When you have dry hair, there is a great temptation to use miracle treatments sold in stores, stuffed with parabens or silicones. Yet natural solutions exist to give a boost to his mane. We went around the subject with Véronique Geronutti, a naturopath.
Fill up on vitamins
The dryness of the hair may reflect the reflection of an internal imbalance, including vitamin deficiencies. “We can compare the hair to plants.If you plant them in good soil, they will be very beautiful and proliferate,” begins Veronique Geronutti, naturopath. For good hair health, the same reasoning: if the ground is healthy, the condition of the hair will follow. Vitamins B5, B8, A and E are particularly important.
” Vitamin B5 will strengthen hair and nails,” says the naturopath. Egg yolks, white meats (mainly poultry), salmon, trout, mushrooms, wholegrain cereals and legumes can be found. “All that is refined (like white rice) is considerably depleted in vitamins,” insists the specialist.
“Vitamin B5 is even more active if it is associated with vitamin B8,” says Véronique Geronutti. The Vitamin B8 is found in large quantities in dairy products, cheese
” Vitamin A is also very good for skin, nails and hair because it’s a powerful antioxidant first, ” adds the naturopath. The main sources of vitamin A are eggs, butter, oily fish (sardines, mackerel, herring or tuna), fish liver oils (such as cod liver oil), cabbage his cousins (the crucifer family) or sweet potatoes and colorful fruits and vegetables.
Finally, vitamin E is the antioxidant vitamin par excellence. It allows a better oxygenation of the scalp. It is found in wheat germ oil, oleaginous fruits, whole grains and eggs.
To preserve all the vitamins present in fruits and vegetables, it is desirable to consume them raw. Otherwise opt for a gentle cooking, such as steaming (temperature not exceeding 100 ° C).
Think about minerals
The iron, zinc, sulfur and silicon are particularly favorable to the hair.
“Iron is an essential nutrient for the nails and hair, but it is important to know its iron status because a deficiency as well as an excess can be dangerous for health.” The iron-rich foods are whole grains, parsley , broccoli, legumes, red meat, seafood, egg yolk, cocoa. ” recalls Véronique Geronutti.
Zinc is essential for making hair and nail proteins, including keratin. It is found in particular “in oysters, pumpkin seeds and squash, whole grains, egg yolk
Finally, “silicon is a trace element that increases circulation in the scalp and promotes better irrigation,” notes the naturopath. Unfortunately, food sources are quite small: they are found in horsetail, seaweed and in small quantities in whole grains.
“Do not forget also the polyunsaturated fatty acids and more particularly the omega-3 favorable to the good health of the hair.We find them in virgin oils, vegetable and first cold pressed (camelina, rapeseed), in avocados, oleaginous, egg yolk, lamb’s lettuce “, continues the specialist.
Hydrate yourself enough
“Dry hair can be due to a lack of internal hydration,” says Véronique Geronutti. To cover their daily needs in water, two solutions: the drinking water and the consumption of fruits and vegetables. “One already has an important water intake by consuming a lot of fruits and vegetables on a day”, confirms the naturopath.
Consume pollen, rich in minerals
“To have beautiful hair, good mineralization within the body is essential”, informs Véronique Geronutti. In addition to fruits and vegetables, the specialist recommends the consumption of pollen to fill up with vitamins and minerals. Be sure to choose it fresh rather than dried, its virtues will be increased tenfold.
Pollen is contraindicated in people with allergies to bee products .
Wash your hair gently
If you are not a fan of no poo, you regularly expose your hair to the shampoo
“We warm up a little coconut oil and apply it generously on the lengths and ends.” Then we wrap our head in a hot towel to open the scales of the hair so that they absorb the oil. leave it for 20 to 30 minutes and make your usual shampoo “, describes the naturopath.
Prefer raw coconut oil (specified on the label), so that it retains all its properties.
If you opt for castor oil, Véronique Geronutti advises to leave it only one to two minutes on the hair, without wrapping them in a towel.
During the shampoo, we banish too hot water. “It is recommended to wash your head with cold water: it makes the hair stronger, healthier and especially shinier”, confirms the specialist.
Finally, if you wash your hair very often (more than three times a week), you do not have to shampoo twice in a row. “One shampoo will suffice because two shampoos may dry out the hair,” warns Veronica Geronutti.