Using food in your hair: more risks than benefits –

Much has been discussed about the use of foods for aesthetic purposes: homemade recipes with honey, avocado, oil among others are successful on the internet and promise a hair stronger, beautiful and shiny in a cheap and affordable way. But is its use safe?

EFFECTIVENESS OF USING FOOD ON HAIR

“Until 2013, it referred to the care inherited from grandmothers and mothers who took care of the threads with in natura foods”

Many industrialized products have actives coming from the foods we find in our kitchen — who never bought a shampoo with avocado extract to hydrate the wires?

So, you might think it’s best to cut the corner and go straight to the fruit, right? In truth no.

the penetration of active agents of food in natura in the hair strand it is very weak, or none at all, due to the large size of its molecules.

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THE DIFFERENCE OF ACTIVES IN COSMETICS

if that one of yours avocado It is oil that are in the kitchen do not help the threads, why do we see so many products in cosmetics stores with these actives?

Carolina Milanezspecialist dermatologist for the Brazilian Society of Dermatology, explains that the cosmetic industry invests in electric charge technology, breaking down the size of the molecules of its components so that there is a stabilization of these charges on the threads (which leaves the hair with less frizz). With the proper size of the molecules, it is possible for the active to penetrate the deepest layers, resulting in nutrition, reconstruction and hydration superior to products that reach only the most superficial layer.

RISKS OF USING FOOD ON HAIR

In addition to not being effective, some foods can even harm your hair.

Proliferation of bacteria and fungi

“The olive oil found in supermarkets has no cosmetic function, the honey sold has high levels of sugar in the composition and pure avocado cannot penetrate the hair fiber”, he says. Samantha Cunha, hairdresser specialist in cutting and colorimetry in wavy, curly and kinky hair. All this excess, when not removed correctly, can even benefit the proliferation of fungi and bacteria in your head.

Another danger of home procedures is the risk of allergy. Vinegar (often used to add shine and reduce frizz), for example, due to its intense acidity, can end up drying out the hair and causing dermatitis if it comes into contact with the scalp.

In the smallest of problems, what the use of food can cause are opaque, dull strands. Result of food residues not completely removed.

WHAT ABOUT VEGETABLE OILS?

The scientific article “Influence of Brazilian vegetable oils on the mechanical strength of the hair fiber” explains that oils have the function of lubricating and filling small cracks in the hair cuticle, i.e. on the external part of the wire.

“They form a film on the surface of the hair that helps seal the cuticles and keep water inside the hair shaft. Contrary to what many think, they do not have the ability to hydrate but to do not let the thread lose its own hydration. Coconut oil, as it contains smaller molecules, is the only one capable of penetrating the hair shaft and thus has the benefit of preventing protein loss. That’s why it’s one of the favorites when it comes to hair. But avocado and olive oils are also good options for moisturizing or adding to masks,” he recommends. Paula Amorimdermatologist responsible for the trichology center at Clínica Juliana Piquet.

“However, they alone cannot treat the cortex and, therefore, do not replace the use of treatment masks.“, completes Samantha.

In addition, its use should not come from the kitchen product either. “Wetting with oils must be done with pure cold-pressed oils and for cosmetic purposes. It could be avocado, safflower, macadamia and even olive and coconut oil.”

INVEST IN FOOD — IN THE DIET

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There is a right way for food to help your hair health: through ingestion! Investing in appropriate products is of no use if the way you eat is not correct.

Water for everything to work

First of all: hydrate. A good consumption of water helps our whole body to function better and your hair will certainly benefit from it.

It’s no use eating everything necessary to maintain beautiful hair from the inside out if the intestinal absorption is not complete.

“Ingesting specific foods or supplements is important, but if they aren’t absorbed, they come out in the stool and don’t do the job that needs to be done. For this reason, it is extremely important to observe the functioning of the intestine, the integrity of the feces and to be attentive to symptoms of dysbiosis or some syndrome that disturbs the absorption”, says the nutritionist Camilly Gabry Houaiss.

Maintaining adequate levels of iron in the body is extremely important and, according to the professional, when consuming it, it is important to optimize digestion and absorption with sources of vitamin C such as orange and acerola.

Proteins for growth

“Increase protein intake. A low-protein or very restrictive diet can be very detrimental to healthy hair growth.”

Zinc, contained in pumpkin seeds, beans, almonds and peanuts, plays a key role in hair growth. “But you also need to think about the scalp and not just the hair, therefore, a diet rich in antioxidants, vitamins A and C can have a positive influence in addition to preventing hair loss and depigmentation. Biotin, calcium, vitamin B12 and vitamin E are also involved in the capillary health process”, he concludes.

HOW TO CARE FOR YOUR HAIR AT HOME

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Now that you’re leaving the avocado and egg where they belong (in the kitchen, far away from your hair), there are some important factors to consider when taking care of your hair’s health, the first of which is your scalp:

According to Carolina, it must be very well sanitized through washing (Don’t forget that the accumulation of products and dirt in it can negatively affect the growth and health of the threads). But, unlike what many people think, there is no magic number that determines the amount of washes a person should do per week. It changes for each one and depends on the characteristic of the type of hair that each person has. Ooiliness, dryness, seborrheic, chemical dermatitis must be taken into consideration.

“For very damaged, dry or frizzy hair, my advice is to wash it at least every 7 days”, says Carolina. “I also indicate the use of anti-residue shampoo every 15-30 days”.

To complete, once or twice a week, use a hair mask which has a greater moisturizing power, keeping in mind that some masks need to be supplemented with a conditioner after use. “I do not indicate routinely using dryers and boards. But when using it, the ideal is to apply a thermal protector to the hair beforehand,” emphasizes the dermatologist.

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