We’ve all seen it, lustrous locks that bounce and shine, the kind of hair you can make a rope out of and know that it’ll hold up well (although of course, we shouldn’t do that), the kind of hair you want to run your fingers through because it’s soft, sleek texture is irresistible. 

Sadly, we cannot all be blessed with naturally gorgeous hair. But the good news is that nature still offers ways to compensate for occasional physical shortcomings and there is definitely a way to strengthen hair naturally.

BEAUTY ASIDE, LUSH AND HEALTHY HAIR IS A SIGN OF INTERNAL WELLNESS.
When you’re balanced and nourished on the inside, all your outsides like skin, hair, and nails also look and feel great. Like anything else, a wholesome diet, regular fitness, peace and relaxation, fulfilling work, and positive relationships all contribute to your overall well-being, even when it comes to your hair. So while we’ll focus on food and making a hair mask, don’t forget these other elements too.

Let’s outline a few ways that your diet can support healthy hair, and then I’ll tell you my healthy hair secret.

Foods to eat for healthy hair:

Healthy fats
Yep, just another reason to make sure you’re getting your daily Omega-3’s! Foods like salmon, sardines, mackerel, flax and chia seeds, dark leafy greens, beans (especially mung beans), and walnuts top the charts for food sources, and you can always supplement as needed (here’s the traditionally fermented cod liver oil I use).

Protein
Hair is basically made of protein so you’ll need lots of it to continually reinforce hair growth and durability. Grass-fed meats, Greek yogurt, eggs, anchovies (I always have some in my cupboard because they’re inexpensive, tasty, and so dang nutritious!), lentils, quinoa, and nuts are all great sources of protein so eat up.

B-vitamins
B-vitamins, especially biotin and vitamin B6, can reduce thinning and increase scalp circulation so have a daily helping of foods like berries, avocados, wheat bran, and an overall variety of colorful fruits and veggies.

Vitamin E
Personally I love sunflower seeds in both lightly baked whole food form and as a butter. They make a great snack, are a nice alternative to nuts, and are rich in hair-nourishing vitamin E! Pretty much all nuts and dark leafy greens are also great sources.

Iron is another important nutrient for healthy hair but if you eat the foods above regularly you’ll get a sufficient dose of that too. See a theme here? A diverse and rich diet in a variety of whole foods is, yet again, your ticket to wellness awesomeness, even when it comes to your hair!
Here’s what else you can do…
Let’s say you eat a healthy diet and take care of yourself but your hair still falls out a lot, or is dry and brittle. If that’s the case I recommend getting some bloodwork done to rule out any underlying health conditions (like Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, which is what I have and it causes occasional hair loss when my body’s out of balance), and actually taking a break from vitamins if you take a lot of them (too much vitamin A for example can cause hair loss), AND in the meantime also giving yourself regular hair masks!

ALL YOU NEED IS ONE INGREDIENT: A RAW EGG.
That’s right, and it’s amazing how quickly this will help nourish your scalp and restore healthy hair. Eggs are LOADED with all the nutrients listed above and then some, and applying it directly to your scalp will deliver that nutritious goodness directly where it’s needed most.

And don’t worry, it doesn’t get all leaky and gross, once you get it up there it’ll stay contained surprisingly well and will lightly harden, but then also wash out very easily in the shower.

So here we go!

How to make an egg mask for your hair:

1. Grab an egg, crack it in a small bowl, and whisk it up with a fork like you’re making scrambled eggs. If your hair is long you might need two eggs, but 1 should be enough for up to medium-length so give it a try and see if you need another.

2. Part your hair way off to one side and use your fingers to begin applying the egg goo to the part near your face, gradually moving across your head to the other side covering everything with your hands until the whole front half of your head/scalp is nicely eggy, don’t worry you’ll get the ends in a moment.

3. Next, part your hair across your head (ear to ear) and begin applying more egg to the back part of your head, doing your best to ultimately cover your entire scalp.

4. Once your scalp (but not necessarily all the tips of the hair) is pretty much covered, bend over the sink so any drippings fall in there and now massage the egg into your scalp with your fingertips for a few minutes. The massage should be vigorous and firm (but not painful of course) this is a great way to increase circulation and maximize absorption, plus it just feels good.

5. And finally, use any remaining egg goo to cover your hair all the way to the tips into one gooey lock of hair, and then put it up with a clip into a bun or some other way to keep it in place.

6. Wipe up anything on your face or neck and then go hang out and check Instagram or something for 15 minutes while the egg works it’s magic.

7. Wash it out, repeat 2x/week until you see an improvement in your hair, and then at least monthly for maintenance.

Give it a try and let us know how it goes.  If you’ve got your own healthy hair tips please share in the comments!

*This post was originally published on Diana’s website, Living Body Wellness. For more from Diana visit http://livingbodywellness.com.
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