Q. Is my hair thinning because of my vegan diet?

A. Although it is possible to eat very well as a vegan or vegetarian, it can be tricky to get enough protein and that may affect your hair.

Leading London hairdresser Edward James says, ‘There are several possible reasons why your hair starts to thin, including iron deficiency as well as hormonal changes and thyroid issues among others. But the huge increase in veganism is prompting more questions about whether this takes a toll on your hair.’

He continues, ‘we do see many more clients coming in to our salons with hair-thinning issues but there is a lot of scare-mongering [about vegan diets] too. We want to educate people on how to avoid weakening hair because of diet and lifestyle choices.’

Although many vegan and vegetarian clients are incredibly well informed, Edward says that a higher proportion of them do suffer from weak hair growth, increased hair loss and more brittle hair. He believes this is often a result of not eating enough high quality protein.  ‘The vegan diet particularly requires more conscious effort to eat enough high quality protein because of removing dairy produce.’

Here are the top pieces of advice that Edward James gives vegetarian and vegan clients, and those on a restricted diet. (Do also see our feature on supplements for those on vegan diets here.)

1. Hair is made from chains of proteins, so if you are eliminating meat or dairy, it is important to supplement with alternative sources of protein.  We normally recommend clients speak to a nutritionist and look up the Vegan Society website, vegansociety.com, for advice on following an adequate protein rich diet.

2. If colouring your hair, use a hair-bond booster such as the Olaplex system, which is 100 per cent vegan. Olaplex/£26 for 100 ml, will create new chains of disulphide bonds (what the hair is made from) while the colouring process takes place, effectively protecting the hair and resulting in healthy and stronger hair long-term.

3. Use a treatment that will increase the elasticity of the hair and protect when washing, particularly before you shampoo as it will protect the cuticle. Philip Kingsley Hair Elasticizer/£28.05 for 150 ml, is a pre-shampoo treatment that increases the elasticity of the hair. Also, Oribe’s Gold Lust Pre-Shampoo Intensive Treatment/£62 for 120 ml, will moisturise and repair, minimising damage through friction and pulling.

4. Use a protective spray on wet hair and when hair is at its weakest. Aveda Brilliant Damage Control spray/£17.85 for 250 ml, is perfect for this and is also vegan aligned.

5. Make sure you use a soft brush to separate and detangle hair gently, starting from the bottom and working your way up. 

6. If you are having colour, make sure the salon carries out a strand test to assess the tensile strength and elasticity of the hair. It’s essential that the quality of weak hair is not compromised any more.

7. Keep in mind that diet will only affect the hair to a certain extent. Other issues are over-colouring, heat styling, relaxing or perming. Opt for products that focus on hair health, such as Aveda, both for salon and at home colouring. Tints of Nature, which is plant-based, is another good option.

Photo by averie woodard on Unsplash

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