There are many ways women can achieve the best hair of their lives. The possibilities are endless, from using the correct brushing technique to avoiding a common conditioner mistake and ditching styles that may cause hair loss.
But in the pursuit of sensational strands, you mustn't neglect the importance of a healthy diet.
A woman whose mane transformed when she started eating more protein took to TikTok with some sage advice for fellow hair care enthusiasts.
Natalie O'Neill, who creates lifestyle and beauty content, said that eating more of a key food group is what took her hair from "not growing very fast to literally growing at a point I can't keep up".
'People think they are eating enough protein but they are really not'
TikTok / @natalie_oneill
She revealed that a protein-rich diet has not only made her hair grow faster, it has also changed the quality of her hair, stating: "It used to be quite dry and now it's quite silky."
While Natalie (who goes by @natalie_oneill on TikTok) initially started eating more protein when she became more interested in the gym, its hair-boosting benefits have been undeniable.
For those who want to see their hair make an exceptional transformation, the content creator stressed the importance of eating a significant amount of protein.
She said: "Something I've picked up on over the 13 years I've been weight training - I started when I was 16 and I'm now 29 - is that people think they are eating enough protein but they are really not.
"They might have protein with every meal, but they don't realise how much protein they need to make a difference."
A hair expert from Philip Kingsley confirmed the importance of dietary protein, saying: "Your body uses proteins to build tissue cells - including the cells of your hair, skin and nails. Some 80 to 85 per cent of your hair is composed of a protein called keratin. Dietary proteins are composed of amino acids, which are your hair’s building blocks - they make your hair strong.
"Without sufficient available protein, your hair can become brittle and fall out before it reaches its full length. This is one of the reasons why people with a low-protein diet often find their hair will not grow past a certain length."
Natalie advised consuming 20 to 30 grams of protein per meal at a minimum.
Harvard Medical School weighed in on how much protein people should be consuming daily for countless health benefits.
They stated: "A weight-based recommended daily allowance (RDA) of 0.8 grams per kilogram of body weight."
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'The protein found in egg whites is one of the most complete and easily absorbed forms of protein for your body'
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As for how much is too much, they advised: "For the average healthy person (who is not an elite athlete or heavily involved in bodybuilding) it's probably best to keep total protein intake to no more than two grams per kilogram of ideal body weight. That would be about 125 grams per day for a 140lb person [63.5 kilograms] with a normal body mass index (BMI)."
Philip Kingsley's hair expert provided their top sources of protein for a magnificent mane.
Good sources of protein
- Fish
- Eggs
- Red meat
- Poultry
- Cheese
- Beans
- Quinoa
- Tofu
- Seitan
- Legumes
- Nuts
Giving special praise to eggs, the expert said: "The protein found in egg whites is one of the most complete and easily absorbed forms of protein for your body. We suggest eating up to two eggs a day, at either breakfast or lunch."
They offered an important warning about cheese, however, urging hair care enthusiasts to "be wary".
They explained: "It can exacerbate eczema and dandruff in some people, and also takes over two hours to digest."
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