2 cups fresh strawberries, sliced thinly after removing stems and leaves – sometimes I use even more if I have been to the strawberry farm
1/2 cup almonds, toasted if liked, and roughly chopped
100g feta cheese
4-5 cups of lightly packed spinach
2-4 tablespoons poppy-seed dressing
Transfer the spinach into a large bowl. Drizzle a tablespoon of poppy-seed dressing over the leaves, tossing until coated. Continue to add the dressing until all the spinach is glossy. Gently toss the strawberries, feta and almonds with the spinach. Adjust all seasonings and amounts to suit personal taste.
POPPY-SEED DRESSING
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
1/4 cup sugar (this is too much for me, but this is the original recipe. There are no sweet “tooths” in my family and sometimes it is difficult to find the sugar bowl or the salt shaker)
1 small shallot
1 – 1 1/2 tablespoons poppy seeds
1/2 teaspoon salt (sometimes I forget to add salt altogether because I can’t find it – do we have any?)
1/2 teaspoon ground mustard
2 teaspoons mayo (optional – I rarely use it)
1/2 cup olive oil
Whisk the vinegar and the sugar (to taste) until the sugar has dissolved. Grate the shallot (watch fingers) on a small grater directly into the bowl. Add poppy seeds and mustard, mayo (if using) whisk again. Whisk continuously while olive oil is slowly poured in. Transfer to a covered container ( jar) , refrigerate, shake just before using.
This salad is very delicious. It has colour, crunch, softness, saltiness, sourness (from strawberries) plus sweetness. As with most recipes like this, it turns out slightly differently each time. It is a combination of several different recipes, I have used over the years. Feel free to make your own adjustments
Gosh – these look delicious. I can’t wait to try them! Thanks so much for sharing them. I will let you know how i get on. I love the idea of strawberries and spinach and the poppy seed dressing looks very versatile.
Thanks, Gaynor…
Annabel
At my most recent hairdresser visit, the same thing happened to me – and I’d thought that sticking up shortish hair was irritating. Absolutely not! Wondering what I’d changed recently in diet / supplements, I thought it could be the milk-thistle seed tea that I’ve been drinking 3 times a day, for digestion, over the past three months. Could it have done the trick? And now I’ve read a recent research from Korea, on rats, showing an improvement in bone density after milk-thistle treatment. Could be worth following-up… And thanks for your splendid site, a real pleasure!
Thanks Diana – yes, it’s wonderful when the regrowth starts. I’ve been reading about milk-thistle but yet to try it in any form. We will look into it. Watch this space! And thanks for your very kind words – they are much appreciated.
Thanks for sharing this content with us.
Thank you ladies this has been so informative. My hair started to fall out when I was 55 and now I have no hair on the top of my head , but the back of my hair is still brown no grey and I’m 75 . I keep complaining to my doctor who isn’t interested. And basically told me when I was 70 to stop worrying at my age it shouldn’t matter . I now wear a wig .
What a cheeky doctor! Perhaps try a trichologist, you might have a better response, and certainly a more compassionate response (I’d hope). Thanks for your comment, Mary.