Healthier Hair From The Inside Out
After the birth of my son, Heath, in my early thirties, gobs of my hair fell out; only some of it grew back. Thus, a year into motherhood, I became a client of Liz Cunnane, a trichologist (that's a U.K.-trained hair ‘doctor’) at the Philip Kingsley Trichology Clinic in New York City. At her recommendation, I started popping scalp-support supplements (the clinic's formula is Tricho Complex Hair Nutrition Formula, $79; philipkingsley.com), and I believe this prevented additional hair loss, jumpstarted more robust regrowth around my face (where my hair kept breaking off) and thickened the fragile baby hairs that languished along my part and hairline.
Although I love the Tricho Complex, I've become a bit of a hair-vitamin connoisseur over the years, mostly because I've found, first-hand, they work. Three others I've tried and recommend: Viviscal Extra-Strength Dietary Supplements ($50; vivscal.com), NutraFol ($88; nutrafol.com), and Be Well Hair, Skin & Nails ($39; bewellbyfranklipman.com). So what exactly do they do? Primarily, they guarantee nourishment of your hair follicles, where new growth begins and which fall in line way behind life-sustaining organs like your liver and kidney when it comes to receiving vitality-boosting vitamins, minerals, proteins, etc. Think of these supplements as healthier-hair-growth insurance, especially on days or during weeks when your eating habits hit the skids and your nutrient intake declines (like me, right now, as candy corn and mellowcreme pumpkins are everywhere. The struggle is real.).
Can't stomach popping pills every morning? There are alternatives. I recently interviewed esthetician and natural product expert Tammy Fender for a Real Simple story, and she mentioned her obsession with the Moringa tree that grows outside her Florida home. “I eat the leaves right off the branches because I believe they promote healthier hair growth. I know two women, one who just finished chemotherapy and another with chronically thin, limp hair, who both found that adding Moringa powder to a daily smoothie dramatically improved the quality and density of new hair growth,” she shared.
Pure Moringa Vegetable Powder (purchase at your local store)
Glowing Green smoothie recipe found on Vitamix
Needless to say, post-interview, I hightailed it to Whole Foods for a bag of Kuli Kuli Pure Moringa Vegetable Powder. According to the nutrition label, the only ingredient is Moringa leaf powder from Ghana, which is high in iron, Vitamin A, calcium, protein and fiber. I've been adding it to my morning Glowing Green smoothie for about eight weeks and I do think my hair seems stronger and shinier. Perhaps not what it was pre-Heath...but undoubtedly thicker and stronger than it was last spring.
