Drinking enough water not only improves the appearance of your skin but also stimulates hair growth. Isnât that fascinating? We all know that water benefits our body and skin, and most of us diligently follow the â8 glasses a dayâ rule to stay healthy. But, does it also affect our hair? Anecdotal evidence suggests that water is essential for maintaining healthy hair and stimulating hair growth. In this article, we look at how important water is to our hair and how science backs it up. Read on to know more!
What If You Do Not Drink Enough Water?
Are you taking vitamin supplements for your hair growth but not getting the desired results you were hoping for? One reason for this could be that you are not consuming enough water to meet the daily requirement of your body. Yes, the deficiency of water in the body causes dehydration. But, how many of you know this condition has a direct effect on hair growth? Dehydration occurs when your body does not have enough water in its system and requires an adequate amount of water to balance it out.
Note: Our body is made up 55-65% of water, out of which two-thirds is intracellular (water located inside the cells). Dehydration occurs when there is a loss of intracellular water.
Dehydration can cause hair loss, although it is unlikely. Drinking lots of water is also important for maintaining a healthy scalp as dehydration can dry out your skin. Drinking sufficient water also helps to flush out toxins, increase weight loss, and give you an energy boost to improve your overall health, which, in turn, benefits your hair.
We all know that our hair is made up of dead cells and that the living part of the hair is the hair follicle. When the hair follicles have insufficient water levels, your hair becomes dry and fragile and may stop growing. As much as hair products help nourish the follicles, they also need nourishment from within the body. This is why vitamin and mineral deficiencies can affect hair growth and induce hair loss. Your hair, just like your body, needs to be hydrated to stay healthy.
Drinking water helps maintain the balance of body fluids and keeps you hydrated. But, how does it help in hair growth? Letâs find out more about it in the next section.
How Does Water Affect Hair Growth?
Drinking sufficient water supports hair growth from root to tip. It also helps prevent split ends and brittle hair, as well as makes your scalp healthy. Water is also very important for regulating the circulatory system, which provides important nutrients to your follicles, thereby aiding hair growth. Furthermore, water activates all the nerve endings and other sensors in the hair roots, which increases the natural vitality of your hair.
Water contains minerals that are needed for maintaining hair health, like iron, zinc, copper, and calcium (1), (2).
Copper can affect the pigmentation of your hair. Its deficiency can cause hair abnormalities. Calcium keeps your hair healthy and shiny. A deficiency in iron is known to cause hair loss and telogen effluvium (temporary hair loss) (3).
Zinc is another trace element that affects hair growth. Studies show that zinc deficiency causes hair loss and its supplementation can stimulate hair growth (3). It also affects cell proliferation and the size of sebaceous glands, which are important for hair growth.
The water content in human hair is important for its growth and health (4). A study shows that the quality of the water you drink affects the hair quality, as well (5). It shows that drinking water is the primary source for the trace elements mentioned above that affect your hair. Apart from this, anecdotal evidence suggests that water definitely affects hair growth.
Note: Hair is porous, and studies show that too much water can cause hair damage like stretching and breaking (6). Excess water can cause the hair shaft to swell and get damaged.
As you know, drinking water is essential for performing body functions and in enhancing hair growth. How much water you should drink is an important factor to consider. Check this out in the following section.
How Much Water Should You Drink Per Day?
The recommended daily intake of water for women is about 9 cups (2 liters) per day, and men can drink about 13 cups (3 liters) per day (7). But, specific amounts vary with age and activity levels.
When it comes to water, it is better to stick to the 8-glasses-a-day rule. After all, prevention is better than cure. Besides our skin and health, water also promotes hair growth and fights other hair and scalp problems. Even mild dehydration can sap energy from the hair roots and result in hair loss. Hence, keep yourself hydrated to get healthy hair.
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