Asian woman scrunching up hair by beach.

Hair health encompasses all hair types, whether you have a thick, thin, straight, or curly main. Although genetics largely dictates the quality of your tresses, other factors, such as your diet, age, the weather, pollution, and overall approach to hair care are critical to maintaining your crowning glory. Making simple lifestyle changes can improve your hair significantly.

As it turns out, following a wholesome and clean lifestyle can have a massive impact on improving your hair. Having healthy locks is an indicator of your well-being. It shows you have the right mix of nutrients to support hair growth and enhance blood flow throughout your body – including your follicles.

When you commit to lifestyle changes, you can mitigate the effects of environmental stressors and aging. If you want to boost your hair health, start making these adjustments.

Follow a Healthy Diet

What you eat directly affects your hair health. Hence, following a nutrient-dense diet will help nourish your hair follicles, resulting in . Ever wonder why iron and vitamin D often appear in hair supplements? These substances help build and strengthen hair. You may also stock up on good protein to reinforce hair strength and make your locks more vibrant. Promote overall health by sourcing your protein from lean meat, poultry, fish, beans, low-fat dairy, and eggs.

Stay on Top of Your Health

Your hair can be a reflection of your overall health. You may not realize it, but can help you stay in shape and promote your hair quality. Working out boosts blood flow and oxygen processing, prompting circulation throughout your body, including your hair follicles. Healthy hair follicles enhance the anagen or growth phase of your hair, making your crowning glory thicker and hardier.

Did you know that, on average, people can expect a half-inch growth on their hair monthly and can lose approximately 100 to 150 strands a day? As you get older, your rate of growth slows, which makes it more crucial to work on strengthening your locks. Give your hair a pick-me-up with Sunsilk Strong & Long Shampoo. Biotin and aloe vera shore up your hair, making it more conducive to taking on extra length.

Indirectly, physical activities can help you combat stress, which you probably know can do a .

Keep Your Stress in Check

Speaking of stress, have you ever noticed how your hair fall worsens ? Stress can immensely affect your body, including your hair health. Traumatic events, such as delivering a baby, being rushed to the hospital, or dealing with a death of a loved one, that impact you physically or emotionally can trigger a type of hair loss called telogen effluvium. It is a temporary condition that leads to excessive shedding.

While your hair growth will gradually return to normal after the event passes and you begin to recover, subjecting yourself to chronic stress can also mean your body is diverting all that energy from making lush hair. A few lifestyle changes can help reduce the impact of stress. Experts advise minimizing pressure as much as you can. Practice work-life balance, pick up meditation, and other therapeutic activities to put you in a state of calm.

If you can't avoid stress and notice your hair is getting limp from your woes, give it a lift with Sunsilk Naturals Coconut Hydration Shampoo. Not only does it clarify your hair, but it moisturizes by the strand, giving it bounce and body even when you're feeling down.

Drop the Cigarette

It’s no secret that smoking causes serious health concerns, such as increasing your chances of developing respiratory illnesses, including lung cancer. After all, the tobacco smoke from a single cigarette can contain over 7,000 chemicals – 69 of which have been linked to the latter disease. Another one of its effects? Hair loss.

While the exact link between smoking and hair loss is unclear, the chemicals from tobacco smoke can travel to your bloodstream – affecting your cardiovascular health. Smoking can cause plaque buildup in your blood vessels, impeding circulation, which you need to deliver nutrients to your hair follicles.

Smoking can also increase your body’s production of free radicals, which damage the DNA in your cells – including those found in your scalp. Quitting is one of the most crucial lifestyle changes you can make for your hair and overall health.

Try Keratin

Keratin can make your hair more resilient. Not only is it versatile for all hair types, but it also helps keeps your locks shiny and healthy. Keratin fills in damaged or dry hair cuticles, adding a protective layer and smoothening your tresses. Cream Silk Triple Keratin Rescue Ultimate Repair & Shine Treatment Crème penetrates each strand deeply and delivers the benefits of three keratin products in one: relaxers to tame frizz, serum to revive damage, and essence to restore extreme dryness.

Yes, you may argue that hair is just a bunch of dead cells, but it’s also a mirror of the way you live. And if you want to be healthier – from your hair to your body, then stick to these lifestyle changes now.