Treating Hair Loss with Natural Approaches

1. See your doctor

While you may seek a natural remedy to stop losing your hair, diagnosing the exact cause of your hair loss should be the first step. If nothing else, you should get a checkup to ensure that the hair loss isn’t a symptom of a more harmful disease or condition.

2. Eat foods that are complete proteins

Hair is primarily protein, and strong, healthy hair comes from “the inside.” Make sure you are getting enough vitamins, minerals, and high-quality protein. You should try for a variety of sources of complete protein, which contain all the essential amino acids (protein building blocks). Here is a list of some foods that are complete proteins:

• Eggs
• Dairy products
• Quinoa (this high-fiber food also has high levels of iron, magnesium, and manganese
• Buckwheat
• Hemp seed (also contains high levels of magnesium, zinc, iron, and calcium)
• Chia seeds (also contain high levels of omega-3 fatty acids)
• Soy products (including tofu, tempeh, and natto)
• A combination of rice and beans (rich in methionine and lysine, respectively, so together, they form a complete protein)

3. Eat foods rich in B vitamins

You should also ensure that you eat a diet high in B-complex vitamins. Your body needs B vitamins to promote healthy hair follicles and healthy hair growth. These foods include:

• Leafy green vegetables, such as spinach, parsley, mustard greens, romaine lettuce, turnip greens, and beet greens
• Other vegetables, including broccoli, beets, turnips, and bell peppers
• Legumes, such as lentils
• Calf and beef liver and fortified grains, which are rich in vitamin B12

4. Add more iron to your diet

The only mineral that has been proven to be connected to hair loss is iron. Increasing iron in your diet may reduce hair loss. However, consult your doctor before adding iron supplements to your daily regimen to ensure you don’t take in too much of the mineral. Foods high in iron include:

• Eggs
• Red meat (go for grass-fed beef or buffalo, which are higher in omega-3 fats as well)
• Dark, leafy green vegetables
• Beans and lentils
• Liver

5. Add more zinc to your diet

While low zinc has been implicated in hair loss, it is still not known if zinc deficiencies play a primary or secondary role in hair loss.[26] Foods high in zinc include:

• Seafood and shellfish
• Spinach
• Pumpkin, squash, sunflower seeds
• Various nuts