Time to get anti-social?
If eyes are the window to our soul, hair is the window to our health – and specifically to the state of our nutrition.
What we eat has a profound impact on hair growth and quality.
That’s because it’s a very needy, but ultimately dispensable tissue made up of the second fastest dividing cells in our body, so its energy requirements are great.
Our bodies don’t prioritise its needs, instead sending nutrients to keep our heart and nervous system functioning.
“The most common cause of excessive daily hair loss in my clients is not eating a healthy, balanced and varied diet,” says consultant trichologist Anabel Kingsley.
“Everyone’s nutritional requirements are different – what we need depends on activity levels, weight, sex, menstrual cycle, metabolism and our ability to absorb certain nutrients well. That said, these are the biggest mistakes I see people make:
■
“I always ask clients to run through a typical day and often breakfast only consists of coffee,” says Anabel. “But after 10 or more hours fasting, every cell needs nourishment.
“Already last on your body’s priority list, skipping breakfast means lunch will fuel essential tissue, so hair loses out.”
■
“Vegans should supplement with vitamin B12, which is only naturally found in animal products, as a lack causes excessive hair shedding.
“Also, iron and zinc are less bioavailable in plant-based foods and deficiencies in either cause hair loss, so it’s wise to supplement and have annual blood tests to monitor levels.”
■ “Vitamin D deficiency is common, particularly in winter, and has a significant impact on the hair growth cycle and scalp health. The NHS recommends supplementing with 10mcg per day between October and April.”
■
“The most common cause of excessive hair shedding and it not growing beyond a certain length in menstruating women is ferritin [stored iron] deficiency,” explains Anabel.
“Ferritin is essential in keratin production, so eat iron-rich foods like red meat and dried apricots regularly, alongside vitamin C to aid absorption. That said, even avid meat eaters can have ferritin deficiency, especially if you have heavy periods.
“Supplementing with iron, vitamin C and L-lysine, which helps the body store iron, can be helpful.”
■ “Rapid weight loss and vastly restricting calorie and nutrient intake almost always causes hair loss because, as we’ve said, hair is last in the nutrient pecking order.”
■
“Hair is primarily made of a protein called keratin. “A lack of dietary protein can cause strands to become weak and brittle so try to include a palmsized portion of a protein such as cottage cheese, lean meats, quinoa, eggs, beans and oily fish with all your meals. If you struggle, a daily protein supplement like our Density Amino Acid (£32; philipkingsley.co.uk) can help.”
■
“If proteins are building blocks, complex carbs are the builders, providing slow and easily accessible energy to make hair cells. Include a portion with each meal – wholegrain toast, potatoes with skin-on, couscous, brown rice or pasta. Healthy fats found in oily fish, nuts, avocado and olive oil are necessary for scalp health.”
■ “While I’ve talked about the importance of supplements, they’re not magic pills. They only help if you’re also eating well, otherwise their nutrients will be used on essential cells,” says Anabel.
“Additionally, supplements only help if they address a need – if you aren’t low on iron, taking a pill won’t boost growth.”
■ By AMY PACKER a pal or partner
PEOPLE never seem to regret taking social media breaks.
Celebrities including former Coronation Street star Helen Flanagan, British actress Millie Bobby Brown, and American singer-songwriter Billie Eilish, have all spoken about the mental health benefits that go hand-inhand with leaving social media for a spell.
So what are the signs that it’s time to log off for a while?
Should people take a social media break?
“Stepping away from devices is important for us all, but particularly for young people – as young brains are still developing, exposure to so much content on social media can be harmful and damage their future wellbeing,” says Fiona Yassin, psychotherapist, and founder and clinical director of The Wave Clinic.
“In addition to the mental health risks of social media, we are all (but again, young people especially) at risk from the negative aspects of the internet.”
What are the signs that it’s time to log off for a while?
There are many signs that it might be time to take a break from social media.
“These include, finding you often get annoyed or frustrated with people’s content, comparing yourself to others to the detriment of your health, reaching for your phone first thing in the morning and last thing at night, and scrolling social media when you’re with other people,” Fiona says.
Many young adults and teenagers can feel huge anxiety due to social media. They may feel pressured to continually post perfect photos and write idealised posts to go alongside them.
Fiona says: “Signs that your child or young person is struggling with social media include withdrawal and isolating from friends and family, being upset, disturbed sleep, major distress when you take social media away, significant mood changes, and using selfinsulting comments”
What is the best way to do it to ensure that it’s effective?
Jas Schembri-Stothart, cofounder of the Luna wellbeing app, encourages people to take the following steps. “Unfollow or mute accounts that provoke negative feelings and contribute to poor mental health; this way the only way you are coming across their content is if you actively search for it,” says Jas.
“Set personal boundaries, like time limits and guardrails around times of the day you want to use social media. Remove comments and ‘like counts’ and mute notifications; silencing pop-ups and adjusting these settings will reduce the urge to keep refreshing your feed to check in on post updates “Engage with accounts and content that adds value to your life and makes you feel good.”
What are the benefits
Studies have shown that limiting social media use can improve wellbeing by preventing sleep problems. “Many people who use social media experience a fear of missing out, which can drive social media use at night and cause sleep disturbances,” says Fiona.
“Stepping away from social media can help to reduce anxiety no matter what your age. Although social media has not yet been proven to cause depression, it is shown to intensify certain symptoms,” Fiona says.
“Breaking from social media and instead investing time connecting with friends, family and colleagues in real life, can help to reduce feelings of loneliness.
“Although it is yet to be established whether the relationship between social media use and health factors is a direct one, research has shown that reducing social media use, even by just 15 minutes a day, can significantly improve general health and immune function.”