Omega-3 For Healthy Hair

The fatty acids known as omega-3 are unsaturated fatty acids that play a critical role in the human body and are needed for a healthy life. There are two main groups of fatty acids, omega-3 and omega-6, both being essential for health. Despite playing such an important role, none of these acids can be produced inside the body and all have to come from outside sources. This is why a balanced diet has to include food or supplements with a proper amount of fatty acids.

Omega-3 essential acids are important for the health of the hair and can delay hair loss or prevent it completely. Hair can't be healthy without a proper amount of essential nutrients. A diet rich in fatty acids is known to reduce hair loss and make it grow stronger, at a much quicker rate. Studies have proven the ability of omega-3 to reduce inflammation, this opens up the follicles of the hair and allow it to develop faster, which explains the increased rate of growth.

Many problems and diseases are caused by poor nutrition and baldness is one of them. One of the causes of baldness is a poor diet that doesn't provide enough omega-3. Hair loss is normal, since the hair becomes old and falls off in order to be replaced by new one. However, without the required nutrients, the body is unable to repair damaged hair and to replace the lost one, which eventually causes baldness.

Omega-3 is actually needed for overall health and plays a role in several important processes. The hair is one of the indicatives of a diet poor in omega-3, since the lack of this essential acid will make it look increasingly unhealthy and eventually cause hair loss and baldness.

Each human hair emerges from a follicle that will constantly make it longer and replace lost one as it falls. Every person has a different natural hair growth rate but the average is about one mm every day, which converts in approximately half an inch per month.

A poor or improper nutrition that supplies insufficient amounts of omega-3 in the daily diet will initially cause a slow rate of hair growth, since the follicles don't have the building blocks required in order to produce it. Fallen hair can't be replaced, which eventually leads to baldness. The state of the hair usually reflects the one of the body and the quality of nutrition.

In scientific terms, baldness (hair loss) is named alopecia. There are two types of alopecia, one concerns only the hair on the head, while the other can affect the entire body. However, head hair loss is a lot more common. It is a very obvious condition, even in its initial stages, since the lack of hair is extremely visible.

It must be noted that people lose their hair in different ways and the hair of the two sexes can start to fall in various locations. Male alopecia normally starts from the temples or forehead. Females initially lose their hair from either the crown or the forehead.

Hair loss has many causes and is most often influenced by genetic factors that can't be controlled. The majority of the people who become bald from natural causes have poor hair genetics. There are other possible causes, both internal and external. The most common internal causes are infections of either the entire body or just the scalp, hormonal problems, too much vitamin A or a lack of iron. Some frequent external factors are bad hair care products, the effect of some drugs, obsessive hair pulling as well as radiation therapy in case of cancer.

Baldness is one of the most common problems of the modern world. There are probably millions of new cases every year and 4 in 10 men start losing their hair around the age of 35. About 65% of males are affected at 60 years old.

The human hair has a normal cycle of loss and regrowth which causes baldness when it becomes unbalanced. To understand hair loss, here are the scientific stages of the natural cycle:

  • the long-growth phase is known as anagen
  • catagen is the next phase of growth but it is shorter and the hair grows slower
  • telogen is a phase when the hair stops growing completely (resting phase)
  • exogen is the moment when the hair falls off and regeneration begins with a new cycle

The math is very simple, the hair falling during the exogen phase must be compensated by new hair from the other parts of the cycle. If that doesn't happen, the result is alopecia. In a normal situation, around 100 hair fall off every day and are replaced by an equal number.

Fatty acids like omega-3 work at cellular level and are part of the outer cell membrane, which also acts as its structure. The membrane is like a filter and decides what enters the cell and what is allowed to come out of it, a very important role. If the membrane works well, it will eliminate waste and only allow the nutrients to come in, stopping useless compounds and toxins in order to protect the cell.

Another important role of omega-3 is as a component of some hormones and other substances that manipulate our tissues and trigger responses. These control for example the regulation of blood pressure and inflammatory reactions. As a result, a proper amount of omega-3  will relieve dermatitis and fight diseases like arthritis or chronic heart problems.

Traditionally, the best sources for fatty acids like omega-3 have been oceanic fish with fat deposits, like herring, salmon or sardines. While not the only source of omega-3, fish is a very healthy food choice overall and should be eaten at least twice per week anyway. Seeds are also very rich in essential fatty acids. Examples include walnut, pumpkin seeds and flax seeds and also oils pressed from them.

Our hair is a reflection of our nutrition, a quality diet is needed for it to be healthy and shiny. The hair's color and luster, as well as its rate of growth, directly depend on the supply of enough essential fatty acids. Enough omega-3 will keep the scalp hydrated, prevent it from becoming itchy and can sometimes even cause the hair to start growing again.

A proper diet is equally important for the skin. Fatty acids like omega-3 relieve inflammation, which greatly helps the skin regain its aspect and flexibility. Their effect is different on the skin, where omega-3 acts like a moisturizer and allows it to stay wrinkle-free. In addition, this essential acid can increase the resilience of the skin against harmful UV rays and remove diseases like psoriasis. For a similar effect, massage your hair and scalp with Elma 11 Hair and Scalp Revitalizer.

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