Crash dieting and eliminating certain food groups, such as wheat and dairy, can wreak havoc with our hair. This is because the hair follicle (root) needs a healthy, nutrient-rich blood supply. When your body is starved of nutrients, it uses those it can to maintain the most important functions first such as heart liver, and kidneys, leaving the less vital bits, such as hair, nails and skin, until last or not at all. Food is so closely linked to the health of our hair that the Food Doctor. Ian Marbcr, has created a weight loss plan. £99. where strands of hair are tested for vitamin deficiencies and a personal eating plan is devised from the results. “The quality of hair is an excellent indicator of the internal state of the body,” says Ian. HairScan Europe will also test hair to assess vitamin and mineral deficiencies. The test shows a three-month history of what’s been going on in the body and how that’s affected the hair.

Solution

Feed those follicles! “You need a healthy balance of nutrients to ensure well – nourished and beautiful hair,” says Ian. Essential hair vitamins include vitamin C and beta carotene – found in most fresh fruit and veg; B vitamins and biotin – whole grains, brown rice, legumes, fish, oats and eggs: zinc -shellfish, eggs, pumpkin and sunflower seeds; iron – red meat dried apricots, raisins, leafy green vegetables; and vitamin E – avocados, nuts and seeds. Supplements can also help, as long as they’re used to complement a healthy diet Iron deficiency is very often a factor in hair loss and thinning, so try Spatono lron+, £3.85, a natural spa water with a high iron content Pil-Food, £24.95. is a vitamin and mineral supplement that’s specially formulated to help promote healthy hair. And during a 90-day study at the Helsinki Research Centre, Finland, the mineral silica was found to improve hair’s thickness and strength. Try Silicol Silica Gel, £15.99.