Are you struggling with Dry Brittle Hair and Hair Loss and want to know what supplements can help? Here is the top ten list from Dr Engelman,  a NYC dermatologist and contributor to Goop and online magazine.

She  also points out that diet is very important and we agree.

Our Take is that while diet and supplements can help promote healthier hair, it is also very important that you keep you blood sugar stable and do what you can to keep stress to a minimum.  In men we see stress and diet having an affect by increasing estrogen levels, resulting  in low libido and hair loss.   In women the opposite is true high stress and mis-management of blood sugar causes high levels of testosterone which results in hair loss and hair gain in places that we would prefer it not to be.  Bottom line: If you want healthier hair:  Eat well, keep stress to a minimum and keep your blood sugar stable.

 TOP TEN LIST FOR HEALTHIER HAIR

Low levels of iron can lead to hair loss, and the fix may be as simple as adding an iron or vitamin supplement. Also, hair thrives on protein, iron, zinc, and vitamin B12, so consume lean meats, leafy greens, nuts, beans, and fish

As Dr. Engelman pointed out, our diet (as well as supplements) affects how hair looks. Extremely low-calorie diets can cause thinning hair, as can extremely low-protein diets; even when such diets don’t cause hair loss, they often result in dull, brittle hair. Eating the right food supports great-looking and greet-feeling hair in powerful ways.

1.Protein: Your hair is made primarily of protein, so get plenty of it, from beans and nuts to fish, lean meat, eggs, and yogurt.

2. Fat: Oily fish, raw nuts and seeds, avocado, flax—and the oils from all of these—help keep your hair soft and touchable. It’s important to note that without fat, many of the nutrients in food (and supplements) don’t get absorbed.

3. Omegas: Particularly helpful fats are omega-3s, -6s, and -7s. Oily fish and cold-pressed flaxseed oil are excellent sources.

4. Iron: Iron supports circulation—critical for healthy skin and hair. Beans, eggs, meat, broccoli, and spinach are ways to get more.

Vitamin A: Found in carrots, sweet potatoes, spinach, peaches, cod liver oil, and krill oil, vitamin A encourages the healthy growth of sebum, which keeps your hair soft and healthy—not to mention preventing breakage.

5. Vitamin C: This antioxidant—in citrus, bell peppers, guavas, kale, kiwis, and cantaloupe—helps you absorb minerals like iron (for circulation) and magnesium.

6. Vitamin E: The same reason vitamin E is good for your heart—it encourages capillary growth and is anti-inflammatory, among other things—is why it’s so good for your hair. Find it in dark leafy greens, almonds, avocados, sunflower seeds, shellfish, fish, and eggs. (You can also apply vitamin E oil directly onto hair.)

7. Zinc: Low levels of zinc in the body can directly cause hair loss. Oysters have the most zinc of any food; beans, crab, lobster, chicken, and nuts all have zinc in them, too.

8. Biotin: This B vitamin—found in yeast, liver, egg yolks, soy, and walnuts, plus hair-growth supplements—supports healthy hair growth like few other compounds.

9. Vitamin B5: Helps prevent hair loss and encourages healthy hair growth. Greek yogurt, also packed with protein, is a great way to get it.

10. Fat: Oily fish, raw nuts and seeds, avocado, flax—and the oils from all of these—help keep your hair soft and touchable. It’s important to note that without fat, many of the nutrients in food (and supplements) don’t get absorbed.