Want to anti-age your HAIR? Treat it like your SKIN!

From exfoliating scrubs to cleansing waters and even a special diet . . .

CLEANSE, tone, moisturise. For decades, we’ve all had a dedicated skincare regime we perform diligently, morning and night. But what about our hair?

Perhaps it’s not surprising that the latest beauty trend is to adapt all the knowledge we have of skincare to our hair — after all, there’s no dividing line between face and scalp, and many of the formulations and technologies that work wonders on our skin could do the same for our hair.

We’re talking scrubs, sheet masks and serums — but this time we’re putting them on our heads.

And it’s not only products. For years, we’ve known that what we eat can have a miraculous impact on how our skin looks, too. It’s as common now for dermatologists to prescribe nutritional supplements as they do skin creams.

One US doctor even claims that after just three days on his salmon and berry-rich diet you’ll see improvements in your skin.

So why shouldn’t the same be true for hair? Well, according to three women with a wealth of knowledge on the subject, it is.

Susan Curtis, director of natural health at Neal’s Yard Remedies for almost 35 years, her colleague Tipper Lewis, a naturopathic herbalist, and nutritional therapist Fiona Waring are the authors of Eat Beautiful, a book that describes in detail how your diet can also help restore your crowning glory.

Read on to find out how a few simple diet tweaks can transform your hair — and discover the revolutionary products that use the same anti-ageing breakthroughs we see in skincare.

YOUR FIVE ANTI-AGEING HAIR ESSENTIALS ANTIOXIDANTS

FOUND most abundantly in brightly coloured fresh fruit and vegetables, especially pigmented ones such as beetroot, peppers, squash and tomatoes, these protective plant compounds help strengthen the tiny capillaries near the surface of our skin, which in turn promote a healthy circulation to the scalp, nourish the hair shaft and keep hair looking glossy and feeling strong.

FATTY ACIDS

OMEGA-3 and omega-6 help to balance sebum production (skin’s natural oils), keeping the scalp healthy and hair conditioned.

Add flaxseed, pumpkin and sunflower seeds to salads containing avocados and nuts. Don’t baulk at microalgae such as seaweed, which is packed with good fatty acids, and eat oily fish at least once a week.

Beware that too much omega-6 from less healthy sources, such as meat and cereal grains, can have an inflammatory effect, increasing sebum and leaving hair greasy.

VITAMINS B AND C

BOOST your intake of B vitamins, found in wholegrains and pulses, as these play an important role in boosting hair elasticity. And don’t stint on vitamin C, which is essential for forming collagen, the structural protein that holds hair together.

A lack of vitamin C can leave hair brittle, so eat lots of citrus fruits, kiwi, broccoli and kale.

MINERALS

THERE are three minerals vital to building healthy hair. Sulphur, found in cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, onion and garlic, is essential to the production of keratin, the main protein found in hair, and has also been shown to relieve dandruff and eczema.

Zinc helps to balance the production of sebum and encourages growth: eat plenty of grains and nuts, lentils, pumpkin seeds and, occasionally, lamb.

Silica prevents thinning and restores vitality. Top sources include wholegrain cereals, apples, cherries, almonds, oranges, fish, oats and seeds. STAYING hydrated is essential for a moisturised scalp and frizz-free hair. As well as water, try mineral-rich vegetable juices.

WHAT YOU SHOULD EAT AT EVERY AGE 40s

NOW you know the basics of the healthy hair diet, let’s get more specific. Age-proofing your hair requires understanding how it changes with each decade of life, and adding different elements to your diet as time goes on. HAIR starts to thin: we lose around 100 hairs a day, and as regrowth slows, this can affect hair volume. Collagen production decreases, which further weakens hair, and colour may start to change and turn grey. Grey hair can be coarser and look dull. EAT: Copper-rich foods, such as almonds, pineapples and blackberries, which can help to maintain natural colour. Healthy proteins and vitamin C-rich foods such as kiwi, broccoli and kale, keep it looking youthful.

50s

AS OIL glands shrink over time, hair becomes drier and more brittle, while the colour turns grey.

For some, thyroid problems can lead to changes in texture, thinning hair and slowing regrowth. Collagen continues to decline

now, which can further weaken the hair shaft.

EAT: Foods such as flaxseeds and oily fish provide both healthy omega-3 fats and protein, to moisturise and strengthen hair. Include bright fruit and vegetables for vitamins, and almonds and eggs for vitamin B.

