How To Take Care Of Our Hair, Skin & Nail Health

Our skin, hair, and nails reflect the health of our internal environment and can give external clues to our vitality and inner balance.  In order for our skin, hair, and nails to stay healthy and look their best, it’s essential that we take good care of the rest of our body.  Different lifestyle factors lead to premature aging of the skin and to dry, brittle hair and nails, but there are lots of things we can do to prevent this.

Let’s look at the 3 valuable ways to care for our skin, hair, and nails from the outside and 9 valuable ways to nourish them from the inside.

Three ways to care for your skin, hair, and nails from the outside:

Protect yourself from the sun — UV light causes more rapid aging and dryness and reduces skin elasticity and tone.  Over time, the sun's ultraviolet light damages the fibres in the skin called elastin.  UV rays can also damage the outside cover of the hair strand, called the cuticle.

Stay away from cigarette smoke — Cigarette smoke and chemicals cause aging of the skin by increasing free radicals which damage the skin cells.  Smoking also causes irritation of the organs internally which can show itself in unhealthy skin, hair, and nails.

Use natural beauty products —  Harsh chemicals and procedures dry, damage, and otherwise compromise the appearance and integrity of hair, skin, and nails.  Be sure to choose natural, organic, non-toxic products.

Nine ways to care for your skin, hair, and nails from the inside:

Water — Water carries nutrients to the skin and flushes out toxins.  Drinking plenty of water is possibly one of the most important factors in good skin.

Protein — Adequate protein is essential to healthy skin, hair, and nails because amino acids are vital to tissue building.  L-cysteine helps to fight weakened hair, skin, and nails all at the same time by building keratin which is crucial to strengthening the structure of all three. 

Fibre — A high fibre diet helps the colon flush out toxins and prevents accumulation of toxins which could otherwise lead to lacklustre skin, hair, and nails.

Essential Fatty Acids —  EFA’s nourish the skin and and keep the texture and vitality strong. They also nurture the cells in the nail bed and hair follicles.

Antioxidants —  Antioxidants such as Vitamins A, C, and E counteract free radical damage and reduce aging.  Vitamin A in particular can come to the rescue of dry and brittle hair, skin and nails by producing the oil that keeps the scalp and skin moisturized. Vitamin A also stimulates the skin tissue cells that help keep our complexion firm and healthy.

B vitamins —  B vitamins, especially biotin, support skin, hair, and nail health.  Biotin helps your hair, skin, and nails grow by converting the foods you eat into energy more efficiently.

Minerals — Zinc is needed in cell repair, has been shown to have anti-inflammatory properties, and can help reduce the amount of acne-causing bacteria in the skin.  Magnesium is essential for skin health, bones, teeth, and hair, especially helping skin to retain elasticity.  Calcium is also important as a deficiency will result in fragile and thin skin, loss of hair, weak bones and brittle nails.

Turmeric —  Turmeric reduces inflammation, promotes skin healing, stimulates hair growth, and can help rid nails of fungal infections.

Hyaluronic Acid —  Hyaluronic acid can help retain skin elasticity and moisture from the inside out.  It improves skin condition, lustre, and suppleness.

So if you want to look your best, take good care of your skin, hair, and nails by taking good care of your whole body, from the inside out.