How Healthy Is Your Hair? (30-Sec Quiz!)
LARINA ROBINSON
Your skin, hair and nails tell a great deal about the health of your overall body. Brittle nails, poor wound healing, dull skin, lackluster hair - they’re all signs that something isn’t quite right with your diet, your digestive system, and/or your lifestyle choices.
Take this 30-second quiz to find out what your hair is telling you about your health, then read on to find out what foods to eat to bring the back the luster!
1. How often do you use a heated styling tool? E.g. Hairdryer, flat-iron or curling wand.
A) Rarely, I am a messy bun Queen!
B) Two to three times a week. My hair usually behaves itself.
C) I don’t remember the last time I didn’t style it before leaving the house!
2. How many times a year do you frequent the salon for a color or highlights?
A) Never, I’m rocking au naturel.
B) Once or twice when it needs a pick-me-up.
C) Four or more times - I like to keep it fresh!
3. Take a look at the ends of your hair….See any split ends?
A) No, looks pretty good!
B) Yes, there are some, but it’s not too bad
C) Yes, too many to count!
4. What do you use to detangle your hair?
A) A wide tooth comb or tangle tamer
B) A paddle brush
C) Whatever brush I can find
5. How often do you treat your hair with a moisturizing mask?
A) Once a week
B) Once a month or so
C) Rarely. Sometimes my hairdresser will add one onto the service
6. How often do you eat omega-3 rich foods or supplement with omega-3 oils?
(Sources include salmon, wild fish, flaxseeds, chia seeds, and walnuts)
A) At least 3 times a week
B) Once a week or less
C) Hardly ever
7. How many meals and snacks do you eat each day that include fruit or vegetables, on average?
A) 3 or more, I love my fruit and veggies!
B) 1-2, I add them when I can
C) 0-1, it’s a daily struggle
8. How often, on average, do you include protein with your main meals?
(Sources of protein include grass-fed meats, soaked and cooked legumes and beans, fish, poultry, eggs, quinoa, nuts and seeds, dairy, high-quality protein powders and tempeh)
A) I add some form of protein to all my main meals
B) I add a little protein to 1-2 meals
C) I’m not sure, but most likely one meal a day or less
RESULTS!
Add up all of your responses and calculate which letter you selected the most. That's your result!
Mostly A's
Look at that shine and bounce! You take great care of your beautiful locks, and it shows. It’s awesome that you nurture your hair, and clearly you know how to look after it from the inside and out! Don’t be afraid to get a little adventurous though, a healthy diet, and a nourishing hair care routine will keep your locks in tip-top shape, even if you do try a few new things!
Mostly B's
Great hair days are your standard, for now! Not afraid of a little styling or color, you like to experiment without going too crazy. Plus, your diet is pretty good and you know when it’s time to get that needed trim. Keep the great hair days coming with a diet rich in a variety of vitamins and minerals, and don’t be afraid to style your hair au naturel once in a while!
Mostly C's
Time to give your hair some TLC! Your hair is a work of art, but you work your hair hard and it’s starting to take its toll. Nourish your hair with a homemade hair mask and make sure to check out what foods can help bring back the shine below! Your hair will thank you!
The 9 Nutrients You Need For Healthier Hair!
Did you know there are between 100,000 and 350,000 hair follicles on the human scalp? Each follicle grows its hair for an average of 2-7 years, before entering the dormant catagen phase (approx 2 weeks long) where the blood supply is cut off from the follicle, then the hair rests there for around 4 months, before being shed when the new hair begins to grow.
That’s a long time for one piece of hair to be sitting on your head. So be sure to make the most of your luscious mane and eat a range of the foods below to keep it in its glossiest, optimal condition all year round!
1. Protein-Rich Foods
Make sure to get plenty of protein in your diet, as hair is made up of protein! This will help keep your hair strong and healthy, and prevent excessive hair loss. Choose organic, wild-caught fish, eggs, soaked and cooked legumes, quinoa and beans, nuts, and seeds, grass-fed meats, poultry and dairy.
2. Sources of Iron
If you’re having trouble with hair-growth or excessive hair loss, it could be a lack of iron. When your iron levels are low, nutrient supply to the follicle is affected, which alters the hair growth cycle and may result in increased hair loss. Include a variety of organic, grass-fed meat and poultry for the most bioavailable sources. If you’re vegan or vegetarian, you can include soaked and cooked lentils, nuts, seeds, tempeh, spinach and other leafy greens to help boost your intake.
3. Vitamin C-Containing Foods
Vitamin C is one of many of nature’s beauty-nutrients. It helps to support the absorption of iron in the body, it’s an antioxidant to help fight free-radicals that damage the cells of our body, and also helps us to make collagen - a major structural component of our skin - helping to keep pesky wrinkles at bay, and a key component of the capillaries that send nutrient-rich blood to our hair shafts!
4. Omega-3’s
One of the most important nutrients if you’re looking for optimal shine! Essential fatty acids such as omega-3s are crucial to get from our diet as we cannot produce these in our bodies. They support a healthy scalp and nourish the hair shaft. Opt for wild caught fish, sardines, avocado, walnuts, and chia seeds, or supplement with a high-quality fish oil or plant-based omega-3 blend. See our supplement buying guide for more information.
5. Vitamin A
Flaky scalp? Itchy head? You may not be producing enough sebum! Vitamin A is used to make sebum, the oily substance we typically hear about when discussing clogged skin pores, but in fact, it also acts as a natural conditioner to give us a healthy scalp, too! Make sure to eat plenty of vitamin A-rich foods including orange and yellow colored vegetables and fruits, such as oranges, carrots, pumpkins, and sweet potatoes.
6. Zinc
Another of one of nature’s top beauty nutrients! Zinc helps to support healthy hair growth and a nourished scalp. Opt for oysters, grass-fed meat, eggs, and pumpkin seeds as your top sources.
7. Vitamin E
Did you know that our hair needs sun protection from UV rays too? The sun can do some serious damage to our hair if we don’t take care of it. Make sure to treat yours with lots of moisturising masks after beach days and keep a hat on when you can. To strengthen and protect your hair, make sure to include vitamin E-rich foods such as nuts, seeds, avocado, and olive oil!
8. Biotin
Another important hair nutrient to minimize brittle hair and excessive hair loss is biotin! Make sure to enjoy plenty of nuts, seeds, wild-caught fish, organic dairy, grass-fed meat, sweet potato, eggs, onion, oats, and tomatoes.
9. Vitamin D
Vitamin D is also a key player in the health of your hair. It may help activate hair growth, and plays an essential role in regulating epidermal proliferation and differentiation, including the receptor that is required for normal hair follicle cycling. Try and get 10 minutes of sunlight on some part of your skin each day to help your body produce more of it, or supplement with Vitamin D to get enough.
More Natural Hair Care Ideas
Give your hair a boost with these natural ideas:
11 Foods and Natural Remedies For Healthy Hair Growth
Losing Your Hair? Find Out What You Can Do
Try these hair-nourishing recipes:
Raw Chocolate Chia Energy Bars (Recipe)
Nut Butter Lover Protein Shake (Recipe)
Mega C Super Citrus Juice (Recipe)
Walnut Brownie Breakfast Smoothie (Recipe)
Products you may love:
What Do You Do To Keep Your Hair Healthy? Share Your Thoughts In The Comments Below!
Take the stress out of cooking with 21-days of guided meal plans, shopping lists, and nutrition support. You’ll find all of this, and more, in our signature Clean Eating Program.
Larina is a qualified Wholefood Dietitian, and creative writer. She is passionate about educating people on eating well with whole foods, and focusing on the individual diet that suits you best.