60s AND BEYOND

HAIR continues to thin — each strand becomes smaller in diameter as we reach our 60s. The rate of regrowth slows, too, which means there can be less scalp coverage.

Hair increasingly loses elasticity, which can make it harder to manage and style.

Grey hair may be extensive now and can gradually become whiter.

EAT: Foods with the B vitamin biotin help to strengthen hair and encourage growth; include eggs, salmon, and nuts in your diet.

Eat iron-rich foods such as lentils, and plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables.

THE FOOD THAT WILL HELP BEAT HAIR LOSS

HAIR loss is often down to hormonal changes during the menopause, but can also be due to a medical condition, stress or nutritional deficiencies.

Eat food with antioxidant flavonoids to strengthen hair follicles; iron-rich foods to boost red blood cells; and protein and silica-rich foods to aid hair growth. Pack your shopping trolley with . . .

EGGS: Full of protein, eggs help to boost collagen production — collagen surrounds hair strands, making them more robust.

MANGO: This colourful fruit provides the mineral silica, a component of connective tissue that helps to strengthen hair and promote growth.

KELP: Nutrients in kelp, including iron and the amino acid lysine, directly affect hair growth. Iron ensures healthy red blood cell production, while lysine facilitates iron absorption — a deficiency in both can increase hair loss.

FIGS: A great source of iron, figs boost healthy hair growth and shine. Other good iron sources include dried fruits and berries.

STRENGTHEN FRAGILE, DAMAGED TRESSES

HAIR can become dry, frizzy and can break easily as we age thanks to overuse of hair products, sun, illness or poor diet. Hair strength depends on the quality of the hair shaft and health of the scalp and follicles.

The B vitamin biotin boosts scalp health, proteins provide keratin to strengthen hair strands and beta carotene converts to cell-building vitamin A in the body. So fortify your diet with the following . . .

PINEAPPLE: Loaded with collagen building vitamin C, pineapple aids the absorption of follicle strengthening iron from vegetable sources.

WHOLEGRAIN BREAD: This is a great source of vitamin B5, which gives hair flexibility, strength and shine. Other sources of B5 include brewer’s yeast, legumes, lentils, sunflower seeds, cereals and wheatgerm.

SEAWEED: Dulse, kelp, and nori are high in iodine, a deficiency of which can contribute to the condition hypothyroidism, associated with dry, brittle hair.

ALMONDS: These nuts contain vitamin E, an antioxidant that helps stabilise and strengthen cell membranes in hair follicles to promote healthy hair.

WILD SALMON: A great source of vitamin B12, which supports the formation of red blood cells that carry oxygen to the living portion of each hair strand. Without enough oxygen, hair can’t sustain healthy growth.

REVIVE LIFELESS, LACKLUSTRE LOCKS

LACKLUSTRE hair is often a result of a breakdown in the natural oils found in the outer layer. Thyroid problems can affect hair health in this way, but often its root cause is a diet low in nutrients.

Antioxidant-rich, fresh produce and foods with omega-3 and omega-6 nourish the hair shaft, improving texture and adding shine. Fill your plate with . . . OILY FISH: Omega-3 fatty acids, protein, vitamin B12 and iron are all found in fish sources and help to revitalise dull hair. About 3 per cent of the hair shaft is made up of omega-3, while these fatty acids are also found in cell membranes on the scalp.

BRIGHT VEGETABLES: Beta carotene is converted to vitamin A in the body, vital for cell growth, and a deficiency of this vitamin can lead to dry, lifeless hair. Balance is important, though, as too much vitamin A is linked to hair loss.

Getting your daily dose from brightly coloured vegetables — pumpkin, squash, sweet potatoes and carrots — rather than from supplements, provides just the right amount.

LEAFY VEGETABLES: Dark green, leafy vegetables, including bok choy, spinach, broccoli, kale and Swiss chard, provide a wide range of nutrients that keep hair follicles healthy and hair vibrant.

AVOCADO: The B vitamin biotin, found in avocados, is necessary for healthy hair growth. While a deficiency of biotin is rare, eating biotin-rich foods supplements the vitamin manufactured in the body to improve hair strength and prevent breakage, so hair looks thicker.

SALAD FOODS: Around 20% of our daily water intake comes from solid foods, and hydrating salad vegetables such as celery and cucumber are a key source of fluids, supporting hydration.