BEAUTY TIPS

Not everybody knows that hair is alive, growing and has to be properly nourished, as many other types of tissues. Hair root is nourished with lots of substances, which we absorb with food every day, through blood vessels. Therefore if we become helpless about the problem of dandruff and seborrhoea, this means that our hair needs vitamins, bio-components, and other essential building elements. It has been proved that hair which lacks of vitamins and minerals becomes sick, greasy and begins to fall out. However, if hair is full of vitamin and mineral, it is shiny and silky and soft. Therefore, if your hair is undernourished, use some shampoo with zinc to improve its condition.

Hair Structure
Hair and nails, according to physiology, are components of human skin tissue. Their basic component is keratin, which is a type of protein. A very important for the condition of hair is sulphur, a biological element of this protein, which is connected with amino acids: cystein (up to 17% of hair) and metionin (0.5%). Hair structure, its thickness and richness, as well as its gloss and resilience depend on whether our body receives the proper amount of sulphur and other nourishing substances.

How to Nourish our Hair Well?
Hair should be given sulphur amino acids mainly because it is what hair needs most. Amino acids are the best building components for hair. They make hair grow and become strong and beautiful. When hair lacks amino acids, it will become weak, thin and entangled. In other words is sick and ugly, then.

Where do we find sulphur amino acids?
There are such types of food where we may find "ready-for-use" sulphur amino acids, e.g. non-fat beef, beans, fish and eggs. It is worth reminding, though, that in the case of sulphur amino acids deficiency in our food, our body is able to produce them on their own, unless it is not given the proper amount of sulphur. Our grandmothers seemed to know all about that. That is why they recommended such "traditional" cure as raphanus to repair one’s weakened and dry hair. Other plants and vegetables rich in sulphur are: radish, horse-radish, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, cuckoo-flower, broccoli, cauliflower and onion.

Microelements are equally important
The most important microelements are: zinc, copper, iron and sulphur. They stimulate the growth of hair as well as improve its general condition and look. Hair can get "soaked" with microelements, which makes it look strong, shiny and beautiful.

Where can you find minerals strengthening hair?

• Iron - there is a lot of it in beef, in broad bean, in sesame seeds or in giblets and in red meat, for instance.
• Zinc - is to be found in beef and cheese, giblets, wheat sprouts, yeast, eggs and milk.
• Sulphur - is in peas, onion, cheese and cuckoo-flower.
• Silicon - is in porridge and pearl barley.
• Copper - is in giblets as well as in peas and beans.

There are also vitamins essential for the look and condition of hair, for instance, pro-vitamin B5 and others from the group of vitamin B.

Where does this nasty seborrhoea come from?

If we notice that white and dry flakes fall from our head quite often, this may be the sign that we suffer from seborrhoea which appears when the skin on the scalp gets too greasy. This is caused when there is insufficiency of vitamins B1, B2 and B6 and B5 in our diet. This is not dependent on any hormones, however.

What should we eat to supply our hair with all the necessary vitamins and microelements which can prevent seborrhoea, dandruff and hair loss?

The necessary daily amount of both vitamin and mineral in 100grams of various products, in comparison to a daily requirement of these, is such:

• For vitamin B1: chicken breast, pork chop, sunflower seeds provide 1/2 of daily amount of B1
• For vitamin B2: broccoli will provide 1/2 of daily amount of B2; milk, yoghurt and pork provide 1/4 of daily amount of B2.
• For B6: sardines, bananas, liver (1/2 of daily amount of B6).
• For B5: mushrooms (2/3 of daily dose); mung Chinese bean (1/2) and broccoli (1/4). If we want to make our hair stronger and prevent the hair loss we should provide our hair with vitamin B12 which is in chicken liver and in beef.

What else is necessary for our hair and what is rather harmful?

If we also eat food with lots of vitamins A and E, our hair will always look glossy and beautiful. All you need to remember is to limit fat, carbohydrates spicy food and alcohol in your diet.

What if we do not have time to provide all the necessary components of a daily diet?

The easiest way is to buy the vitamin and mineral supplements in the pharmacy and take a daily dose according to prescription.

In fighting with dandruff and seborrhoea we may find and ally in the right shampoo. If we have a problem with dandruff, for instance, we should use the shampoo with zinc salt which helps a lot. There are also shampoo types which use the healing features of bitumen.