Black women often come up with complaints about their dry, frizzy hair that is difficult to manage. This article provides some information about hair vitamins for black women.
Hair is the crowning glory for humans, especially women. While each and every member of the fair sex vies for healthy and beautiful hair, only some of them become successful. The unlucky ones may either try different hair care treatments, that may result in further damage to the hair, or live in despair. They must understand one thing – the texture, type and growth rate of hair differ from one person to another. It is dependent on various factors, like genetics, nutrition and hair care. As you cannot change your genes, it is always possible to take care of the other factors; and make your hair strong, healthy and manageable.
When it comes to black women, the hair tends to be dry, frizzy, brittle, and difficult to manage and grow. Hair loss and thinning are very common, and in order to overcome these problems, they try various hair care products indiscriminately. They resort to curling, straightening, blow drying, perming, or start wearing wigs and weaves. This results in further damage to the hair, which may lead to hair loss or thinning.
Vitamins for Healthy Hair
Growing long and healthy hair is dependent on various factors, like proper hair care, diet and the right styling techniques. The most important among them is a proper diet with sufficient vitamins and other nutrients that are required for the health of hair. Vitamins are very important for growing and maintaining healthy hair.
Best hair vitamins for black women include vitamin B, C and E. It is better to buy a B-complex vitamin supplement, that contains thiamine (B1), riboflavin (B2), niacin (B3), pantothenic acid (B5), pyridoxine (B6), folic acid (B9), cyanocobalamin (B12), and biotin. Studies show that these vitamins, especially vitamin B5 and biotin are beneficial for black women.
In order to make your hair healthy, your body needs sufficient amounts of vitamin C too. Vitamin C is involved in the production of collagen, which is vital for holding the body tissues together. In case of vitamin C deficiency, the hair may develop split ends that can lead to breakage. So a deficiency of vitamin C may inhibit hair growth, and this condition can be rectified by increasing the level of vitamin C intake. For this purpose, consume citrus fruits, tomatoes, green leafy vegetables, melons and berries, etc. Vitamin E is well-known for its role in skin care and hair care, and is one among the best hair vitamins for black women. A healthy scalp is indispensable for healthy hair. Vitamin E plays a vital role in making the scalp healthy, by increasing blood circulation. This helps the hair to grow faster and become healthy.
Apart from these important hair vitamins, there are some other nutrients, that can be beneficial for black people. They are magnesium, sulfur, zinc, silica, and beta carotene. It has been observed that, flaxseed oil is good for hair growth and also for preventing hair loss.
You may either plan a diet that provides the required nutrients, or use multivitamin supplements as per the instructions of your health care provider. You may also replace tap water with spring water, which offers several vitamins and minerals, especially zinc that is good for maintenance of the oil-secreting glands in the scalp.
Golden Rules for Hair Care
As the hair of black people tends to be more dry and brittle, always make sure that it is properly moisturized, at least two to three times a day. Avoid application of products with harsh chemicals, mineral oils and petroleum jelly, but use natural oils. You must also avoid hair care products with ingredients, like methyl-, propyl-, butyl-, or ethyl-paraben, polyethylene glycol, propylene glycol, sodium lauryl sulfate or sodium laureth sulfate, synthetic colors, DEA (diethanolamine), MEA (monoethanolamine), TEA (triethanolmine), and isopropyl alcohol. All these chemicals are harmful for the health and growth of hair, and some of them may cause some diseases too.
Apart from that, a healthy lifestyle is also beneficial for growing healthy hair. Quit smoking and excess alcohol consumption, avoid stress, drink lots of water, and resort to regular exercises. All these measures can be beneficial for the overall health and also for hair growth.
Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only, and should not be used as a replacement for expert medical advice.
