Aren’t you always a bit choosy when it comes to your hair, be it a haircut, hair coloring or even your hairstyle? But for nice hair cut and all types of hair styling you need healthy hair and for that you need nutrient dense diet. To get long, lustrous and shiny hair you should take diverse diet with wide varieties of vitamins and minerals. So, are you aware of vitamins that are essential for healthy hair? If not, then let me tell you about most important vitamins you should be choosing for long hair.

Vitamin B7

Vitamin B7, also known as biotin, is one of the most important vitamins for healthy hair as it strengthens hair follicles, increases its growth rate and reduces hair fall. There are many biotin supplements available, but are you aware of foods that are rich in biotin? Nuts, seeds, whole eggs, and dairy products contain good amounts of biotin. However, taking a biotin supplement without the deficiency may give you no benefits. As per the studies, it is recommended to take at least 30 mcg of biotin every day to prevent deficiency.

Vitamin C

Vitamin C has many beneficial effects on your body including hair. It increases the absorption of iron, which further helps in hair growth as anemia is one of the major causes of hair fall. Collagen protein helps in the strengthening of hair follicles and repairs damaged hair. Therefore, increasing collagen production meets the daily requirement of vitamin C i.e. 75-90 mg/ day. Also, it is antioxidant-rich, which helps in maintaining a healthy scalp. So think twice before saying no to amlas, oranges, sweet limes, grapefruit, guava, prunes, plums, apples, etc.

Vitamin A

Your hair needs vitamin A for the development of cells and to produce oil (sebum), which successively promotes hair growth and keeps your hair moisturized. Carrots, pumpkin, sweet potatoes, papaya, spinach, bell peppers and corn are some good sources of vitamin A. But too much of anything is good for nothing. Having too much vitamin A, either through diet or supplement, will only have unfavorable effects like excessive hair fall, dry skin, etc. It is recommended to have 900 μg RAE (Retinol Activity Equivalents) per day for men and 700 μg RAE per day for women.

Vitamin D

Vitamin D, or the sunshine vitamin, is converted by the body into its active form. Skin breaks down vitamin D into its active form, cholecalciferol, which activates new hair follicles for hair growth, so vitamin D deficiency causes hair loss and a halt in hair growth. So, just like sunflowers, you need a little sunshine for yourself. Take in fatty fish, eggs, dairy products, and supplements if needed in your diet for strong and dense hair. It is recommended to take 15 mcg of vitamin D every day.

Vitamin E

The antioxidants present in vitamin E minimize the production of free radicals, which tend to damage the hair follicles in the scalp and increase hair fall. Vitamin E promotes hair growth by increasing the blood flow in the scalp. So, go ahead and snack on a handful of almonds, peanuts, and seeds like sunflower seeds, flax seeds, and pumpkin seeds. The daily recommended dietary allowance for vitamin E is around 15 mg to prevent deficiency.

Nutritional deficiency or inadequacy is one of the reasons for excessive hair fall, apart from environmental and cosmetic reasons. I think now you are clear about how the above-mentioned vitamins help to keep your hair healthy and strong. Try to include all the above-mentioned vitamins in your diet via food or supplements to get rid of hair fall worries.